Local notes: Top EU officials visit Foxford
Members of the newly formed Foxford Table Tennis Club are secretary Billy Rice and chairperson Aoife Kilcawley who recently completed the coaching course with Mayo Sports Partnership. They are pictured in the new premises on the Swinford Road where Foxford Table Tennis Club trains twice weekly.
As part of Ireland’s Presidency of the European Union, there was lots of activity in Foxford on Sunday last, July 5 as Foxford Woollen Mills was the location for a meeting of EU Enterprise and Social Protection Ministers. The prestigious event did mean for restrictions to traffic throughout the course of the day, with Green Road closed from afternoon until late evening, while local access to Lower Main Street and Providence Road was for residents only.
Formal and informal EU Presidency events across both Sunday and Monday were also concentrated at Mount Falcon Estate and St Mary’s Secondary School, Ballina.
It’s a big year for Foxford Brass and Reed Band who are in the throes of their 130th anniversary celebrations.
The weekend just passed saw them travel to Clonakilty in Co Cork to take part in the 45th annual South of Ireland Band Championships. As winners of the junior category last year, this time they were due to face the adjudicators in the intermediate competition, as were their friends (and rivals on this occasion!) Castlebar Concert Band.
A total of 15 bands were competing in the intermediate category, with each having to perform three pieces of their choosing but within a specified timeframe.
As well as taking part in competition, Foxford Brass and Reed Band were due to perform on location in Clonakilty at the event which has become a huge tourist attraction. They were also set to play at the closing parade.
The recently established Foxford Table Tennis Club and Moy Davitts GAA are among clubs and organisations who have been allocated money through the Mayo Sports Partnership’s club development small grants scheme.
At a recent Mayo Sports Partnership Committee meeting, €800 was allocated to both clubs as part of €32,400 that has been allocated countywide. This support from Mayo Sports Partnership has come via funding from Sport Ireland and Dormant Accounts.
There has been further track success for Straide athlete Rory Gruddy. A student at St Joseph’s Secondary School in Foxford, Rory was in action in the U16 3,000m at the All-Ireland Track and Field Championships in Tullamore and ran a masterful race to finish in third place and take the bronze medal. A member of Swinford AC, Rory positioned himself comfortably within the leading pack for most of the seven and a half laps. As the bell rang for the final lap, a thrilling three-way breakaway led to a dramatic sprint finish. In a wide-open dash down the home straight, it was neck-and-neck, with a razor-thin 0.3 seconds separating the top three podium spots.
Returns were not in keeping with the numbers of grilse seen running through on the River Moy last week, with 22 salmon recorded caught by Foxford Salmon Anglers for the week-ending Sunday, June 28. A number of anglers released their catch. The best methods were shrimp, worm and bubble and fly. Normal enough conditions for this time of year were forecast for the coming week.
A jackpot of €597 was won by Pauline Thompson in last week’s Moy Davitts GAA 50-50 draw. The club appreciates the support of its weekly and vital fundraiser. Play via the club app or by purchasing tickets in the usual local outlets.
The annual Cemetery Mass at Straide New Cemetery will take place on Sunday, August 2 at 11am.
It was a busy week for Moy Davitts GAA on the playing front across various grades. The junior team got the better of visitors Ballintubber by 3-15 to 3-11 in the County Premier Junior ‘A’ championship. The minors were also at home and drew with Swinford, 2-5 to 1-8, in the East Mayo ‘B’ championship while in the East Mayo U14 ‘B’ championship, Moy Davitts overcame Ballaghaderreen by seven points, 6-7 to 3-9.
Well done to the Moy Davitts team who finished runners up in the regional Connacht Feile competition held in the Connacht GAA Centre of Excellence. Up against the Feile county champions from across the province and Westmeath as well, the team acquitted themselves brilliantly to finish in runners-up behind Annaghdown of Galway.
On the ladies front, Moy Davitts were in action against Kilmoremoy in the Mayo LGFA Division 2 Minor Cup final but were on the wrong end of a 10-12 to 3-12 scoreline.
