SPORT ROUND-UP
Roddy signs up for a third campaign
Amy Roddy has re-signed for the Sligo Rovers senior women’s team for the 2024 campaign. The defender, who hails from Ballina, Co. Mayo, has already spent two seasons at The Showgrounds. She made 38 appearances under manager Steve Feeney, who was in charge in 2022 and 2023, and her new boss is Tommy Hewitt. Roddy, speaking to sligorovers.com, said: “I’ve loved playing with Sligo Rovers over the past two years – this season will be a big one for us and I can’t wait to get stuck in again.”
Along with Roddy, Rovers have re-signed Caoimhe O’Reilly, Leah Kelly, Emma Hansberry and Sarah Kiernan. Experienced midfielder Kelly Crompton, formerly of Strabane’s Sion Swifts in the NIFL Women’s Premiership, is a new recruit for the upcoming SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Division.
McKeon helps London to a famous win
Ciaran McKeon, the former St Michael’s and ATU Sligo player, featured for London in their shock defeat of Mayo last Sunday, a one-point win, 0-12 to 1-8, in an FBD Connacht GAA Senior Football League quarter-final at the University of Galway Connacht GAA Air Dome.
McKeon, part of the Sligo U-20 panel that won the Connacht GAA U-20 Football Championship in 2022, was introduced at the end of the first period in Bekan. He plays his club football with Tír Chonaill Gaels, who were runners-up in last year’s London GAA Senior Football Championship.
Full-forward Shay Rafter kicked six points for London, who were a point adrift at halftime, 0-6 to 0-5, in their very first FBD Connacht GAA Senior Football League outing. Holders Mayo had seven debutants, with just three starters from last year’s GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship quarter-final against Dublin. This was the first time that London had beaten Mayo at senior level – their reward is Saturday’s semi-final clash against Roscommon, who defeated Sligo easily last Friday.
Ex-Rovers winger moves to Galway
Karl O’Sullivan, a diligent winger during his two seasons with Sligo Rovers (2022-23), has joined Rovers’ Connacht rivals Galway United, who are back in the top flight after winning last year’s SSE Airtricity Men’s First Division. The Limerick native, 24, a former Republic of Ireland U-21 international, endured a lenghty spell on the sidelines last year due to injury. Aside from his attacking midfield role with Rovers, he deputised at full-back. O’Sullivan also played for Limerick FC and Finn Harps.
Away loss for EJ Sligo All-Stars
EJ Sligo All-Stars lost 74-63 away to Galway club Maigh Cuilinn in a Basketball Ireland InsureMyVan.ie Men’s Super League fixture played last Saturday night.
The visitors trailed at the end of each period (30-17, 41-25, 55-42, 74-63) and were 16 points down at half-time, 41-25. Their most productive phase was in the third period when they outscored the hosts, 27-14, to be just three points down, 55-52, heading into the fourth period.
Chrishon Briggs and Christian Williams each scored 14 points for EJ Sligo All-Stars, with Finn Hughes contributing 12 points. Ivan Basic was the leading shooter for Maignh Cuilinn – he supplied 22 of the winners’ 74 points.
This result was a seventh loss from 11 Super League games for EJ Sligo All-Stars, who are 11th in the overall standings and fifth in the North Conference table.
Next up for EJ Sligo AllStars is an away game against Belfast Star this Saturday at De La Salle College, Belfast (tip-off 6.30pm). Belfast Star are the current Super League and North Conference leaders with a 10-1 record. Their only loss was last month’s 99-84 away reversal to Griffith College Éanna. Last October they were 93-86 winners over EJ Sligo All-Stars at the Mercy College gym.
Rugby team head to Galway for an AIL test
Sligo Rugby Club’s senior men’s team return to Energia All-Ireland League Division 2B action tomorrow, Friday, when they are away to Galway Corinthians (Corinthian Park, 8pm). Sligo played Corinthians at home last month – their last game prior to the festive break – and were beaten 15-11 at Hamilton Park, Strandhill. This was a fourth loss in nine games for Sligo, who have also recorded four wins and one draw, and they are currently fourth in the standings.
Corinthians are second in the table, six points behind promotion certainties Instonians, who have a 100% record so far.
