Local Notes: Geesala NS boys and girls were victorious in Cumann na mBunscol Division 5 Erris area blitz final.
The boys and girls teams, from Geesala NS who was victorious in Cumann na mBunscol "Division 5" Erris area final blitz matches recently with their coach/junior room teacher Anne Marie Gaughan.
Minister of State Malcolm Noonan TD will be in Eachleim today, Tuesday 7, to unveil the new mural by artist Friz called Dúlra agus Béaloideas. The event takes place at 2.30pm at Teach Mháirtín beside the community hall with refreshments later in SOLAS.
A Safepass course is beginning on May 22, in Geesala Community Centre starting at 8am until 4pm with lunch included. There are limited spaces available. Contact 097 86868 or 087 2653129 to enquire or book.
Comhar Dún Chaocháin Teo is organising an open day in the Seanscoil Community Centre in Ceathrú Thaidhg on May 14, from 2 to 6pm. Information will be available on the role of the co-operative in community development, how to develop and manage projects, the role of state-agencies in community development and the various schemes which are available.
Congratulations to Teach John Joe’s on winning the Erris Pool League title for a second time after a 10-5 win over Holmes recently. Going into the 2nd leg they were 5-4 down but took the first six frames of the night without reply to seal a remarkable win over the 2023 winners.
Thanks to Sean Barrett from J&S Wholesale for sponsoring a new cup which was presented to Teach John Joe’s captain Cyril Lavelle. Congratulations to Healy’s who are the Erris Pool League Shield winners for 2023/24. They overcame O’D’s on a dramatic night of pool as Mark Healy sealed a 10-8 in the final game of the night. Healy’s led 5-4 from the first leg and went 7-4 ahead before O’D’s hit back by winning the next three frames to level the match at 7-7. Healy’s then won the next two to go within a frame of victory but Leo Reuland took out an exceptional finish to make it 9-8 In a tense final frame Mark Healy was the hero for Healy’s as they got their name on the shield for a second time.
Kilmore Utd made it three wins from four in the Premier Division recently as they hit three first goals in seven first half minutes in a 3-0 win over Straide and Foxford United in Drum. The first arrived after a quarter of an hour when Caobhlin Flatley pounced on a defensive mistake from the Straide and Foxford centre backs to head past Jamie Leahy from six yards out. Kilmore doubled their lead just three minutes later when the excellent Tom Tighe used his trickery on the left wing to get to the end line before pulling the ball back to Ciaran Cawley who bundled the ball over the line from six yards out. Tighe was causing all sort of trouble out on the left wing, and he combined with Flatley four minutes later to give Kilmore a three-goal lead as they played a neat one-two before Flatley finished low into the corner past Leahy.
Straide and Foxford did have chances to get on the score sheet with Kevin McDermott going close on numerous occasions, but it was the home side that took all three points despite been reduced to ten men midway through the second half when James Ivers was sent off for a second bookable offence.
In League One recently Iorras Aontaithe were much too good for ten-man Claremorris (B) as they came away with a 6-2 win from Concannon Park. Iorras took the lead after twelve minutes through Pete McArthur and when Calvin Higgins received his marching orders for a last man challenge before the half hour it looked as there was only one side going to take the three points and so it proved that way as Iorras dominated the play with the extra man. Dara Padden doubled their lead just before half time before Kyle Hefferon and Cillían Reilly scored two goals in the space of three minutes around the hour mark. Padraic McCafferty added a fifth before Conor O’Keefe pulled a goal back for Claremorris with seven minutes left. Mark Gilbert then made it six and the final goal of the game went the way of the home team as Cathal Maloney got their second with two minutes left.
