Local Notes: Victorious Lowpark team captured the 50th prestigious Honour of the Village Darts Tournament.
Victorious Lowpark team who captured the 50th staging of the prestigious Honour of the Village Darts Tournament hosted by Walsh’s Public House, Main Street, Charlestown.
The final of the 2025 Honour of the Village competition took place at Walsh’s Bar, Main Street, Charlestown on Sunday, May 11, and in keeping with the fiftieth staging of this renowned event it was only fitting that it should play up to the traditions of some great finals in the past with Lowpark over Hagfield on a 5-4 score line. This was one of the great finals played out before a packed auditorium with the crowds coming from all parts of the community and beyond and they were not disappointed as a great spectacle unfolded before their very eyes.
Both Lowpark and Hagfield qualified against the head if you like having not being considered as winners at the outset of the competition. They made the final on merit however as they played some sparkling darts along the way to set up a final that captured the imagination of all darts enthusiasts in the town and beyond. The two teams were stacked with potential match winners and what ensued will go down in the annals of terrific finals with the outcome in doubt right up to the last and deciding singles contest.
Lowpark made a brilliant start winning all three doubles contests to race into a three nil lead which left Hagfield staring down the abyss as they looked to be heading for a pasting such was the red hot form of their opponents. Lowpark hardly missed a treble or double such was their accuracy when among the darts as Hagfield struggled to match the levels being exhibited by a rampant Lowpark outfit. Hagfield re-grouped superbly and came out all guns blazing in the singles and took the fight to Lowpark in sensational fashion and battled back to level at 4-4 with everything on the line heading into the fifth and deciding singles contest.
The crowd were fully invested in the game and roared their genuine and unconditional support in no uncertain manner. Both teams were well supported with the neutrals only adding to the sense of occasion as Padraig Kivlehan, the Lowpark supremo and skipper squared off against Michael Divilly, fresh from his recent stag party in Liverpool with his availability in some doubt due to logistical and rostering issues. He didn’t let his teammates down however and presented for duty at the ochie with his big brother The Duke on hand to offer some advice on how to take down the veteran Kivlehan who had much the edge in terms of experience and pedigree. The guile and craft of Kivlehan proved decisive in the white heat of battle as he navigated his way from 501 to the double in expert fashion. Divilly, in contrast, was all over the place with his darts landing in some obscure numbers with Kivlehan remaining a picture of focus and concentration as he plotted his way to the double in a composed and clinical manner. He remained unflappable as he came to the ochie and sealed the match for his team in routine fashion with his final dart landing in the middle of the doubles bed to set off wild scenes of jubilation in an ecstatic Lowpark camp. Hagfield were gutted to have lost out having come back from the dead but they can be proud of their overall display as they more than contributed to a magnificent final.
Lowpark skipper Padraig Kivlehan saluted his teammates in victory and praised each and every player’s contribution over the course of the competition that captures the imagination like no other in the darts calendar. He thanked the hosts Grainne and Gus Marren for their hospitality and courtesy which was never less than top class as copious amounts of refreshments were laid on for the two teams as indeed they were for every match which went down a treat with all the teams and their players. The event was well run and organised and Grainne and Gus can take a bow in this regard with Padraig Kivlehan also heavily involved in the background organising the dates and times of each match with the whole competition run off in a six to eight week window which was some achievement. Hagfield were most sporting and magnanimous in defeat and did their town land proud with the team made up of Colm Maye, Gerry Maye, Michael Divilly, Martin Donohue, Aidan McTigue, Andrew Jordan and Dom Jordan. Indeed Gerry Maye boasts the proud record of playing in every single Village competition since its inception in 1975 which is some achievement and an indication of his commitment and dedication as he bleed Hagfield to the bone.
The winning team celebrated with gusto and no little enthusiasm well into the small hours as this was Lowpark’s first victory since 1999 so there were Louth like celebration reverberating across Walsh’s and beyond as this brought a long losing run to an end with Lowpark enduring some tough days at the office since their last success. The winning teams was comprised of the following; Padraig Kivlehan (capt), Dean McDonagh, Michael Larkin, John Honan, James Kilroy, John Connolly and Sean Connolly.
