SPORT ROUND-UP

Summerhill teens lose out to Athenry

Summerhill College were knocked out of the FAI Schools Connacht Boys U-16 Cup on Tuesday – they were beaten 3-1 at home by Athenry’s Presentation College in the competition’s quarter-final. Also on Tuesday, MacSharry Park’s all-weather pitch was the setting for the FAI Schools Tom Ticher Junior (Boys U-17, large schools) National Cup semi-final between Donegal Town’s Abbey Vocational School and Rice College, Westport. Rice College won 4-0 at the Sligo town venue.

Today, Thursday, the FAI Schools Dr Tony O’Neill Senior (Boys U-19, large schools) National Cup semi-final goes ahead at MacSharry Park. Connacht champions St Gerald’s College (Castlebar), who won their provincial title in Enniscrone recently when beating another Mayo side, St Muredach’s College (Ballina), face Ulster kingpins Scoil Mhuire from Buncrana. This All-Ireland semi-final starts at 1pm.

Kenny scores winning goal for Shams

Riverstown’s Johnny Kenny scored for Shamrock Rovers on Friday night last. The ex-Rovers striker, who is on his second loan season with the champions from Glasgow Celtic, netted an 84th minute winner in the 1-0 away defeat of Galway United at Eamonn Deacy Park. This was the first win of this season’s SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division for Shamrock Rovers.

All-Stars are away to Maree in play-offs

EJ Sligo All-Stars will be up against Galway’s Maree Basketball Club in this weekend’s Basketball Ireland InsureMyVan.ie Men’s Super League quarter-final. This fixture takes place at Calasanctius College, Oranmore, on Saturday night (tip-off 7.30pm).

EJ Sligo All-Stars, who finished fourth in the North Conference to secure their place in the play-offs, completed their regular season on Saturday last with an 86-78 defeat of Ulster University at the Mercy College gym. Christian Williams was the winners’ top scorer against Ulster University – he shot 32 points, with Chrishon Briggs (17 points) and Giorgi Tvalabeishvili (13 points) also making important contributions. EJ Sligo AllStars were ahead at the end of the first quarter, 36-20, and half-time, 51-34, and they were also in front at the end of the third quarter, 66-57.

This result was a sixth win in their last seven games for

EJ Sligo All-Stars. Upcoming opponents Maree, who topped the South Conference and were third in the overall standings, won 14 of their 19 games (compared to EJ Sligo All-Stars’ 10-9 record). EJ Sligo All-Stars lost to Maree by 22 points, 92-70, when the sides met last October.

Golfer Maebh will compete for Ireland

Maebh McLoughlin, County Sligo Golf Club, is part of the Golf Ireland Irish Girls High Performance team for matches this weekend against Wales at Rosslare Golf Club in Co. Wexford. Also on the Irish Girls team are Kate Dillon (Oughterard), Ellen O’Shaughnessy (County Louth) and Holly Hamilton (Belvoir Park). The Irish Boys High Performance team will also face Wales at the same venue. Saturday will see two sessions of match play before the closing match play ties on Sunday.

FAI’s inter-pro tournament at Sligo venues

There are three players from the Sligo-Leitrim and District Soccer League in the Connacht Football Association panel for this weekend’s Football Association of Ireland’s new amateur inter-provincial tournament that is taking place in Sligo. The Connacht Football Association are the tournament hosts.

Bryan Lynch (Calry Bohs), Carbury FC’s Niall Brennan, who captains the western province, and Leo Doherty of Strand Celtic are the Sligo-Leitrim trio selected. Also in the squad is Ballina Town’s Jamie Cawley, who is a first cousin of Sligo senior hurler Niall Kilcullen. Sligo’s Neal McKenna is the Connacht coach, with Westport native Joe Kelly managing the side.

Games take place at Ballisodare, MacSharry Park and The Showgrounds. Connacht take on Leinster tomorrow, Friday, at MacSharry Park (7pm) and they face Munster at Ballisodare United’s astroturf pitch on Saturday afternoon (2pm). Connacht’s third game against Ulster is scheduled for MacSharry Park on Sunday (12 noon).

Results from Saturday’s round two games could mean a change in venues on Sunday. This weekend’s tournament will decide the FAI’s representatives for the 2024-25 UEFA Regions Cup.

There are no games scheduled for the Sligo-Leitrim and District Soccer League this weekend.