Bangor Hibs inflicted a first defeat of the season on League Two leaders Ballinrobe Town (B) as they came from behind on three occasions to win a thrilling game 4-3 in Ballybeg Park recently. Ballinrobe took the lead on ten minutes when Jamie Muniz hit an excellent first-time finish from six yards out after Sean Vahey’s initial effort from twenty yards cannoned back off the crossbar. Hibs were level on the half hour mark when after a series of corners centre back Brendan McGrath rose highest to head one of them past the Ballinrobe keeper at the near post. Ballinrobe went back in front just five minutes later when John Paul Sweeney chased down a long ball and following a defensive mix up had the easiest of tasks to roll the ball into an empty net from just inside the penalty area. Hibs responded once again and were level for a second time right on half time when David Conroy was quickest to react as Kyle Holmes penalty was saved by Umir Shafiq but Conroy was on hand to finish at the second attempt from close range.
Ballinrobe went back in front for a third time five minutes into the second half when John Paul Sweeney got his second of the day as his brilliant free kick from twenty-five yards found the bottom right-hand corner of the Hibs net. Hibs though responded once again with some good passages of play, and they drew level once again on sixty-eight minutes when substitute John McManamon hit the goal of the day as he drilled the ball into the bottom right-hand corner of the net from just over thirty yards. Hibs then went in-front for the first time when David Conroy fired home from a cross from Aaron Healy with fifteen minutes to go. Ballinrobe created some decent chances to level with the best of them coming deep into injury time, but Hibs keeper Ryan Connolly pulled off an excellent save to deny John Paul Sweeney his hat-trick as he his half volley from just outside the area looked destined for the top corner.
Public celebrations took place as part of Mayo Day 2024 which was attracted to the town by Belmullet 200 to mark this special anniversary.
One of the features on Saturday evening was ‘Aisling an Iarthar - A Mirage in the West’ - An artistic street spectacle parade which artistically interprets the historic origins of the town.
‘The history of the present state of Erris will, in a few short years, become only a matter of curiosity, as comparing it with progressive improvements. To an individual who has been one of the great causes of its commencement and steady advance, after ages will be grateful, and he himself will retire from this stage of existence with the happy consciousness of being a benefactor of his fellow creature…’ - Extract from Letter from Patrick Knight, Town Architect to William Henry Carter, Landlord, 1834.
On May 1, 1824, William Henry Carter of Castlemartin, County Kildare, came to visit his vast Erris estate for the first time, accessed by the newly completed road from Castlebar. Patrick Knight the road’s engineer describes this momentous occasion,’…it was not until 1824, that it was passable generally for carriages of all kinds. On the first of May of that year, William Henry Carter, Esq., sole proprietor of one-third of Erris (47,500 Irish acres,) açcompanied by his agent, the Rev. Cecil Crampton, arrived in Erris, at the house of Captain William Nash, of Leam. (There was not then a single hotel, or house of public accommodation, in the whole country.). Mr Carter, being the second of his family that ever visited their Mayo estates, though in their possession upwards of a century, was received with great enthusiasm: some ten to twenty gentlemen of his tenantry usually accompanied him in his rides’.
After visiting the greater part of his estates with the author, and seeing the admirable situation of the isthmus of Belmullet for a town, and taking into consideration the vast importance the creating a market at home would be to the extensive property of which he was owner, as well as to the country generally, he determined at once on executing this great object, and directed the author to make the necessary plans for the town’.
The draw was held on April 27, and the numbers drawn were; 2, 18, 26 and 27, with no winner for a jackpot €5,300. The house prize of €100 winner was PJ McCann, Belderrig, and the €30 offline winners were Willie McHale (Pat), Hilltop, Muinginaune and Patricia Irwin, Glenamoy. The €30 online winners were Tony McGrath, Leitrim and Philomena Healy, London. Next week’s jackpot is €5,500 with the draw on Sunday night in The Anglers Rest, Glenamoy.
Cill Chomáin GAA County draw tickets are now on sale. Tickets are €100 each or can be bought online or through club members. There is €97,000 to be won across the 6 draws with top prizes of €10,000. There will also be a club confined draw later in the year. When purchasing a ticket online the user has the option to select which club they would like the ticket revenue to go towards. The on-line facility is again available this year at: https://bit.ly/cairde-mhaigheo-draw-2024.
Connacht Pioneers are running a Pilgrimage to Lourdes on July 18, from Knock for 5 nights full board staying at the Hotel Agenda. Contact Fr Joe Delaney for further details 087 6660408.