The competition always sets the pulses racing in its long and storied history with the 2025 version ranking right up there with anything that went before as it provided box office entertainment from first dart to last. Lowpark are worthy champions and they will savour this triumph for many a long day with 2026 already very much in their eye line as they and the rest of the team set their sights on dethroning the current champs and creating their own piece of history as the Honour of the Village continues to generate excitement and drama and set pulses racing like no other. Roll on 2026!!
Summer Music and Yoga Camp A Summer Music and Yoga Camp takes place at Carracastle Community Centre from Monday-Friday, July 14-18. The cost is €80, and the camp is limited to twelve (12) places. Booking deposit of €20 is necessary and payment plans are available. Contact Olivia on 085 1971372 or email o.sharkey@gmail.com. This camp is a fun introduction to music and piano, mindfulness, relaxation and yoga.
There was no winner of the Charlestown Sarsfields GAA lotto jackpot of €16,700 in the weekly draw held on Sunday, May 11, and the following were the four numbers drawn 7, 30, 31, 33. The winners of the €50 weekly prizes were Ann-Marie Honeyman and John Óg Goldrick c/o Goldie. The latest jackpot increased to €16,800 and the draw was held on Sunday, May 18.
Charlestown Sarsfields lost out agonisingly to Ballina Stephenites in round 4 of division 1A of the county senior league played at Fr O’Hara Park, Charlestown recently. The county champions eked out a 0-16 to 2-9 victory with the Sarsfields gutted to have lost out as they turned in their best and most impressive performance of the league campaign to date. The Sarsfields were slow out of the blocks in the opening half with the visitors holding the whip hand for the most part, kicking eight points while limiting the green and white to just three to leave them in a commanding position at the interval as they led 0-8 to 0-3.
The score was an accurate reflection of how the first half played out with the Stephenites bossing the game in all the key pressure points as the Sarsfields struggled to make any kind of headway against a well organised and hard tackling Ballina rearguard.
The second half looked to following the same pattern as the visitors outscored the hosts 0-4 to 0-1 in the opening ten minutes with Evan Regan once again underlining his accuracy from the hand and the land. The second quarter saw a seismic shift in the complexion of the game however as the Sarsfields caught fire with two goals in five minutes hauling them right back into contention. Jack Mahon was first on the mark with a well converted penalty with Ruairi Cullen backing this up in the very next attack with a tidy finish to the net having benefitted from a clever Ben Crean pass. Ballina were rocked back on their heels but steadied the ship with two points in quick succession to push the lead back out to three once again.
The Sarsfields weren’t finished however with Mahon once again taking centre stage as he clipped over two further frees to put the minimum between the sides once again as the clock ticked into the red. The Sarsfields, however, just couldn’t summon up the levelling or winning score as Ballina just about held on grimly to the slender one point lead with the final whistle greeted with much relief by the Stephenites as what looked like a routine victory almost tuned into a nightmare final ten minutes as the Sarsfields came thundering back into the game with the goals re-igniting their challenge in spectacular fashion.
The death took place recently of Kieran Cronin, Schull and Ballydehob, Cork and formerly of Oadby, Leicester and Cloonfane, Charlestown. Deepest condolences are tendered to the bereaved.
Charlestown Sarsfields travel to Ballinrobe to take on the locals in division 1A of the county senior league on Saturday, May 24, with the throw-in provisionally fixed for 7pm (check sports pages for details). This is a big game with both teams in dire need of points to move away from the foot of the table. The Sarsfields will be hoping to field their strongest possible team as they look to put a win on the board to give them some chance of avoiding the drop with the hosts very much in the same position so there’s a lot at stake with two priceless league points on offer which would be a huge boost to either team as they look to string some wins on the board and close the gap in the table on the teams above them.
Bellaghy Litter Pick takes place on Friday, May 23, from 6-8pm. The meeting place is O’Hara`s Fountain, Bellaghy. Let’s roll up the sleeves, grab some trash bags, and make Bellaghy sparkle. Together we can make a difference.