Meanwhile, former Sligo player Conan O’Donnell helped Dublin club Terenure retain the Energia Bateman Cup on Saturday last – they defeated Young Munster by seven points, 22-15, at Lakelands Park.
Away game for ATU Sligo in Sigerson Cup
ATU Sligo’s senior Gaelic footballers commence their Electric Ireland HE GAA Sigerson Cup campaign tonight, Thursday, with an away fixture against St Mary’s University College, Belfast (The Dub, 8pm). There are 11 Sligo natives in the ATU Sligo squad for this first round game. The Sligo contingent are as follows: Ross Chambers, Ciaran O’Reilly (Drumcliffe-Rosses Point); Joseph Keaney, Jack Davitt
(St Molaise Gaels); Jack Lavin (Ballymote); Josh Ellis (Enniscrone-Kilglass); Dillon McDermott (Shamrock Gaels); Daire O’Boyle (Calry-St Joseph’s); Mark Walsh (Owenmore
Gaels). Four of these players – Joseph Keaney, Jack Lavin, Daire O’Boyle and Mark Walsh – played for the Sligo seniors in last Friday’s FBD Connacht GAA Senior Football League quarter-final against Roscommon.
ATU Sligo, who are managed by Sligo’s Con O’Meara, were last Sigerson Cup champions (as IT Sligo) in 2005. The current ATU Sligo Spanel were quarter-finalists in this season’s Electric Ireland HE GAA Senior Football League.
Meanwhile Ryan Cup champions University of Galway, who have Sligo duo Canice Mulligan and Evan Lyons in their defensive ranks, were beaten by TU Dublin, 2-8 to 1-10, in Tuesday’s first round at Dangan. If ATU Sligo lose in Belfast they will take on University of Galway in round 2B.
Quarter-final challenge for St Attracta’s
St Attracta’s Community School, Tubbercurry, continue the defence of their Connacht GAA Post Primary Schools Senior ‘B’ Football Championship title. Tomorrow, Friday, they are up against Galway’s Dunmore Community School in the competition’s quarter-final – this knockout fixture, which has a 12.30pm start, takes place at the Connacht GAA Centre of Excellence, Bekan.
St Attracta’s won the provincial Senior ‘B’ title in February of last year with a one-point defeat of Roscommon CBS.
Also tomorrow, Enniscrone’s Jesus & Mary Secondary School are scheduled to face Seamount College, Kinvara, a Connacht GAA Post Primary Schools Senior ‘D’ Football Championship quarter-final. This game will go ahead at the Connacht GAA Centre of Excellence, Bekan, with an 11am start.
Summerhill go through after ‘A’ big result
Defending champions Summerhill College have progressed to the knockout stages of the Connacht GAA Post Primary Schools Senior ‘A’ Football Championships thanks to their 1-16 to 0-6 defeat of Ballinrobe Community School yesterday, Wednesday, at the Connacht GAA Centre of Excellence, Bekan.
Attacker Connor Flynn enjoyed a productive afternoon for the Sligo town secondary school, scoring 0-8, while Aaron Lang notched the winners’ second-half goal.
In the first-half Connor Flynn kicked six points as Summerhill went in at halftime four points to the good, 0-9 to 0-5, having been 0-5 to
0-3 in front after 15 minutes. Summerhill – last year’s All-Ireland finalists – dominated the second period and scored a further 1-7. Their second-half points came from Conor Flynn (0-2), Paul Flynn (0-2), Aaron Lang (0-1), Oran Harte (0-1) and substitute
Finn Campbell (0-1).
The game’s only goal came from Summerhill’s Aaron Lang, who netted after 42 minutes.
Overwhelmed Ballinrobe, for whom Tom Lydon was their best player, only managed to score one point in the second-half.
Summerhill College (v Ballinrobe Community School): Donnchadh O’Brien, Oisin Cadden, Stefan Roche, Ronan O’Hehir, Daire Scanlon,
Rian O’Callaghan (0-1), Joe Campbell, Oran Harte (0-1), Eamonn Keane, Kevin Davitt, Cian Nicholson (0-1), Eamonn O’Mahony, Paul Flynn (0-2), Aaron Lang (1-2, 2f), Connor Flynn (0-8, 5f).
Subs used: Clive Regan, Diarmuid Dunleavy, Finn Campbell (0-1), Darren Woodrow, Eoin Stinchon.