U-20 hurlers will play the Rossies

Sligo’s U-20 hurlers have been given a home draw – against Roscommon – in the quarter-finals of the

GAA Hurling All-Ireland

U-20 Championship (Richie McElligott Cup). This fixture will go ahead on the weekend after next. If Sligo overcome Roscommon they will be away to either Donegal or Mayo in the semi-final. Also taking part in this competition are Down, Armagh, Tyrone and Wicklow.

Ref Gilmartin is on duty in Tullamore

Sligo GAA referee John Gilmartin is on duty this weekend in the Allianz Football League. On Sunday the Curry man will take charge of this Sunday’s Division Three fixture between Offaly and Limerick at Glenisk O’Connor Park, Tullamore (throw-in 2pm). Limerick are bottom of the table with zero wins from six games and Offaly, who drew against Sligo at Markievicz Park on Saturday last, are sixth in the standings.

Gilmartin was scheduled for take charge of a Connacht GAA U-20 Football Championship round one fixture last night – the meeting of Roscommon and Mayo at Dr Hyde Park, Roscommon.

Meanwhile, Tipperary referee Conor Doyle is main match official for Saturday’s Allianz Hurling League Division 3A semi-final between Sligo and Cavan at Markievicz Park (2pm).

The following day, Sunday, Limerick’s Jonathan Hayes is the referee for Sligo’s clash with Westmeath at Markievicz Park in round seven of the Allianz Football League. This Division Three fixture has a 2pm start.

Winners in Club Sligo draws for two months

The January and February draws for Club Sligo members took place on Saturday last at Markievicz Park during the half-time interval of the Allianz Football League Division Three game between Sligo and Offaly. The draw was conducted by Noel Gallagher, Sligo GAA’s vice-chairperson.

There are six winners in each of these monthy draws, with €1,000 up for grabs each month. The results are detailed below. The top prize is €500.

JANUARY: 1, Alan Gilmartin (€100); 2, Gerry McGwyne (€100); 3, St John’s GAA Club (€100); 4, Michael Jacob (€100); 5, RSS Document Management (€100); 6, Anthony Willis (€100).

FEBRUARY: 1, Michael Tuohy (€500); 2, Gerry Ballantine (€100); 3, Keith Gilroy (€100); 4, Darren Kearns (€100); 5, Pat and John Clifford (€100); 6, Michael Kilcoyne (€100).

TROPHY JUGGLE: St Attracta’s players celebrate their win in Bank Holiday Monday’s Lidl All-Ireland Post Primary Schools Senior ‘B’ Championship final against Ursuline Secondary School (Thurles).

Teen athlete is selected as a Juvenile Star

Sligo AC competitor Sean McCabe, a student at Summerhill College, was chosen as the Sligo recipient in the Athletics Ireland Juvenile Stars Awards for 2024. McCabe was presented with his accolade at the Mullingar Park Hotel on Saturday last. McCabe was outstanding last year – he won gold in the Athletics Ireland National Juvenile Championships (Boys U-18 Long Jump and Boys U-18 Hurdles) and silver in the All-Ireland Schools Combined Events (60 metres hurdles, 200 metres, long jump, shot put and 800 metres). The teenager also won bronze in the All-Ireland Schools Track and Field Championships (Senior Boys Long Jump) held in Tullamore.

Rugby heroes resume their AIL campaign

The Sligo Rugby Club senior men’s team are back in action this Saturday when they are away to Dublin club Malahide (Merrion Road, 2.30pm) in Division 2B of this season’s Energia All-Ireland League. Sligo, winners of the Connacht Senior Cup on the Saturday before last, are fourth in the Division 2B standings and have already qualified for the play-offs. With nine victories so far – from 15 games – Sligo will be looking to continue a five-game winning streak that includes a brilliant

25-24 defeat of table-toppers Instonians. Meanwhile, the club’s second XV contests the Bank of Ireland Connacht Junior Plate final at Galway’s Dexcom Stadium on Sunday – they play Tuam (1pm start).

WELL DONE: Sligo teenager Sean McCabe (Sligo AC and Summerhill College) is presented with his Athletics Ireland Juvenile Star Award (as the Sligo recipient) by Athletics Ireland Juvenile Committee chairperson Amanda Hynes and Athletics Ireland president John Cronin. The awards ceremony took place on Saturday last in the Mullingar Park Hotel.