Charlestown Sarsfields picked up a valuable away win against Ballinrobe in round 4 of Division 3B of the county junior league in the latest round of fixtures played at the Ballinrobe GAA grounds recently. The Sarsfields emerged victorious on a scoreline of 3-12 to 0-15 in a game that had plenty of quality about it with the Sarsfields ability to bag goals proving the crucial difference at the final whistle.
This victory keeps the Sarsfields riding high in the top half of the table as they bounced back well following their narrow two-point defeat to Claremorris in their previous outing. Goals from Scott Finley who nabbed two and Paddy Joe Dunleavy gave the Sarsfields the vital cushion to keep the Ballinrobe challenge at arm’s length with the timing of the goals of equal importance as Ballinrobe looked to be getting into their stride when they were knocked back each time by a Sarsfields three pointer which provided them with enough of a security blanket to push for home which they duly did, claiming both points into the bargain.
Best for the green and white were the goals scorers Finlay and Dunleavy ably assisted by James Gallagher, Alex Cullen, Dylan McGuinness, Oisin Maloney, Daniel Harrington and Damien Ward.
Congratulations to former Charlestown Sarsfields player Shane Moran, a native of Coppelcurragh, son of PJ and Kathleen who guided Roscommon to a terrific victory over Mayo in a thrilling Connacht U17 championship final played at Hastings Insurance McHale Park, Castlebar recently. Shane wore the Bainisteoir bib with some acclaim as Roscommon went through the competition unbeaten which was quite the achievement indeed. He represented the Sarsfields with distinction at all levels winning an East Mayo U16 title and being part of the Sarsfields senior panel that captured the county championship and league double in 2009. He has made Roscommon town his home in the last number of years and has been heavily involved in the Roscommon Gaels Club coaching at underage and senior levels. He has built up quite the resume for himself, guiding Roscommon Gaels to a county U20 title in 2024 and being a selector with the county U17 team in 2024 under the guidance of then manager James Duignan. He was also involved with Garrymore in a coaching capacity under the management of Damien Egan that qualified for the county semi-final a few years ago which indicates his star has been rising strongly.
He was the unanimous choice to replace Duignan when he stepped up to U20 level and he proved to be an inspired choice as he, together with backroom team, blazed their way through Connacht culminating in their nail-biting but richly deserved victory over a gallant and good Mayo team who looked to have one hand on the cup when they led by four points with ten minutes to go. Roscommon never panicked however and held their composure admirably with Moran’s charges rising to the challenge laid down by Mayo as they nailed 1-6 in a dramatic and tense final ten minutes to snatch victory in a game that had much to recommend. It was a terrific advert for the U17 competition with Mayo losing nothing in defeat as they played much better in the final proper than they had at the round robin stage when Roscommon emerged with a convincing nine point victory.
Moran’s charges will take some stopping as they prepare for the All-Ireland quarter-final with a game against the losers of the Leinster version which involves Louth and Offaly. The Sarsfields connection didn’t end just with Shane as he had his backroom team stacked with green and white with Patrick Walsh, Philip and Kiefer Craig all involved with him in a coaching, advisory and logistics capacity which made for some interesting chatter in the lead up to the final proper. Shane has a super panel of players at his disposal, and they look primed to have a crack at winning a competition judging on their form in the provincial series. Shane’s star is very much on the rise with the Sarsfields connection obviously providing him with much in the way of support and assistance as they get ready to plot their All-Ireland campaign. His many friends in the community of Charlestown and Sarsfields GAA club congratulate him and the other Sarsfields lads on his ticket on this wonderful Connacht championship success and look forward to watching his team develop and evolve as they strive to add an All-Ireland title to the Connacht one just secured. We will watch this space with interest.
A Teen Yoga mini retreat takes place on Saturday, May 24, from 9.30am-11.30am at The Thatch, Kilmovee. For more information call 085 1971372.
A Brick by Brick Lego Camp for 5-12 year olds takes place at Kilmovee Community Centre from July 14-16 inclusive from 10am-12pm. The cost is €40, and for more information contact legocamp2023@gmail.com or 087 6648408.
