SPORT ROUND-UP
GAA banquet to present medals to U-20 winners
Sligo GAA are holding a special presentation dinner on Friday, November 11, to honour the Sligo U-20 panel and management that won the Connacht GAA U-20 Football Championship title in April – a first for the county. Easkey’s Dessie Sloyan managed the team and Jack Lavin, Ballymote, was the captain. Next month’s function, at which the players will be presented with their provincial medals, takes place at the Clayton Hotel. Tickets are priced at €40 each and are available to purchase from www.sligogaa.ie/tickets.
U-17 teams to clash before the big game
The curtain-raiser to Sunday’s Homeland Senior Football Championship final at Markievicz Park (Tourlestrane against St Mary’s, 3.30pm) is the Expert Electrical Sligo U-17 ‘A’ Football Championship Cup final between St Mary’s and Drumcliffe-Rosses Point (1pm).
In the competition’s group stage, Drumcliffe-Rosses Point won by a point, 1-10 to 0-12, when the sides met at Kent Park on September 3. The referee for Sunday’s U-17 final is Ciaran McGovern.
Bit O’Red women are on TG4 again
This Saturday the Sligo Rovers senior women’s team resume their almost completed first season in the SSE Airtricity Women’s National League – they are away to leaders Wexford Youths for a game that is televised live on TG4 (4.30pm). This is the second time this year that Rovers will feature in TG4’s coverage of the SSE Airtricity Women’s National League. The national broadcaster’s cameras were at The Showgrounds on Saturday, July 30, when Rovers famously defeated holders Shelbourne 3-2.
After Saturday’s game against one of four title contenders, Rovers are away to Shelbourne (October 22) and at home to DLR Waves (October 29). Steve Feeney’s side are currently eighth in the standings, with six wins from 24 games but without a victory since that 3-2 defeat of Shelbourne at the end of July.
Jessican earns gold in pitch and putt
The last of this year’s Aldi Community Games national finals – pitch and putt as well as mixed distance relays and cross-country competitions – took place last weekend. Sligo’s only individual gold was won by Jessica Reynolds (Rosses Point Community Games area). Last Saturday she won the Girls U-16 Pitch and Putt category – at national level – at Westport Golf Club, Co. Mayo.
In challenging weather conditions, there was another Sligo medallist in this competitions – Coolera’s Mae Fenton was fourth.
The next day, at Navan Adventure Centre, Co. Meath, saw the national finals of the cross-country and mixed distance relays. Ava Clavin (Mullinabreena) was fourth in the Girls U-14 800 metres race. Sligo team’s finished fourth overall in the Boys U-14 Mixed Distance Relay. Running for Sligo were Ross Campbell (Drumcliffe), Ethan O’Neill (Castleconnor), Briain Cullinan (Coolera) and Michael Harte (Coolera). This quartet took on a course that included distances of 800 metres and
600 metres.
WINNING SMILES: St Molaise Gaels players Jason Brennan and Joseph Keaney after the Connacht Gold Intermediate Football Championship final defeat of Easkey at Markievicz Park last Sunday.
New dates for two of Rovers’ Prem games
The dates of two of Sligo Rovers’ final four games in this season’s SSE Airtricity League Premier Division have been changed. Rovers’ penultimate fixture against St Patrick’s Athletic at The Showgrounds, which was originally scheduled for Saturday, October 29, is moved to the previous day – Friday, October 28, with a 7.45pm start. This is to avoid a clash with Rovers’ final game of this season’s SSE Airtricity Women’s National League – a home clash with DLR Waves on Saturday, October 29 (5.20pm). The final round of games in the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division has been pushed back to Sunday, November 6 (from the scheduled date of Friday, November 4). Rovers’ last game is away to Bohemians (Dalymount Park). All games in series 36 will start at 7pm.
AIL scores for Fowley and McDermott
Drumcliffe’s Nicole Fowley kicked three penalties for Galwegians in their 36-19 loss away to Blackrock College in round four of the Energia All-Ireland Women’s Division on Saturday last.
The home side’s strong second-half made the difference at Stradbrook – Galwegians, who are captained by Fowley, only scored an unconverted try in the second period, having been five points down at half-time, 19-14. Ireland international Beibhinn Parsons, making her debut for Blackrock College, scored five tries as Galwegians’ unbeaten run was ended.
Meanwhile, in the same competition, the McDermott sisters from Riverstown, Aoife and Sonia, featured for Dublin club Railway Union, who were 78-5 winners away to Suttonians at the JJ McDowell Memorial Grounds. One of Railway Union’s 14 tries was scored by Aoife McDermott.
Intermediate strugglers face win-or-bust tie
It is make or break for Ballymote and St John’s this coming Saturday. They meet in the Connacht Gold Intermediate Football Championship relegation decider at Kent Park (4pm start). The loser will make the drop to the Connacht Gold Junior ‘A’ Football Championship for 2023.
In this year’s campaign, Ballymote and St John’s each lost five games – four times in the group stage and then once in the relegation play-offs. Ballymote lost by six points to Enniscrone-Kilglass in their relegation semi-final, with St John’s falling by three points to Geevagh in their semi-final. Coming up from Sligo GAA’s third tier will be Shamrock Gaels (second XV), who won the Junior ‘A’ title last Sunday.
