Local Notes: All smiles at the Wild West Barbeque hosted by St Attracta's Residence, Charlestown.
All smiles at the recent Wild West Barbeque hosted by St Attracta's Residence, Hagfield, Charlestown.
There was no winner of the Charlestown Sarsfields GAA lotto jackpot of €17,600 in the weekly draw held on Sunday, July 13, and the following were the four numbers drawn; 7, 18, 28 and 30. The winners €50 weekly prizes were John Carney and Mary Murray, c/o Goldie. The latest jackpot increased to €17,700 and the draw was held on Sunday, July 20.
The Sarsfields begin their bid for county U16A championship honours when they host Breaffy in Fr O’Hara Park on Thursday, July 24, with the throw-in timed for 7pm.
Charlestown Sarsfields U14 team are riding the crest of the wave at the moment. Fresh from their Division 3 League success and East Mayo U14A title, they began their bid for Division 2 championship honours with a comprehensive 3-15 to 2-8 victory over Parke/Keelogies/Crimlin in round one played at the Parke GAA grounds recently.
The Sarsfields played with a real confidence and swagger that was refreshing to see as they made light of the step-up in divisions with a very complete performance as each and every player raised their level and were more than comfortable at this perceived jump in class as they put their opposition to the sword with some sparkling, attacking football.
They began brightly and had a stranglehold on the game for most of the opening half save for a spell before half-time when they conceded 1-3 to go into the interval five down which was a tad harsh as they played most of the ball in the opening half. Ryan Rowley bagged the Sarsfields goal in the opening half.
The home side continued to set the pace in the early stages of the second half as the Sarsfields struggled to douse the home side’s fire so to speak. The complexion of the game changed ten minutes in however when the Sarsfields seized control once again courtesy of goals from Cillian O’Grady and Rhian O’Connor which gave the green and white the impetus to kick on and make their play for victory. This they duly did in some style, kicking some excellent points to back up the double goal strike which completely pulled the rug from under the Parke challenge as they wilted in the face of the Sarsfields onslaught.
The green and white were in no mood to surrender the initiative they worked hard to achieve and kept control to the final whistle with some more fine point kicking setting them up nicely for an excellent victory and one which leaves them in good fettle as they get ready to host Burrishoole in round 2 in the coming week.
They had some fine performances from Sean Cassidy, Daithi Gethins, James McCann, Freddie Doherty and Tom Naughton as the team as a whole continue to impress with their work ethic and commitment to each other off the charts.
The Sarsfields travel to Swinford to take on the locals in round one of the county minor D championship on Tuesday (this evening), July 22, with the throw-in timed for 7pm.
The Sarsfields host Burrishoole in Fr O’Hara Park in the U14B championship on Monday, July 28, with the throw-in timed for 7pm.
The Sarsfields travel to Swinford to take on the locals in the county U14 development championship on Saturday, July 26, with the throw-in timed for 11am.
The Sarsfields host Breaffy in Fr O’Hara Park in the county U12 summer league on Wednesday, July 23, with the throw-in timed for 7pm.
The Annual Curry Fair takes place on Saturday, July 26, from 11am-4pm. There will be lots of fun guaranteed with bouncy castles, face painting, pet farm among some of the many activities and events on offer and music by Mary –Kathleen. There will also be activities with Sligo Sports and Recreation, duck race and raffle, dog show, light refreshments and much more.
The East Mayo Athletics Club are running a nice competition at the moment as they continue to raise funds in aid of their track development plans. They are offering two Oasis Premium tickets for the band’s Croke Park Concert on Sunday, August 17, with entry by way of the East Mayo Athletic Club Facebook page where you can click and follow the link or they have cards in a number of shops and businesses in the community with each line costing €5 with five available for €20. The club would appreciate your support with demand for the tickets sky high at the moment as the Oasis tickets remains the hottest ticket in town so to speak. The winner will be announced on Sunday, July 27, so get you entry in fast as they count down to some Roll With It and Wondewall which will be belting out before a full house in Croke Park on the Sunday night in question.
