Rovers teens secure an LOI Academy Plate
The Sligo Rovers men’s
U-15 team won the League of Ireland Academy Men’s U-15 Plate on Saturday afternoon last, beating Dundalk FC
1-0 at Oriel Park. Darragh McKeon scored the game’s only goal. Rovers, whose head coach is Anthony Elding, had the following squad for this final: Zach Gethins, Darragh Reynolds, Sean Casey, Oisin Keenan, Daire Leonard-O’Connor (c), Jamie O’Malley, Cathair Tighe, Darragh McKeon, Oran Murphy, Adam Feeney, Cian O’Shaughnessy, Gareth Cummins, Tory Kelly, Aaron Heaney, Aidan Gabbidon, Conor Whittaker, Ryan Cunningham, Shay McMorrow.
ATU Sligo lose out to UL in a quarter-final
ATU Sligo’s senior Gaelic footballers were lost away to University of Limerick on Tuesday night in the HE (Higher Education) Senior Football League Division One quarter-final. ATU Sligo, managed by Con O’Meara, were beaten by 15 points, 2-17 to 1-5. Tonight, Thursday, ATU Sligo and University of Limerick will lock horns again – this time in a HE Fresher Football League Division One quarter-final.
GAA legend Kearins gets a GWA award
Sligo GAA legend Mickey Kearins has been chosen as the Football Hall of Fame recipient in the 2023 Gaelic Writers’ Association Awards. Kearins, from Beltra in west Sligo, was a star for his club, St Patrick’s, and Sligo. He played for Sligo for 17 years and in 1971 became the county’s first All-Star recipient. In 1975 he helped Sligo to their first Connacht GAA Sennior Football Championship title since 1928. A supreme forward, Kearins won seven county titles with St Patrick’s. The marksman was the top scorer in GAA National Football League history until 2021, when Clare’s David Tubridy surpassed him. He also became an intercounty referee after his playing career ended. He is the current president of Sligo GAA.
Kearins, 80, was presented with his award at a ceremony held at Dublin’s Iveagh Garden Hotel on Friday last.
His club, St Patrick’s, stated: “Congratulations to Micheál Kearins who added another accolade to his long list of honours when he was inducted into the Gaelic Writers’ Association Football Hall of Fame.” This year’s GWA Awards are supported by EirGrid, the state-owned company charged with securing the transition of Ireland’s electricity grid to a low-carbon future. EirGrid are the sponsor of the EirGrid GAA Football All-Ireland U-20 Championship (a competition that Sligo were finalists in this year, losing to Kildare) and are the official timing sponsor of the GAA.
North Sligo AC teams win in Connacht
Teams from North Sligo AC won in the recently-completed Connacht Athletics Cross Country League, a competition for senior and masters athletics. In the overall standings, after three events, North Sligo AC won the men’s club title, with Sligo AC placed third. North Sligo AC were second in the women’s club section.
There was individual success for Sligo competitors. Aidan McMoreland (North Sligo AC) won the Masters Men O-35 section and Sligo AC’s Seamus Somers was first in the Masters Men O-50 category, with Eamon Murphy (North Sligo AC) placed second.
Valeria Petrova, North Sligo AC, was first in the Senior Women section and there were two Sligo athletes in the top three of the Masters Women O-35 category – Corran AC’s Sarah Doohan, who was first, and Caroline Coulter, Tireragh AC, who took third place overall. Mari Johnston, Sligo AC, was second in the Masters Women O-50 category.
Bit O’Red honour their rising stars
The Sligo Rovers Academy has chosen its best players across its various age groups for the 2023 season. Players were chosen by their teammates. The award winners were presented with their accolades by the club’s new CEO, Andrew Feakins, during the half-time interval of the club’s final home game of this season’s SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division (a draw with Drogheda United). The winners are as follows: Owen Elding
TAKING PART: Pauline Hunt Gorman, Corran AC, after her participation in the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon last month. She also competed in the Chicago Marathon in October.
(Men’s U-19 Players’ Player of the Year); Lara Swann (Women’s U-19 Players’ Player of the Year); Anna McDaniel(Women’s U-17 Players’ Player of the Year); Thomas Morley (Men’s U-17 Players’ Player of the Year); Oran Murphy (Men’s U-15 Players’ Player of the Year); Ryan Cunningham (Men’s U-14 Players’ Player of the Year).
Competitions at U-20 level reach a conclusion
Sligo GAA’s U-20 Championships are almost complete. In the ‘A’ competition, the final will involve Drumcliffe-Rosses and either Eastern Harps or St Mary’s on Saturday, December 2.
Castleconnor have qualified for the ‘B’ decider (Friday, December 1) and will face the top-placed team in Group Two, which has yet to be sorted out.
GOOD SAVE: Coolera-Strandhill goalkeeper Keelan Harte thwarts a first-half goal attempt from Ben O’Carroll of St Brigid’s during last Sunday’s Connacht GAA Club Senior Football Championship quarter-final that took place at Dr Hyde Park, Roscommon. Coolera-Strandhill lost by seven points, 0-13 to 1-3.