Second XV secure a first round win
Sligo RFC’s second XV were 22-11 winners at home over Corrib RFC (first XV) in last Sunday’s opening round of the Connacht Junior League. Sligo, who scored three tries in this Division 1B fixture, are next in action on Sunday week – October 23 – when they are away to Ballinrobe’s first XV.
International call-up for Sligo RFC duo
Sligo RFC players Ambrose Bamber and Arann Platt have been named in the Ireland U-18 Clubs squad for the 202223 season. This panel will have a training camp at the IRFU High Performance Centre, Dublin, in early November followed by a fixture in Rome against an Italian U-18 Clubs selection.
Bamber and Platt were part of the Sligo Grammar School team that memorably won the Connacht Schools Senior Cup in March and also the Connacht Schools Senior ‘A’ League last December.
They are among nine players from Connacht selected on this international representative squad.
Two Sligo RFC teams register excellent wins
There were wins for two of Sligo RFC’s girls teams – Girls U-14 and Girls U-18 – last weekend.
At Hamilton Park, Sligo’s Girls U-14 team defeated Creggs, 29-12, last Saturday. The home side scored five tries, two of which were converted. Team captain Cass O’Dowd-Hill scored two of Sligo’s tries. Scrumhalf Niamh Gormley was the best player for Sligo, who had three players enjoying their first-ever game of competitive rugby. Last Sunday, Sligo ‘Yellow’, the second of two Sligo RFC teams in the Connacht Girls U-18 League, were 17-7 winners away to Claremorris. Sligo ‘Yellow’ compete in Division One, with Sligo ‘Black’ in Division Two of this provincial competition.
Sligo scored three tries against Claremorris, with two of these coming during the wind-assisted first-half. Sligo’s first-half tryscorers were Grace O’Connor and Ellie Filan, with Aoife Gormley converting Filan’s fivepointer.
Sligo, who led 12-0 at halftime, had to withstand a comeback from the home side that yielded seven points. The winners’ third try came in
FINAL FOCUS: St Nathy’s player Ciara Scanlon, and Tourlestrane’s Tara Walsh during last Saturday’s Sligo LGFA Connacht Gold Senior Championship final at Markievicz Park.
the closing stages when Enya Hughes, Neasa O’Sullivan and Aoife Gormley combined to set up Eva White for a fine individual score.
This Saturday Sligo ‘Yellow’ take on Ballinasloe (Hamilton Park, 12.15pm) and on Sunday there’s a game for Sligo ‘Black’, who are away to Creggs ‘Maroon’ (12 noon).
Senior title stateside for Sligo NY GAA
Sligo New York GAA Club are the New York Senior Football Championship winners for 2023.
Last Sunday they defeated St Barnabas, 2-11 to 1-13, at New York’s Gaelic Park. There was a significant Sligo involvement in this result – the following Sligo natives were involved in the playing side of things: Vinny Cadden, Paul Kelly, Colin Keane, Jim Davis, Darragh McConnon, Jamie Bannigan, Paul McDaid and Niall McDonagh.
The Sligo natives in the management/backroom team were Niall Judge, Brian Henry, Tommy Brett, Declan Henry, Dermot Fleming, Gerry McGwyne and John Marren. One of the Sligo New York players in last Sunday’s final, Jim Davis, was a Connacht Gold Intermediate Football Championship semi-finalist with St Patrick’s a few weeks ago.
Jack Davitt, an Sligo Intermediate Football Championship winner with St Molaise Gaels last Sunday, also played for Sligo New York earlier this year. Sligo New York, who overcame Brooklyn Shamrocks on penalties in the semi-final, are New York champions for the first time since 2017.
Rovers teens are through to a semi-final
Sligo Rovers U-17 women’s team have qualified for the semi-final of the EA SPORTS Women’s U-17 National League of Ireland. A 3-1 away defeat of Wexford Youths last Saturday put Rovers into the
last four of the competiton. The goalscorers for Rovers in this quarter-final were Rachel McGoldrick, Heather O’Sullivan and Sorcha Feehily.
Swim award for CSSC coach Martin McGann
Martin McGann, head coach at County Sligo Swimming Club, was one of three President’s Award recipients at the 2022 Swim Ireland Awards that took place last Saturday at the Crowne
Plaza, Blanchardstown. McGann was honoured as was Grace Meade (Marlins Swim Club, Ballyshannon) for their respective roles in the development of international medallists Daniel Wiffen (Down) and Mona McSharry (Grange).
Doherty is on target for ROI U-19s
Striker Emma Doherty, who is the leading scorer this season for the Sligo Rovers senior women’s team, scored the winning goal for the Republic of Ireland women’s U-19 team in their 1-0 defeat of Northern Ireland in Poland last Friday. Doherty’s 20th minute header – from a corner delivered by Jamie Thompson – proved to be the difference between the teams in this UEFA Women’s Under-19 European Championship qualifying round.
Kerri O’Hara, who also plays for Rovers in the SSE Airtricity Women’s National League, made her international debut when coming on after 56 minutes. The previous Tuesday the Republic of Ireland drew 1-1 with Poland – these results ensured that the Dave Connell-coached team would progress to the second phase of the qualifiers.
The Republic of Ireland lost 1-0 to France, the Group Five winners, on Monday – with the result irrelevant. Kerri O’Hara was given a start – she was replaced at half-time – and Emma Doherty, who also started, had a scoring opportunity in the second-half.