Still moments to savour
Castleconnor native Micheál Naughton wins the race to become the next president of the Ladies Gaelic Football Association. One of the two other challengers for the position was Liam McDonagh of St Nathy’s, who received 29 votes. Naughton’s tally was 70 votes.
Sligo’s Senior hurlers qualify for the Allianz Hurling League Division 3B decider – their opponents will be Leitrim – thanks to four wins in their section.
Sligo Squash Club are named Connacht Club of the Year for 2019 at the inaugural Irish Squash Annual Awards.
Coola Post Primary School are runners-up in the Connacht final of FAI Schools Minor ‘B’ Boys competition. The east Sligo secondary school lose 1-0 to St Joseph’s Secondary School from Foxford.
Shamrock Gaels GAA Club mourn the passing of one of their greatest players, John Lyons, who also played at inter-county level with Sligo. Covid-19 halts the SSE Airtricity League and Sligo Rovers reckon that every postponed home fixture costs them around €20,000 in revenue. Restrictions to curb the spread of the deadly disease also put a pause on GAA inter-county action (Allianz Football League, Allianz Hurling League), the IRFU’s All-Ireland League, Basketball Ireland’s national competitions as well as activity in local golf clubs.
The fourth annual Sligo Super Cup – a youth soccer tournament for Boys U-12 teams – is postponed.
The Ladies Gaelic Football Association call off the National Football League due to the national emergency of Covid-19. The season’s cancellation means that Sligo, who were bottom of the Division Three table after five losses and relegation candidates, will remain in the third tier for 2021.
The country’s best amateur golfers won’t be coming to Rosses Point for the annual West of Ireland Amateur Open Golf Championship. The organisers postpone the April event, with the hope that it could be rescheduled for September.
Sligo RFC’s season is also cut short but the club’s first XV won two trophies in the 2019-20 season – Connacht Senior League and Connacht Senior Cup.
Girls U-16 singles rankings. Ballymote’s Donnacha Byrne, a product of Sligo RFC and a former captain of Summerhill College’s Senior rugby team, joins the Connacht Rugby Academy.
Sligo All-Stars Basketball Club begin the search for a new head coach following the departure of Spaniard Carlos Diaz Rodriguez, who spent two seasons guiding the Senior men’s team as well as the club’s U-20, U-18 and U-16 boys teams.
Sligo RFC make plans to appoint a Director of Rugby – this follows the news that Paddy Pearson, a New Zealand native, is to step down as head coach along with the rest of the first XV management.
Sligo’s horse racing season is also disrupted by government restrictions. Pearson was at the helm for 44 games, winning 23 of them.
Ongoing restrictions to limit the spread of Covid-19 forces the organisers of the Sligo Super Cup, a youth soccer tournament, to cancel the 2020 event.
The Warriors Run, a multi-terrain run from Strandhill’s beachfront to the summit of Knocknarea Mountain and back, is cancelled. It was due to take place on August 29.
In a social media post, the organising committee said they were “bitterly disappointed” at having to make the decision but were putting health and safety first.
SLIGO native Cathal Sheridan is appointed Director of Rugby at Limerick club UL Bohemians. Sheridan, from Breeogue, Knocknahur, is a former underage player with Sligo RFC. He was a rugby professional with Munster but injuries forced him to retire.
The death takes place of Peter James Brennan, a former Sligo Senior Gaelic footballer. From Bunninadden, he lived most of his life in Tubbercurry and won a Sligo Senior Football Championship medal with the club in 1976.
Calry-St Joseph’s GAA Club raise almost €13,000 for two charities – North West Hospice and Cystic Fibrosis Ireland – by completing the One Million Steps Challenge.
Club members, supporters, players and ex-players all get involved in the fundraiser.
St John’s GAA Club and Drumcliffe-Rosses Point GAA Club complete a joint-fundraiser, entitled Go The Extra Mile, that generates €30,000 for Sligo Cancer Support Centre.
Ian Baraclough, the most successful manager in Sligo Rovers’ history, is named manager of Northern Ireland’s Senior men’s soccer team. During his tenure at The Showgrounds, which ended with his sacking in 2014, he won the Premier Division, FAI Cup and Setanta Sports Cup. Sligo Rugby Football Club’s fundraiser – with proceeds going to Sligo Samaritans – raises €10,000.