It’s a big week for Moy Davitts footballer Cian McHale who is part of the Mayo senior football squad preparing to play Louth in next Saturday’s All-Ireland SFC semi-final. While not featuring in the team’s quarter-final win against Cork, Cian had a significant role to play in the previous game against Meath and will be hoping for more game time at Croke Park having starred there earlier this year for University of Limerick when helping them win the Sigerson Cup for the first time in their history.
Blessing of Mosaics will take place at 10am on August 15 at Mass in St Thomas’ Church, Callow by Bishop Doran.
Plans are afoot to hold a 30 year reunion of St Joseph’s Secondary School’s 1996 Leaving Certificate class later this year. Organisers have arranged the event for Saturday, September 12 in The Riverbank, Foxford where a night of music, memories and lots, lots more is guaranteed, with further details to follow.
Former students are asked to save the date and spread the word. You can get in touch by email at classof96stjosephs@gmail.com or follow on Facebook at Class of 1996 Reunion.
Dates have been confirmed for Riverfest 2026, Foxford’s annual summer festival. The event will take place across two days, Friday and Saturday, August 21-22. There has been an excellent response to the committee’s appeal for more organisers, planners, leaders and ideas.
The organisers say there are many bands wishing to play the festival and lots of new ideas for children's activities, plenty of stall holders lining up for and preparations already afoot for another Candles to the Sea.
Donations are being sought and can be made via the iDonate website and searching for Foxford Riverfest 2026. Other fundraising events will include a bucket collection and a pub quiz.
Meals can be provided from Monday to Saturday by the Foxford Meals on Wheels service at a cost of €7 per meal. To avail of this service please contact Geraldine on 087-9040463 or Carmel on 086-6064670.
Straide and Foxford United’s search for a first win in the Castlecourt Hotel Mayo Premier Division continues after a 3-1 defeat away to neighbours Swinford. Michael Guilfoyle scored United’s only goal. Next weekend’s planned game away to Westport United ‘B’ has been deferred after the Mayo Football League opted for a blanket postponement of fixtures on account of Mayo’s appearance in the All-Ireland SFC semi-final.
S&F United’s women’s team were in action on Friday evening last in the semi-finals of the Rumley Cup but unfortunately were beaten 4-1 at Green Road, despite taking an early lead through Grace Naughton’s goal.
If you would like to get some help in researching your family tree, the Mayo Genealogy Group can help show how to get started and provide tips and advice on taking the next steps. The group’s friendly members are to hold their next meeting on Saturday next, July 11, from 11.30am to 1pm at the National Museum of Ireland - Country Life, in Turlough. This is a voluntary group brought together by a keen interest in genealogy. The members enjoy sharing their successes and pitfalls, collective experience and detective work to give other researchers a guiding hand. New researchers are welcome. No booking required.
Moy Davitts is seeking strong support for its sale of Mayo GAA Club Development Draw tickets. This annual county board draw requires that Moy Davitts must sell 50 tickets and return 100% of the sales revenue to Mayo GAA after which 90% of all additional sales revenue generated by the club stays with the club. Therefore it is in the interest of Moy Davitts GAA to sell as many extra tickets as it can because it is one of the club’s most important fundraisers of the year.
All money raised through these ticket sales is re-generated back into the club facilities for the benefit of all club members from Moy Davitts GAA, Moy Davitts LGFA, Dads and Lads and the GAA for All teams.
Development draw tickets cost €100 each and each ticket is entered into six draws where a top prize of €10,000 is on offer in draws one and six and €5,000 in draws 2 to 5, with €1,000 the second prize in ever draw and up to 30 cash prizes up for grabs in every draw.
This year, however, there is also an additional ‘early bird’ draw on Sunday, July 19 in MacHale Park and offers supporters the opportunity to win a fantastic range of prizes while supporting their local club: 1st Centre Parcs Voucher €1,000; 2nd Elverys Voucher €500; 3rd Elverys Voucher €250; 4th Elverys Voucher €250; 5th Elverys Voucher €250.
Moy Davitts would be extremely grateful if club members would purchase a Club Development Draw ticket at https://pay.sumup.com/b2c/QFH3FXKG or by contacting any of the club executive.
