Sligo Surf Lifesaving Club members excel nationally

Three up and coming handballers from Sligo participated in a one-day provincial competition hosted by Galway’s Abbeyknockmoy Handball Club on the Saturday before last. Catering for U-11 to U-13 age groups, the format saw quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals all played on the same day. Castleconnor Handball Club’s Cian Corcoran won the Boys U-11 singles title – he defeated opponents from Mayo and Roscommon en route to the title.

Bobby Cavanagh (Collooney Handball Club) and Calvin Foody (Castleconnor Handball Club) took part in the Boys U-12 singles category. Bobby Cavanagh was beaten in the semi-final and Calvin Foody reached the decider but lost to the Galway handballer who had overcome Cavanagh.

Rovers re-sign quartet for the 2024 season

In the days leading up to last Saturday’s SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Division opener away to Shelbourne – a 0-0 draw at Tolka Park – Sligo Rovers announced further additions to the senior women’s panel for 2024. These were four re-signings – all defenders – as Eimear Lafferty, Helen Monaghan, Jessica Casey and Amy Hyndman were added to the roster.

This brings the number of players in the Tommy Hewitt-managed Rovers senior women’s squad to 23, with

ELAINA Sugrue was the star turn for Sligo Surf Lifesaving Club at the recent Irish Water Safety National Stillwater Championships that took place at the University of Limerick’s 50-metre pool.

Sugrue, competing in the Masters category (ages 30 and upwards), won five medals – four gold and one silver – and set a new Irish record in the manikin carry with fins event.

The Sligo Surf Lifesaving Club Masters selection, who finished third overall in the team standings, had six medal winners

the list of players signed as follows: Caoimhe O’Reilly (gk), Amber Hardy (gk), Bonnie McKiernan (gk), Yvonne Hedigan, Leah Kelly, Emma Hansberry (c), Sarah Kiernan, Kelly Crompton, Emma Doherty, Amy Roddy, Kerri O’Hara, Muireann Devaney, Kelsey Munroe, Alice Lillie, Keeva Flynn, Ciara Henry, Zoe McGlynn, Keri Loughrey, Jodie Loughrey, Eimear Lafferty, Helen Monaghan, Jessica Casey, Amy Hyndman.

Mona’s award for a brilliant February

Grange Olympian Mona McSharry, an international swimmer, has been chosen as The Irish Times-Sport Ireland Sportswoman of the Month including the aforementioned Elaina Sugrue, John McShane (who was Sligo’s only other gold medal winners in the Masters age group), Jillian Burns, Conor McShane, Joseph McCafferty and Scot Reid.

Members of Sligo Surf Lifesaving Club competed in the Youth section (ages 14-18). Darragh Moran and Matthew O’Grady combined for silver in the Boys 14-18 25 metre relay line throw team event and O’Grady was an individual gold medallist (Boys U-14-16 100 metre obstacle event). A number of the Sligo

for February. McSharry, 23, reached three finals at last month’s World Aquatics Championships in Doha – she was fifth in two of these finals in the Qatar capital. Also last month she clocked 55.95 seconds for the 100 metres breaststroke in the medley relay, helping the University of Tennessee win the event at the South Eastern Conference (SEC) Swimming and Diving Championships. The north Sligo competitor also defended her title in the women’s 200 metres at these championships, recording an SEC meet record time of 2:03.84.

This coming May, McSharry will graduate from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where she has been in a sports scholarship since the autumn of 2020. McSharry was a finalist at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. contingent were just outside the medals with fourth place finishes.

Also at these championships in Limerick, Sligo Surf Lifesaving Club coaches Lorraine O’Meara and Marcus Choo completed their referee training.

Meanwhile, this coming Saturday, March 16, Sligo Surf Lifesaving Club hosts the Irish Water Safety Regional Stillwater Championships for Nippers (ages 8-14) at the Sligo Regional Sports Centre pool in Cleveragh.

Sligo Surf Lifesaving Club is the sports section of Water Safety Ireland Sligo.

Eoghan Rua’s title success in Dingle

West Sligo’s Eoghan Rua won the Intermediate Ladies Football title at the recent 35th Lidl Comórtas Peile Páidí Ó Sé 2024 in the Dingle Peninsula, west Kerry.

Last year’s Sligo LGFA Intermediate champions and Connacht LGFA Intermediate Club runners-up won their two group games, overcoming two Kerry sides MKL Gaels (4-4 to 1-2) and Scartaglen (4-8 to 1-7), to reach the final.

Eoghan Rua then defeated St Maur’s (Dublin) in the decider, 3-4 to 0-5. St Maur’s emerged from a group that included Corca Dhuibhne (west Kerry) and Ballymore (Longford).

The Lidl Comórtas Peile

Páidí Ó Sé tournament featured 28 adult teams (Gaelic football and Ladies Football). Founded by eight-time All-Ireland winner Páidí Ó Sé, this festival was supported by Lidl Ireland, Sligo fashion retailers EJ Menswear, Kerry County Council (Tourism Unit), Dooctor.ie, Medel Healthcare, Fáilte Ireland and Údarás na Gaeltachta. It has attracted over 30,000 club players since it was established in 1989.

Commenting on Eoghan Rua’s win, tournament chairman Páidraig Óg Ó Sé, who is a son of the famous Páidí Ó

Sé, who passed in 2012, mentioned how his grandmother (Beatrice Lavin, Ballymote) was from Sligo and that the family’s cousins are involved in EJ Menswear, one of the tournament partners.

“We’re thrilled that Eoghan Rua came away with silverware. My grandmother was a Sligo woman so that’s a lovely connection with the county – Eoghan Rua conducted themselves very well all weekend and are welcome back next year to defend their title,” he said.

Foleys run well in Drumshanbo challenge

The Foleys from Sligo AC, Desi and Heather, were the first male and female finishers in the 10km section of the Tony McGowan Run held in Drumshanbo, Co. Leitrim.

Desi Foley, a Male 40 competitor, clocked 34:03 for the 10,000 metres distance on Sunday, February 18. His wife, Heather, was the first female finisher (and also the first Female 40