Local Notes: Lady Captain's Day at Ballaghaderreen Golf Club.
Lady Captain’s Day at Ballaghaderreen Golf Club winners were as follows: Back (L-R) Helen Curran, Anne Meagher, Anne O’ Brien, Marie Cassidy, Pauline Gibbons and Mary Cunniffe. Front Row: (L-R) Breege Molloy, Sarah Mc Donagh (Captain), and Ogie Moran.
There was no winner of the Charlestown Sarsfields GAA lotto jackpot of €13,400 in the weekly draw held on Sunday night, September 22, and the following were the four numbers drawn; 3, 6, 24 and 36. The winners of the €50 weekly prizes were Celia Conneely and Marty Fleming (annual ticket). The latest jackpot increased to €13,500 and the draw was held on Sunday night, September 29.
Congratulations are extended to Ollie and Aoife Bolton, Sandyhill, Charlestown, on the birth of a bouncing baby boy recently.
Social basketball takes place in the CBD Recreation Centre, Charlestown on Tuesday evenings 9-10pm (adults only). Come and try it out for the next two Tuesday nights (free) and see how it goes with the whole emphasis on fun and participation.
www.charlestown.ie is your first point of contact for what’s happening in Charlestown at any time. All weekly events are posted on the above website address with everything from GAA/LGFA, Basketball, Pilates, Yoga, Athletics, Weekend Music, etc. It can only be updated if clubs / businesses send updates to the domain, so please continue to do so.
Charlestown Sarsfields ladies team bowed out of the county senior championship as they suffered a 4-10 to 3-3 loss to Burrishoole in the final round of the group played at Fr O`Hara Park, Charlestown recently.
The Sarsfields never really got to the pitch of the contest throughout and played second fiddle to their opponents in most areas of the field with the West Mayo ladies turning on the power as they played with a real sense of urgency and conviction and went about their business in clinical fashion.
Both teams went into the game keenly aware of what was at stake with victory for either side ensuring qualification for the knockout phase which added another layer of importance to the fixture as both teams squared off with so much on the line.
Burrishoole, however, came with plenty of intent and took control from the throw-in, moving the ball with purpose and conviction as all their best players came to the party and led by example throughout. The Sarsfields were treading water in a number of positions with the Burrishoole dominating in all the key areas of the pitch with their forward line in particular moving swiftly between the lines as they turned their possession into scores thus making the scoreboard tick in their favour.
The Sarsfields were well down at half-time and needed a storming second half to stand any chance of turning the game around with the visitors very satisfied with their first half performance. The Sarsfields did rally of sorts in the second half but they never looked like turning the game around as Burrishoole continued to maintain a comfortable lead at all times.
Deirdre Doherty led the Sarsfields revival, scoring three goals, two from general play and one from the penalty spot which hinted at better things to come but she lacked the necessary support to put a real dent in the Burrishoole lead as the West Mayo ladies kept the Sarsfields on a tight leash for the remainder of the game while keeping the scoreboard ticking over in their favour to keep the game well beyond the reach of the hosts.
The Sarsfields battled bravely to the end but they came up against a team who were better than them on the day with Burrishoole still very much in the race for the title as they look to get another crack at favourites Knockmore later in the competition. The Sarsfields had good performances from Deirdre Doherty who once again underlined her class and penchant for scoring goals with Cailin Durkan, Ella Brennan, Jennifer O’Donnell, Clodagh Murphy and Laoise Harkin and Nora McGovern the pick of the rest.
The Sarsfields now go into the shield competition as they prepare to face Hollymount in the semi-final which provides the players and management with a chance to atone for their exit from the championship proper.
Charlestown Sarsfields had an excellent win over Kilmeema in the county U17 league in round one played at Fr O’Hara Park recently. The Sarsfields prevailed on a score line of 2-12 to 2-8 in what was a well contested encounter with the visitors keeping the Sarsfields honest right to the final whistle. Danny Breheny once again displayed his goal scoring instincts with aplomb as he bagged both goals at key times to set the Sarsfields up nicely for a hard earned victory.