Congratulations are extended to Henry Peyton, Madogue, Charlestown, who celebrated his sixtieth (60th) birthday last weekend with a party for family and friends in Walsh’s Bar, Main Street, Charlestown. There was a big turnout of family and friends from all corners of the community to bestow their best wishes on a man who is a well known and popular presence in the town and surrounding areas. Henry is the local taxi man who ferries people to their homes at all times of the day and night and provides a top-class service to boot. He goes about his work in a very thorough and professional manner and has a cheery, friendly and affable disposition which are essential qualities in a game that demands long, unwavering and often anti-social hours with the weekends generally his busiest time. Henry has an intimate knowledge of all the highways and byways and access roads in and out of the town and has built up a steady and loyal client base in the many years he has been doing his job as his popularity continues to soar. His wagon is one of the most easily identifiable in the community as he zips here, there and everywhere executing his duties always with a smile on his face.
The large crowd who descended on Walsh’s was an indication of the esteem and affection in which he is held and the music and craic went on long into the night with the gabby cabby enjoying a long overdue night off to take in and savour the celebrations. I’m sure there was a cake unveiled to mark the occasion with all sixty candles neatly stacked on every conceivable part of the delicious offering. I’m not sure if he managed to set aside a slice for yours truly but in any event here’s hoping Henry enjoys his graduation to sixty and gets ready to embrace all that life will throw at him in the coming weeks, months and years ahead. We wish him continued good health and happiness in the future and many more milestones of this nature as he comes to terms with life as a sexagenarian.
The Annual Eugene McLoughlin Memorial Run takes place on Sunday, August 10. Registration takes place between 11am-12.30pm at McLoughlin’s Bar with all proceeds in aid of CROI. There will be music from 3pm till late with Pat’s Country Roadshow, Sean Fahy and Chloe Sweeney. Kiddies Fun Run will also be held on the day. Please bring your pedal bikes, go-karts and tractors. A monster auction will take place after the run with all donation to CROI. More news in the coming weeks.
Congratulations and best wishes are extended to Tommy Drudy, son of John and Norrie Drudy, Glann, Charlestown, who celebrated his thirtieth (30th) birthday last week. There is a party planned to celebrate the occasion later in the month with his friends and family having big plans to mark his graduation to the thirty club in some style. Tommy works as an electrical engineer with Electric Ireland which involves a fair bit of travelling to power plants across the country. He represented Charlestown Sarsfields at all grades and was a hard working, determined player who donned the green jersey with some distinction at senior and junior levels most particularly. He has switched his attention to golf in recent years and has a nice swing rumour has it with a subtle touch in and around the greens according to those who accompany him around the course with qualification for the Irish Open a distinct possibility should he maintain the rapid rate of progress he is making in terms of lowering his handicap and sinking those putts on the green baize! Tommy has swapped the big ball for the smaller ball with some aplomb but still keeps a keen eye on the fortunes of Charlestown Sarsfields and follows their progress and results with interest. Here's hoping Tommy enjoys his graduation to thirty and embraces it with relish with his friends having some surprises in store to mark the commemoration properly and in style.
The next community coffee morning takes place in the Arts Centre on Friday, August 1, from11am-1pm. Lift access available. All welcome for a cuppa and a chat.
Charlestown Sarsfields suffered a 2-18 to 1-14 reverse at the hands of Kilmaine in division 3A of the county senior league played at the Kilmaine GAA grounds recently. The Sarsfields mixed the good with the bad in a decent enough encounter that ebbed and flowed throughout. They led 1-5 to 0-1 at one stage and were flying before being pegged back just before half-time as the South Mayo men recovered from their slow start to trail by just one score at the interval.
Kilmaine took a firm grip of the game in the second half as the Sarsfields level dropped off. That said Kilmaine didn’t get it all their own way to the final whistle as the Sarsfields challenge remained stubborn and cussed albeit the home side never looked in any real danger of losing. The Sarsfields will be disappointed at the way they surrendered the big lead they had amassed in the opening half so cheaply with some defensive errors cost them dearly at some key times in the match. They battled hard however and never ran away from the challenge with Kilmaine having to earn their victory and playing to a decent level to do so.
