GAA briefs: Managers wanted, clubs head to Connacht
The 2022 Mayo SFC champions, who made an early exit in this year's race for honours, are on the hunt for a new manager.
Westport GAA: 2022 Mayo SFC winners Westport St Patrick’s are on the lookout for a new manager. The Coveys were many people’s fancies to retain the Moclair Cup this year but suffered a surprise defeat to Breaffy at the quarter-final stage.
Martin Connolly was the man who masterminded the club’s first ever triumph just over twelve months ago but with his team unable to repeat the trick this season, the club is now seeking expressions of interest for the position.
Interested parties should email the club secretary before 5pm this coming Tuesday, November 14 at secretary.westport.mayo@gaa.ie.
Lahardane GAA: On what is shaping up to be an exceptionally busy and exciting weekend for Mayo GAA teams in the Connacht club championships, Lahardane MacHales are to get their provincial junior title assault underway on Sunday next, November 19.
The men from North Mayo discovered on Saturday last that Menlough will provide the opposition for their Connacht semi-final which is to take place at Hastings Insurance MacHale Park, Castlebar at 1pm. The Galway champions got the better of St Michael’s from Roscommon in the Connacht quarter-final, leading 1-6 to 0-5 at half-time thanks to a first-half goal by Sean Hansberry and went on to pad out that advantage in the second-half at Tuam Stadium, eventually winning by 1-13 to 0-10.
Lahardane MacHales have, however, form in the Connacht junior championship as on the back of winning the Mayo title for the first time in their history in 2017, they added the provincial title as well, under the guidance of then manager John Maughan.
They won their second county championship just over a fortnight ago when overcoming Shrule/Glencorrib in the decider.
Easkey GAA: Last year’s All-Ireland Club junior hurling finalists, Easkey will seek to win back-to-back Connacht junior titles next weekend when they take on Galway champions Ballinasloe at the Connacht GAA Centre of Excellence. But it’s set to be an especially busy weekend for the West Sligo club as their footballers are also in the semi-final action in the Connacht intermediate club championship. They take on Castlerea St Kevin’s on Saturday at 1.30pm in Markievicz Park and the winners of that match will face whoever comes through the other semi-final between Mayo champions Kilmeena and Monivea Abbey of Galway.
Castlerea come into their game after winning the Roscommon crown with a last minute victory over Éire Óg while Easkey were victorious over Coolaney-Mulinabreena in the Sligo decider.
Camogie: The Mayo senior camogie team will be under new management in 2024 after it was confirmed last week that Jimmy Lyons had opted not to seek an extension to his three-year spell in charge of the Green and Red.
The former Mayo senior footballer made great inroads since his appointment in 2021, when it was decided to establish Mayo on the adult inter-county camogie scene again after a long number of years’ absence.
Mayo made swift progress, contesting four finals during the reign of Jimmy Lyons. They won two national titles along the way, including the Nancy Murray Cup in 2021 – a first adult All-Ireland camogie title for the county. Twelve months later they added the National League Division 4 title and having earned promotion to the Premier Junior Championship, that’s where they played for both the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
Mayo Camogiehas extended its gratitude to Jimmy and his backroom team “for their professionalism, hard work and unwavering commitment to the overall development of Camogie in Mayo.”