The Charlestown Foroige Club will reconvene for the new season in the coming weeks and are currently in negotiations with their new first year group. They are also on the lookout for new leaders/volunteers to come on board and get involved with the group. If you are interested in either of the above you can visit the Charlestown Foroige Club Social Media Page(s) where you can find the links to register for both.
The Sarsfields had an excellent 5-11 to 1-9 victory over Swinford in the county U13 development league played at Robert McCallion Park, Swinford. The Sarsfields grabbed control of the game from the throw-in and ran up a big score notching 5-11 in a terrific performance as the hosts had no answers to a fluid and well drilled Sarsfields forward line who got the goals on the board early to take the game away from the Swinford lads. Reece Hopper, Rian O’Conor and Caimin Casey were among the goal scorers in a very promising display from the young Sarsfields lads who were very good overall on the night.
Kilbeagh Community First Responders provide a vital service in the community responding to heart attack and cardiac arrest incidents, stroke and breathing difficulties. They offer emergency medical care, support and re-assurance to patients and their families awaiting the arrival of an Emergency Ambulance. This is a voluntary organisation asking for a few hours engagement in an average month. Full training is given free of charge and its operating base is within a five mile radius of Charlestown. Intending volunteers should have a car and a full driving licence. ‘Local people saving local lives’. For more information contact Paul 087 6259746 or Alan 086 8523515.
Charlestown Cubs Basketball have a full schedule of training times for all their teams currently available on their Facebook pages. Times for all teams, boys and girls can be accessed on the page with each team having their own slot. The season is ready to open and hopes are high the club will continue to develop and progress and build on the many outstanding successes they had last year and in the years before. The club is the fastest growing one of its kind in the community and they have been inundated with new members in all grades and codes which speaks volumes for the outstanding work the committee and coaches are putting in on the ground.
St Attracta`s NS, Charlestown, enjoyed a great day at the recent East Mayo Cross Country School competition held in Swinford recently. They won twenty five (25) gold medals across all the different age grades and categories which was some haul of metal as they dominated the winner’s podium and were mightily impressive in the way they ripped up the course. The school has enjoyed many great days on the sporting fields but this latest achievement must rank right up there with the best in terms of what they accomplished with all the winners also members of the East Mayo Athletics Club who are also basking in the glory and rightly savouring all that was achieved at the competition.
The club is celebrating its fifth year in existence and this was without doubt one of the best and proudest days in their short history and a fitting tribute and testament to the outstanding work invested by their coaches and hard working volunteers who have toiled long and hard in the background training and coaching this brilliant crop of youngsters in Charlestown and the surrounding hinterland. Special mention to St Attracta’s NS Principal Brian McDermott and Gemma Higgins who have nurtured the talent and allowed it to flourish with lots of training and athletics forming a key part of the PE programme. The future looks bright for the school and club as they prepare for the next round of competitions with schools and club country county competitions taking place in the coming weeks with more success sure to follow if the results in Swinford are anything to go by. Best of luck to all in the next level of competition as the school and club gear up for more medals and successes.
The East Mayo Athletics Club have launched their Autumn 5km series programme which involves five races at a number of venues in the Charlestown and surrounding hinterlands. They are extremely grateful to the local businesses for their sponsorship of the event namely Hegarty`s Centra, Bellaghy, Jenny`s Cafe Charlestown and Tubbercurry. From the Ground Up 2020 who have very kindly come on board with some very welcome and generous sponsorship. The third in the 5km takes place in Kilmovee on Saturday, October 5, with the race having a €5 entry fee or €20 for all five races. Registration takes place at 9.30am with the race having a 10am start. The Kilmovee route always provides a true test of stamina and endurance with lots of little undulations providing plenty of challenges for all the would-be competitors and participants with all registration details to be found on the excellent East Mayo Athletics Club Facebook Page.
The series represents an ideal opportunity to get out and work up a sweat and start the Autumn/Winter season with a new fitness regime with exercise forming a regular part of many peoples working week. For more information on the event(s) contact Trina 087 9809259 or Peter 0863158254.