All are warmly invited to a retirement mass for Fr Tommy Johnson which will be held in St James’ Church, Charlestown on Sunday, July 27 at 6pm and to refreshments afterwards in the CBD Sports Complex. It will be a happy but poignant occasion as Fr Tommy steps away from his official duties after some twenty two years serving the parish in the best way he knows how. He was a thorough gentleman who executed his duties in a very professional and dignified manner and there’s sure to a large crowd in attendance to bid farewell to a good man in every sense of the word.
The battle of the Sarsfields played out in round 9 of Division 1A of the county senior league on Saturday, July 12, last with Charlestown welcoming Ardnaree to Fr O’Hara Park in the final round of fixtures. The game was played in sweltering conditions with the sun and intense heat making life difficult for both sets of players. Both came into the game keenly aware of the permutations of victory and defeat with Charlestown Sarsfields needing a win to avoid the drop to division 3 which was something the team and management were not prepared to countenance as they lined up for a must win contest.
Ardnaree brought plenty of intent to the paddock and were not prepared to roll over and play dead as they too, needed a win to remain in the top division of club football. Charlestown’s bid for victory was greatly helped by a blistering performance from county star Paul Towey who lit up the match with a towering display as he accounted for 1-14 of the Sarsfield’s final tally of 2-18. He was simply superb from start to finish as he gave an exhibition of finishing from all angles and positions on the pitch with Ardnaree utterly unable to contain him such was his accuracy and confidence in front of the posts.
The green and white didn’t have it all their own way in the opening twenty minutes as, despite Towey’s heroics in front of the posts, there was still plenty in it for the visitors as they trailed by just two with the game nicely poised at 1-6 to 0-7 with Paddy Goldrick, Jack Mahon, Thomas Holton and Gareth O`Donnell aiding Towey in the scoring department as the Sarsfields finished with a flurry to lead 1-11 to 0-8 at the interval.
Towey continued on his crusade in the second half with the first three points to push the Sarsfields ten clear and leave them in a comfortable position as Ardnaree could find no answer to the Towey puzzle. He hit his fourth point of the half with another beauty from his playbook but Ardnaree dug deep and narrowed the gap to five with a 1-3 burst in as many minutes to leave the score 1-15 to 1-10 in favour of Charlestown with fifteen left on the clock.
The gap was reduced to four with another Ardnaree score from play but the Sarsfields put paid to any notions of a smash and grab from the visitors when Ben Crean rounded off a nice flowing Charlestown move to palm the ball to the net to widen the gap to seven once again with time very much the enemy of the visitors. Another Towey score from play gave the Sarsfields an eight-point cushion which looked more than enough to stave off any potential Ardnaree rally. Their challenge remained stubborn to the very end however as they hit 1-2 in the final few minutes to finish on 2-13 five adrift of the Sarsfields who posted 2-18 with Towey’s display one that will live long in the minds and memories of all who were in attendance.
Aside from the brilliance of Towey, Charlestown were well served by Thomas Holton, Gareth O’Donnell, Tadhg Horkan, Jack Corley, Jack Mahon and Ben Crean. It was good that the Sarsfields finished a tough league campaign on a high with all eyes now switching to the championship and their clashes with Ballintubber, Ballaghdereen and Claremorris respectively promises drama and incident aplenty with Ballintubber first up on the roster in the first or second week in August.
David Tiernan and his management team can knuckle down to some hard work in the next month to five weeks with plenty of room for optimism as the Sarsfields traditionally reserve their best for championship and will be hoping this year is no exception as they look to upset the odds in a group that has a wide-open look about it. It’s all to play for with the league well and truly parked as championship season looms large on the horizon with Charlestown in the mood to cause an upset or two perhaps.
The following were the winners of the summer bridge game held in Walsh`s Bar Main Street, Charlestown on Wednesday, July 16; 1st Paddy and Patricia Colleran, 2nd Michael Ryan and Ogie Moran, 3rd Frances and Robert Healy, 4th Mary Lynskey and Tom Dunne.
