Minors start their Connacht campaign with away fixture
SLIGO GAA’s county U-17 Gaelic footballers start their Connacht GAA Minor Football Championship campaign for 2024 tomorrow, Friday, with an away fixture against Galway (Tuam Stadium, 6.30pm).
The county last won the Connacht GAA Minor Football Championship three years ago – reclaiming the Kilcoyne Cup for the first time since 1968. The current Sligo U-20 boss, Paul Henry, was at the helm for the 2021 campaign that saw Sligo defeat Leitrim and Roscommon en route to silverware.
This week’s trip to Galway is one of two away fixtures for the team managed by Tourlestrane’s Stephen Henry, pictured below, with a game in Roscommon coming up in round four.
For round two on Friday, April 19, and round five (Friday, May 10), Sligo take on Leitrim and Mayo respectively at Markievicz Park. The Sligo teens have a ‘bye’ in round three.
This year’s competition has a revamped format at national level as there will be three AllIreland tiers.
In Connacht, the top team after the roundrobin phase goes directly to the final. Teams placed second and third contest a semi-final and the winner progresses to the decider. Both provincial finalists will later compete in the tier one quarter-finals.
The losing Connacht semi-finalist will enter the tier two competition (quarter-finals).
The teams placed fourth and fifth in Connacht after five roundrobin games will contest the Shield final. The winner goes into the tier two competition (preliminary quarter-final) and the loser will play in the tier three section (with
ships at the Mary Peters Athletics Track in Belfast. Cadden, who hails from Skreen, took first place in the women’s 400 metres final – her time for gold was 53.38 seconds. It broke the previous record that had been set 25 years ago. She won her semi-final with a time of 54.22 seconds and improved this in the decider. DCU student Erin Taheny, Corran AC, also ran at these championships which were hosted by Ulster University.
Award for sister of Bit O’Red boss
Galway United’s Julie-Ann Russell, sister of Sligo Rovers senior men’s team manager John Russell, is the SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Division Player of the Month for March. The former Republic of Ireland women’s international has helped Galway lead the Women’s Premier Division with three wins from three games, a sequence that includes a 3-2 defeat of Rovers at The Showgrounds.
SUPPORTING SLIGO GAA: At the recent presentation of sponsorship to the Sligo GAA Minor Gaelic footballers for 2024 were, Peadar Niland (Sligo GAA), Declan Rouse (Sligo GAA and Lacken Wind Energy), Sean Carroll (chairman, Sligo GAA), Ken Foley (Supermac’s & Papa John’s Sligo), Cormac Kearns (treasurer, Sligo GAA).
a preliminary quarter-final against London). There is much to play for, therefore, for a Sligo team that is captained by Ballymote’s James Lavin. He is the younger brother of Sligo senior player Jack Lavin, who previously captained the Sligo U-20 team that won provincial honours two years ago. Sligo’s game against Galway will be livestreamed by Connacht GAA. Meanwhile, Sligo GAA has been boosted by support from Lacken
Hurlers to host Kildare in Ring Cup
Sligo’s senior hurlers are heading into their fifth Christy Ring Cup campaign – the 2024 competition, which is the third tier GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship, starts this coming Saturday with a home game against Kildare (Markievicz Park, 1pm).
Sligo, who are managed by Carlow man Stephen Sheil, were recent runners-up in the Allianz Hurling League Division 3A final – they lost to Mayo by three points at Hasting Insurance MacHale Park, Castlebar. Sligo will be without Easkey’s Fionn Moylan for the Christy Ring Cup season – the midfielder sustained a serious knee injury in the second-half of that defeat to Mayo. Along with this weekend’s hosting of Kildare, Sligo will play London (away, April 20), Tyrone (home, April 27), Wicklow (away, May 12) and Derry (home, May 18). Following the round-robin stage the top two teams will contest
the final – the winners will be promoted to next year’s Joe McDonagh Cup. Sligo, who have never won the Christy Ring Cup, were previously Lory Meagher Cup champions (2018) and also Nicky Rackard Cup winners (2008 and 2019).
McDonagh and Patton play for ROI
Two Sligo secondary school students, Daire Patton (Summerhill College) and Kyle McDonagh (St Attracta’s Community School), played for the FAI Schools Republic of Ireland Boys U-18 team in their SAFIB Centenary Shield fixture against England at Walsall FC on Friday night last. It was a disappointing result for the Republic of Ireland, who lost 4-0. Kyle McDonagh started in defence and Daire Patton was in midfield. Both are part of the Sligo Rovers Academy.
There was a third Rovers underage player in action against England, defender Conor Cannon, who attends
Wind Energy and Supermac’s Sligo, with both local firms set to sponsor the county’s underage Gaelic football and development squads for the next three years. The Supermac’s name will appear on the front of the jerseys worn by these Sligo teams and the Lacken Wind Energy logo will be on the sleeve.
Mayo won last year’s Connacht GAA Minor Football Championship, beating Galway in the final (2-13 to 1-10), while Sligo won the Connacht GAA Minor Football Championship Shield thanks to a 3-14 to 0-12 defeat of their
Westport’s Rice College. The Republic of Ireland, who have drawn with Scotland (1-1) and lost to Northern Ireland (2-1), are away to Wales next Thursday, April 18.
Rovers women return to action in the LOI
The Sligo Rovers senior women’s team are back in action this coming Saturday – the Tommy Hewitt-managed side are away to Limerick’s Treaty United (Markets Field, 5pm).
Rovers are currently ninth in the SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Division standings after two games. They drew
0-0 away to Shelbourne last month in the opening game of the season and they lost 3-2 at home to Connacht rivals Galway United on March 30. In between those Women’s Premier Division fixtures Rovers also had a home game against Galway United in Group ‘D’ of the Avenir Sports All-Island Cup. That contest ended in a 2-0 win for the visitors.
Niall Duffy, Ryan O’Donnell, Shane Murphy, Eoin Finnerty, Aaron Bourke (Enniscrone-Kilglass); Marc Clifford, Ronan Kiely, Logan Markey, Conor Murray, Patrick Brady (St Mary’s); Conor Stenson, Ben Cawley (Castleconnor); Luke Durkin, James Lavin (c), Conor Walshe, Jack Clavin (BallymoteBunninadden); Gareth Cummins (Calry-St Joseph’s); Conor Langan, Cian Nicholson, Dante Currid (St Molaise Gaels); Adam Feeney (St John’s); Tadgh Murphy, Cathal Gilligan (Coolera-Strandhill); Farrell Moran, Donnacha Henry, Conor McDonagh, Fiachra Haughey (TubbercurryCloonacool); Alex Lillie, Noah Phillips, Aaron Healy (Eastern Harps); Daniel Oates (Drumcliffe-Rosses Point); Adam Taheny (Owenmore Gaels); Darragh Toolan (Easkey-St Farnan’s); Danny Woodrow (St Patrick’s); Matthew Walsh (Tourlestrane).
SLIGO’S FIXTURES
Friday, April 12 – Galway (Tuam Stadium, 6.30pm); R2: Friday, April 19 – Leitrim (Markievicz Park, 6.45pm); R3: Friday, April 26 – ‘Bye’; R4: Friday, May 3 – Roscommon (Dr Hyde Park, 7pm); R5: Friday, May 10 – Mayo (Markievicz Park, 7pm)
RUNNING PALS: Grace Foley and Leah McManus of Sligo AC were among the large Sligo contingent at last weekend’s 123.ie National Juvenile Indoor Championships held at the TUS International Arena, Athlone. Foley took silver in the Girls U-12 600 metres event and Leah McManus was placed sixth overall in the same race.