The first race, which was held in Curry, attracted a large crowd and well done to David Kearins from Sligo Athletics Club who crossed the line first in the super time of 18.43 mins with Eimear O`Brien also from the Sligo Athletics Club being the first woman home in the equally impressive time of 20.32 which is some clipping it must be said. Special thank you to Jenny’s Cafe for the post race tasty treats which went down a storm with not as much as a crumb left when all had crossed the finish line.
The next Community Coffee Morning takes place on Friday, October 3, in the Arts Centre, Barrack Street, Charlestown from 11am -1pm. Lift access available. All are welcome for a cuppa and a chat.
There was a good turnout at the first bridge game of the new season held in Walsh’s Bar, Main Street, Charlestown, on Wednesday, September 18, and the following were the prize winners; 1st Tom Ginty and Mary O`Connell, 2nd Paddy and Patricia Colleran, 3rd Michael Ryan and Mike Wingrove, 4th Nora McVeigh and Maura Kilcoyne, 5th Frances and Robert Healy.
The weekly game takes place every Wednesday night in Walsh’s Bar, Main Street, Charlestown at 8pm and all are welcome.
There was a good turnout at the weekly 25 card drive held in the Yeats County Inn, Curry on Tuesday September 24, at 8.30pm and the following were the prizewinners; 1st Darby and Breege Leonard, 2nd Kevin Maloney and Joe Mahon. Raffle winners were Darby Leonard and James Reidy.
The community of Charlestown got a terrific boost recently with the award of a significant amount of money to the Charlestown Sarsfields GAA Club and Swimming Pool respectively in the latest allocation of funding under the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme for 2024. The Sarsfields Club received the whopping sum of €200,000 for the installation of state-of-the-art floodlights at the new Colm Horkan Memorial Pitch and Walkway which was officially opened on June 2, last by An Taoiseach Simon Harris. This is a massive injection of capital for the project with An Taoiseach Simon Harris following through on his promise to provide the funding for the lighting at his speech on the unveiling of the new pitch and walkway which was named in honour of a great community man who did the state some service in his role as a Garda Siochana.
The lighting will be a huge boost for the club and community with the walkway proving extremely popular since its opening with people of all ages and walks of life using it extensively to walk, exercise and run as numbers coming through the gates of Fr O`Hara Park continue to flourish and thrive. The whole project reflects so well on the town and community as people rowed in from all corners of the globe to donate and provide the funds to get it off the ground with support from the Sports Capital Programme being the icing on the cake if you like and giving the final impetus and push to deliver a wonderful facility that will be there for years to come for all Sarsfields players, supporters and members to make full of use of as we strive to provide the best for our players in all codes and genders.
The club express their sincere thanks to the members of the Colm Horkan Memorial Pitch Committee spearheaded by Liam Breheny, Kevin Deignan and Tom McLoughlin who worked tirelessly in the last four years to secure the funding to bring the project to fruition as they devoted many hours in the planning, designing and devising of the project how best to celebrate and honour the memory of a man who was front and centre of all that happened in the Sarsfields GAA Club and community as a whole. Special thanks to An Taoiseach Simon Harris TD and the Government departments who followed through on their commitment and particular thanks to locally elected representatives Alan Dillon TD, Dara Calleary TD, Lisa Chambers and Councillor Gerry Murray for their unwavering and fervent support of this project from the get go. This is another great day for the club and community with work due to commence on the tender process with a view to having the new floodlights in place for early 2025.
Charlestown Swimming Pool also received a significant boost too with the allocation of €67,612 towards ongoing development works as it continues to enhance and improve its facilities with the pool one of the mainstays in the social and recreational infrastructure of the town. The pool has been transformed in recent years and has been a real hive of activity during the summer months with footfall through the gates at record levels. The committee have done wonders in recent years heating it and erecting new changing rooms with many other ambitious plans very much in the offing as they hope, in time, to make it an all round 12 month facility. The heating of it has been transformative and this has been one of the main attractions in bringing people from far and wide with all the local clubs such as the GAA club, East Mayo Athletics Club, to mention but two regular users of the facility with the water and cleanliness of it drawing purrs of admiration from all who use it.