The following were the winners of the 25 Drive game held in the Yeats County Inn, Curry on Tuesday, July 15; 1st Mary O’Hara and Nancy Brennan, 2nd Kevin Maloney and Joe Mahon. A game takes place every Tuesday night at 9pm and all are welcome.
Activator Pole and Chair exercise class takes place in the Charlestown Arts Centre from 12 noon-1pm on Friday, July 25. Lift access available. All welcome, €2 fee.
Bushfield Cemetery Mass takes place on Sunday, August 10, at 9am.
There was no winners of the Curry GAA lotto jackpot of €3000 in the weekly draw held on Monday, July 14, and the following were the four numbers drawn: 13, 14, 22 and 23. The winners of the €20 prizes were as follows: Claire Bothwell, Teresa Gleeson and Kathleen Burke. The jackpot increased to €3100 and the draw was held on Monday night, July 21.
Charlestown Sarsfields had a comprehensive 6-11 to 1-8 victory over Swinford in the East Mayo U14 Development final played at the Connacht Centre of Excellence, Bekan recently. The Sarsfields were in charge from the throw-in and were full value for their victory as they dominated in all the key areas and pressure points and were much too good for their opposition.
The Sarsfields are on a golden run at the moment at underage level with East Mayo and county league titles coming their way with increasing regularity and this latest triumph had its foundations in hard work and training with a lot of time and effort invested in this team and panel in terms of coaching, balls skills and athletic development. It’s always nice when the hard work bears fruit and this it certainly did on another great night for all associated with the green and white as players, management and supporters celebrated in unison with another cup making its way back to bulging trophy cabinet which will have to be extended to cater for all the silverware it`s hosting at the moment.
The Sarsfields goal scorers on the night were Tom Naughton who netted a brace with MJ Donohue, Rhian O’Connor and Daithi Gethins also getting in on the act. Special mention to the management team of Neil O’Connor, Michael Doherty, Noel Gallagher and James Breheny and Ritchie Haran who are doing a splendid job in the coaching and management of a very willing group of players with the lads providing the right environment to get the best out of what’s available to them which is the essence of any good management set-up.
Another great night for Bord na nÓg who are doing trojan work at all levels underage with this latest triumph a culmination of all their doing in terms of coaching and equipping the lads with the skills to get across the line at this level.
The annual Walk n Talk to remember Rónán Duffy’s Birthday will take place on Saturday, August 30, starting at 5pm from Benson’s, Rooskey. Further details nearer the date.
Senior Line is Ireland’s national telephone service for older people open every day of the year10am-10pm. Freephone 1800 80 45 91. Callers may feel isolated, alone and may wish to discuss a problem in confidence, or for company during the day. Senior Line’s older volunteers are trained to listen, to support, to discuss options and to refer callers to other helpful services, if necessary. Senior Line 1800 80 45 91 is open every day of the year at the above times.
There was a good turnout at the weekly darts competition held in Walsh’s Bar, Main Street, Charlestown on Sunday night, July 13, as Boom Boom and the Magician went head to head in another intriguing instalment of the weekly classic. Boom Boom was on something of a retrieval mission having lost the last two finals he played in and made the best possible start as he swept into a two-set lead with some heavy scoring and precision finishing. The Magician was unable to match the standard being set by his rampant opponent and looked in dire trouble ahead of the start of the third set. He steadied the ship somewhat as he won the first two legs but Boom Boom came roaring back to level the match as he grabbed the next two to set up a deciding leg shootout with the scent of victory very much in his nostrils. He took control of the fifth leg, firing in several ton plus scores which the Magician was unable to contend with thus ensuring he won the race to the double with ease.
He came to the ochie with 68 at his mercy seemingly with the Magician stranded in the high 300s and resigned to defeat. Boom Boom banged in treble twelve with his first dart which left two at double sixteen as the large crowd held their collective breath. He needed only one as his first dart nestled in the corner of the bed to set off big celebrations as Boom Boom finally managed to snap his losing streak in finals. The Magican was most gracious in defeat as he acknowledged the victor was the much better player on the night with both men engaging in deep and thoughtful chat long into the night. A good performance from Boom Boom as he savoured his fourth victory of the season.
