Festive GAA fixture for charity
the Leitrim side, 1-10 to 1-8, at Páirc Sheáin Uí Eislin. Ballinamore Seán O’Heslins defeated west Sligo’s Eoghan Rua in last month’s Connacht LGFA Intermediate Club Championship final at Markievicz Park.
Meanwhile, Claremorris (Mayo) are through to the currentaccount.ie LGFA All-Ireland Junior Club Championship final following their All-Ireland semi-final defeat of Derry’s Lavey last Sunday. Connacht champions Claremorris began their provincial campaign with a 10-point defeat of CT Gaels at Kilcoyne Park, Tubbercurry, on October 28.
Sligo trio are selected for Connacht
Summerhill College students Gavin Lynch and
Daire Patton as well as Kyle McDonagh from St Attracta’s Community School (Tubbercurry) are in the Connacht Boys U-18 squad for this weekend’s FAI Schools Boys U-18 Interprovincial competition. The Connacht panel features 17 players from nine secondary schools. Along with the two Sligo secondary schools, there are representatives from schools in Galway and Mayo. The tournament takes place at the AUL Complex, Clonshaugh, Dublin. Munster are the holders. Connacht last won the competition two years ago. This interprovincial series is the first step in the selection process for the FAI Schools Boys U-18 international squad for next year’s SAFIB Centenary Shield where the Republic of Ireland FAI Schools will take on Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and England.
North Sligo neighbours Drumcliffe-Rosses Point and St Molaise Gaels are set to meet later this month – Wednesday, December 27 – for a GAA charity match at Oxfield. This annual festive fixture, which has a 12 noon start, is for players aged over 35.
Golfer Shiel gets his Order of Merit prize
Enniscrone Golf Club’s David Shiel was presented with his Bridgestone Order of Merit men’s title at the Golf Ireland headquarters at Cartron Demesne, Maynooth, on Thursday last.
Shiel had a fantastic year that led to a call-up to the
Golf Ireland High Performance squad. The 34-year-old finished T8 at the North of Ireland in Royal Portrush to win the Bridgestone Order of Merit. He also reached the quarter-finals of the
South of Ireland, the last
16 of the West of Ireland in Rosses Point, finished
T6 in the East of Ireland and made all nine cuts in the championships he played. And, after featuring in the Irish Home Internationals team for the first time, he was thrilled to join some of the world’s best who have previously won this trophy.
“I’m extremely proud of winning the Bridgestone Order of Merit. Even since winning it I’ve learned about the history of the Order of Merit and the Willie Gill award from talking to the people in golf,” said Shiel.
“I know it’s changed quite a bit in terms of format over the years – it included some British and foreign events before – and now it’s changed to focus on the Irish events. It has really incentivised the development of players in Ireland.”
He continued: “Even since understanding more about it, it’s really cool to learn that I join a list of players that includes Rory McIlroy, Padraig Harrington and Darren Clarke.” Also at Golf Ireland HQ was the Bridgestone Order of Merit women’s champion, 18-year-old Emma Fleming (Elm Park Golf Club), who received her prize.
Sea Blues will face Cork Saints in semi-final
Easkey, who recently retained their AIB Connacht GAA Club Junior Hurling Championship title with a defeat of Ballinasloe at Bekan, will take on St Catherine’s of Cork in the AIB GAA Hurling All-Ireland Junior Club Championship semi-final on Saturday week, December 16 (venue and throw-in time to be confirmed). St Catherine’s defeated Feenagh-Kilmeedy (Limerick) by two points, 2-14, to 1-15, last Saturday at Mallow to win the Munster title.
Quinn scores for ROI women in Belfast
Birmingham City’s Lucy Quinn, the Republic of Ireland senior women’s international with Ballymote connections, scored a first-half goal in Tuesday’s 6-1 win for the Republic of Ireland against Northern Ireland at Windsor Park, Belfast.
This result is a sixth successive win in Group One of the UEFA Women’s National League ‘B’ for the Republic of Ireland, with interim boss Eileen Gleeson completing her tenure.
Quinn opened the winners’ account with a deft finish after 37 minutes from a Katie McCabe assist.
The goalscorer with Sligo links then provided the cross that Heather Payne converted two minutes later. The Republic of Ireland, who led
GOING FOR A SCORE: Tom Child in action for EJ Sligo All-Stars during their home fixture against Griffith College Éanna at the Mercy College gym last Saturday night. EJ Sligo All-Stars lost this Basketball Ireland InsureMyVan.ie Men’s Super League fixture by 20 points, 105-85.
2-0 at half-time, scored in the second-half through Katie McCabe, Kyra Carusa, Louise Quinn and Caitlin Hayes. Kerry Beattie scored Northern Ireland’s goal.
Quinn was a second-half substitute in last Friday’s UEFA Nations League ‘B’ defeat of Hungary at Tallaght stadium, Dublin. Midfielder Quinn came on after 56 minutes – she replaced Izzy Atkinson – as the hosts won 1-0 thanks to a 64th minute own goal from Henrietta Csiszár.
ATU Sligo get home tie in the Sigerson Cup
ATU Sligo’s senior Gaelic footballers have been handed a home game against St Mary’s University College (Belfast) in the opening round of the 2024 GAA Higher Education Sigerson Cup.
The competition’s first round is scheduled for Wednesday, January 10, 2024. If ATU Sligo win this game at Ballinode they’ll progress to a second round tie away to the winners of the meeting of University of Galway and Technological University Dublin. Should the Con O’Meara-managed ATU Sligo reach the second round and lose they’ll have another shot at making the quarter-finals. The finals of the Electric Ireland GAA Higher Education Championships will be hosted by MTU Kerry next February. ATU Sligo lost to University of Limerick in last month’s GAA Higher Education Senior Football League Division One quarter-finals.
Meanwhile, ATU Sligo’s