There was a good turnout at the weekly bridge game for what was President’s prize night held in Walsh’s Bar, Main Street, Charlestown, on Wednesday, May 7, and the following were the prize winners; 1st Hilary McCrohan and Mary O’ Connell, 2nd Maura Kilcoyne and Nora McVeigh, 3rd Tom Ginty and Hilary McDonagh, 4th Paddy and Patricia Colleran, and 5th Frances and Robert Healy. The weekly game continues on Wednesday nights at 8pm in Walsh’s Bar, Main Street, Charlestown with new members most welcome.
The following were the winners of the 25 Drive game held in the Yeats County Inn, Curry on Tuesday, May 13; 1st Teresa McIntyre and Veronica McCarrick, 2nd Miko Sheridan and Breege Leonard. Raffle winners were Veronica McCarrick, Mary O’Hara and James Reidy. The game takes place every Tuesday night at 9pm.
Congratulations to Kate O’Connell who was part of the Irish relay squad that travelled to Guangzhou, China recently that qualified successfully for both the ladies and mixed 4 x 400m relay teams for the forthcoming 2025 World Athletics Championships to be held in Tokyo, Japan, in August.
She was part of the successful ladies team that included such stars as Rhasidat Adeleke, Sharlene Mawdsley and Sophie Becker so that’s an indication of the level Kate has reached in her running which is quite the exalted company indeed.
Kate, who is a member of the Lucan Harriers Athletics Club, is a newcomer to the senior relay squad but has been running very impressively in the season to date, posting some eye watering split times which caught the attention of the national selectors. She is quite the talent it must be said and is second year student in DCU where she is studying Microbiology with running something she combines in her spare time. She is daughter of Robert and Marianne O`Connell, Lucan, Co. Dublin with her dad a decorated player with the Charlestown Sarsfields GAA club where he won a bucket load of medals at underage and senior level the highlights of which were county and Connacht Senior club championships in 2001 and a senior league title in 1995. He gave great service to the club over the best part of 25 years, and more was a ball playing, clever defender who had a great sense of anticipation about him who never let the Sarsfields down in many of their greatest successes.
He hails from the Square, Charlestown and his many friends and colleagues in the town and surrounding areas congratulate him on Kate’s outstanding successes to date as she looks to carve out her own niche in the ultra competitive world of national and international athletics. Kate is wished all the best in the World championships and continued success as her graph is only going one way. Her granny Mary is a keen follower of her progress too and it’s a proud achievement for the O’Connell family to have one of their own competing on the international stage with lots to look forward to in the future.
Well done and congratulations to the Charlestown Sarsfields trio of Siofra McGuinness, Sophie Tiernan and Mikayla McLoughlin who were part of Mayo U16 team’s dramatic victory over Roscommon in a thrilling Connacht U16 girls final played at the Centre of Excellence, Bekan recently. All three girls more than played their part in Mayo’s tense and nail-biting win with Katie Hughes kicking the winner almost on the stroke of full-time to give Mayo a sensational win having looked down and out when they trailed by three with literally minutes left on the clock. The Sarsfields girls have some haul of medals won at such tender ages and they had to show some amount of character and resolve to get the better of a very good and determined Roscommong side who thought they had one hand on the cup as the game looked to be playing out very much in their favour in the closing stages.
Mayo has that resilience in spades however and all three Sarsfields girls were very much front and centre of the comeback with Sophie strong and solid at the back as she cleared her lines with great authority and conviction. Siofra was all action in attack and handled a lot of the football and distributed intelligently and cleverly when in possession and was a real live wire throughout. Mikayla McLoughlin was superb in attack and was a constant scoring threat throughout with her pace, movement and athleticism causing consternation in the Roscommon ranks every time she got on the ball. Her final scoring tally of 1-6 was ample proof of the magnitude of her performance as she was one of Mayo’s best players on a great night for the team, panel and management. Mayo now goes forward to the All-Ireland series and it would be a fool that would bet against them as this is a team laced with talent, quality, spirit and determination in every line of the pitch. The girls and Mayo are wished well as they get ready to embrace the All-Ireland stages of a competition they must have a great chance of winning.