This latest injection of finance will give the committee the fillip to continue on their ambitious path as they strive to push for more finance to bring it into line with similar like facilities on offer in the bigger town centres. The committee thank all local and national politicians for their support with special mention to the general public and community of Charlestown for all their help in supporting the many fundraising activities they have promoted and ran to generate the finance to implement the changes and restore and rejuvenate the pool into the splendid facility it currently is.
Charlestown Sarsfields GAA Club are in the process of starting their new three year Club Strategic Plan and are holding an engagement evening in the Arts Centre, Barrack Street, Charlestown on Friday, October 11, from 7.30-9.30pm. This plan will lay the foundations for the club’s plans and ambition in terms of coaching, fundraising, upgrade of facilities and infrastructure as well as a number of other very important initiatives over the course of the next three years. The club invite the community to their engagement evening to give their opinions on the club’s vision for the said period with all the club’s activities, both on and off the field, up for discussion with all opinions and ideas very much welcome as the club and its officers seek to drive the club forward and bring as much of the community as it can with it on their journey. The club are looking for input from all facets of the community with local businesses, members, non-members, would-be members, young and old invited to attend and consult/ discuss their vision for the club and what the club actually embodies and means to them and how it impacts on their daily/weekly lives. The plan is very much a working document with lots of scope for amendment and improvement as the officers and executive threw the doors open so to speak and let the community and general public have their say on how they conduct their business.
The club look forward to a good attendance and are hopeful of plenty of lively discussion and engagement with all strands of the community as they endeavour to drive the club on, improve participation rates and embrace new ideas and members to ensure it evolves and gears up for the many challenges facing clubs of our ilk in the current busy and denuding times we live in. The club also have an online survey available on its Facebook page and various social media channels which you can fill in anonymously or lend your name to should you wish with all co-operation on the same very much appreciated.
There was a good turnout at the weekly darts competition held in Walsh`s Bar , Main Street, Charlestown on Sunday night, September 22, as Boom Boom and the Magician fought it out in another exciting instalment of the weekly classic. Governor Gus was imperious as always in his role as match referee and had little or no difficulty ensuring both combatants towed the line so to speak. McGowan made the better start winning the first set in the best of five as he bludgeoned double top with his final dart in the deciding leg to hop into a one set lead.
Boom Boom hit back with some style in set two as he blazed his way level with a memorable finish of 161 in the fourth leg giving him a nice fillip ahead of the start of the third set. Boom Boom was in the groove as he began the third set with the advantage of the darts and he made it count in some style, winning three legs on the spin to surge into a two sets to one lead with the Magician reeling from the level being exhibited by his opponent. Set four turned into a grind as both men suffered a lapse in form with darts being sprayed to all corners of the board. Boom Boom however, put an end to the malaise as he put some quality arrows together to win the first two legs with finishes of 88 and 124 leaving him just one leg away from victory.
The Magician remains a doughty opponent however and showed his customary resilience to bounce back and take the third leg to keep alive his slim chance of taking the game to a deciding set. He looked on course to do just that when he raced into a two hundred point lead in the fourth leg but Boom Boom roared back with a maximum and a ton forty plus to wipe out the Magician’s lead with Breheny actually winning the race to the double. He had first look at double eighteen but his dart grazed the wire to give the Magician a squeak as he closed in on 96. He did the hard part, hitting treble twenty with his first dart but his next two landed on the high side of the double eighteen wire to pave the way for Boom Boom to step in with three darts in his hand at double eighteen. He needed only one as his first dart landed in the centre of the bed to set off big scenes of celebration among his trusted and loyal band of supporters with Boom Boom raising his hands aloft as he took the acclaim of the crowd. The Magician was, as always, most gracious in defeat and was quick to offer his congratulations as Boom Boom reflected on another good day at the office as he basked in the glory of winning his seventh title of the season.
