SPORT ROUND-UP
Sligo Spring Classic is on this Sunday
The Sligo Spring Classic, a cycling sportive organised by Innisfree Wheelers Cycling Club, takes place this coming Sunday, May 5. The event starts from and finishes at the Mercy College, Sligo town. Part of the Connacht Cycling Series, Sunday’s event is an ideal preparation for those taking on next month’s UCI Gran Fondo Sligo (June 29 and 30), which is the first Gran Fondo event to be part of the UCI Gran Fondo World Series. There are two options in the Sligo Spring Classic – the 130km route that starts at 9am and the 75km route which has a 9.30am start. The entry fee (online only) is €35 for Cycling Ireland members and €55 for non-Cycling Ireland members. Further information is available at innisfreewheelers. com or the Innisfree Wheelers Facebook page.
FAI Schools semi-final at local venue
Sligo town soccer venue MacSharry Park played host to another major FAI Schools fixture this week. On Tuesday afternoon, the FAI Schools Minor (U-15) Boys National Cup semi-final took place at MacSharry Park – St Eunan’s College, Letterkenny, were
5-1 winners over St Joseph’s Patrician College (Galway) on the all-weather pitch at a venue that is headquarters of the Sligo-Leitrim and District Soccer League.
Teens are in Hyde Park for next round
After a ‘bye’ in round three of the competition, Sligo’s
U-17 Gaelic footballers resume their Connacht GAA Minor Football Championship with a round four fixture away to Roscommon tomorrow, Friday, evening. This game takes place at Dr Hyde Park, Roscommon, with a 7pm start.
The referee is Mark McCloskey. Sligo, who are managed by Tourlestrane’s Stephen Henry, are unbeaten after two games – they drew away to Galway at Tuam Stadium (0-11 apiece) and defeated Leitrim by a point, 0-9 to 0-8, at Markievicz Park. In last Friday’s third round, meanwhile, Mayo defeated Galway, 2-13 to 1-6, and Roscommon were ninepoint winners over Leitrim, 2-15 to 1-9.
Kenny scores twice for the champions
Riverstown’s Johnny Kenny goaled twice for Shamrock Rovers last weekend in the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division. The former Sligo Rovers striker, 20, netted an 84th minute equaliser for the champions in their 1-1 home draw with Galway United on Friday last.
On Monday the Glasgow Celtic player, who is on loan at Shamrock Rovers, scored the first goal in the Hoops’ 4-0 defeat of Drogheda United at Tallaght Stadium. Also in that game there was a red card for Drogheda’s Jack Keaney, an ex-Sligo Rovers player, as well as a goal for Shams from another former Sligo Rovers player, Aaron Greene. Monday’s win for Shamrock Rovers moved them up to second place in the standings, two points off leaders Shelbourne.
Sligo CG area teams secure provincial titles
Teams representing eight Sligo Community Games areas won gold medals at last Saturday’s Connacht Community Games finals that took place at a variety of venues across Co. Leitrim. The provincial winners were from Cornageeha-St Anne’s (Mixed U-11 Basketball), Enniscrone (Boys U-13 Indoor Soccer), St Mary’s (Boys U-13 Futsal, Girls U-15 Futsal), Coolera (Girls U-13 Futsal, U-13 Rugby 7s, U-16 Table Tennis), Calry (Girls U-15 Badminton), Rosses Point (Girls U-13
Table Tennis), Drumcliffe (Boys U-16 Table Tennis) and Skreen-Dromard (U-10 Draughts, U-12 Draughts, U-14 Draughts).
These winning teams from Sligo will take part in the Community Games national finals at Gormanston College, Co. Meath, later this month (May 25-26).
Team Ireland place for star handballer
Ballymote’s rising handball star Cormac Finn will be on Team Ireland for the oneills. com World Wallball Championships which take place at the University of Limerick in August (August 18-23). Finn, 19, will be taking part in the men’s open doubles category
Saturday is sponsored by Printfix (Sligo).
This Sunday will see the next round in the Golfer of the Year series – Sunday’s competition sponsor is Integrated Facilities Management Ltd.
A club competition is also scheduled for Bank Holiday Monday (May 6). There are also two midweek competitions coming up, both 9-hole. MARY MCGOURTY CUP The club’s female golfers will compete for the Mary McGourty Cup this Saturday – a timesheet is available at the golf shop. Alternatively, call the golf shop to book a tee time.
FUNDRAISER The club’s annual three-person scramble (a fundraiser for the club) is taking place on the weekend after next (May 10-12). The club encourages members to enter teams for some enjoyable golf and, in doing so, they’ll be supporting the club. along with Galway handballer Mikey Kelly, a 20-yearold from Abbeyknockmoy. Finn and Kelly won the men’s doubles title at last weekend’s Team Ireland wallball trials that took place in Belfast. The Finn and Kelly combination defeated an Armagh-Cork pairing in the final. Finn, meanwhile, competes in this Sunday’s Michael Porter Tournament, an invitational singles event in Ballymote.
Tomorrow, Friday, Castleconnor Handball Club’s Darragh Murphy is a finalist in the Connacht Handball Junior ‘C’ 40x20 singles category – he will take on Joe Gallagher (Galway) at Lisacul, Co. Roscommon.
April winners in the Club Sligo members draw
The Club Sligo members draw for April took place on Saturday last at Markievicz Park during the half-time interval of the Christy Ring Cup fixture between Sligo’s senior hurlers and their Tyrone counterparts. The draw was conducted by Sligo GAA vice-chairperson Noel Gallagher. The winner of the top prize, €500, was Ollie Lee. The five winners of €100 each were as follows: Mary Kilgannon, Michael Jacob, Pat McGrath, Shamrock Gaels GAA Club, Siobhan O’Connor. Funds generated from Club Sligo goes towards the long-term development of GAA in the county through investment in coaching and facilities.
AIL bragging rights for Niall over Conan
Two Sligo natives and former Sligo Rugby Club players, Niall Kenneally and Conan O’Donnell, featured in the Energia All-Ireland League Men’s Division 1A final between Terenure College and Cork Constitution at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium last Saturday. Cork Con, who won by 11 points, 33-22, featured Niall Kenneally, who was sent to the sin bin with 39 minutes gone in this bruising contest. The winners, in fact, were down to 14 players from the 19th minute onwards due to a red card for John Forde. The winners were seven points ahead at half-time, 17-10. Prop Conan O’Donnell was a replacement for Terenure and he came on in the 32nd minute.
Locals play for Connacht in interpro
Three players from Sligo Rugby Club were on the Connacht representative panel for last Saturday’s IRFU Junior Men’s Interprovincial Series round one fixture away to Ulster. Benjamin Hynes, Louis McVitty and Ciaran Cummins were on the provincial panel and Ballyhaunis RFC’s Aidan Healy, a dual status player with Sligo for their Energia All-Ireland League season, was also involved. Connacht played Ulster at the City of Derry RFC facilities – it ended 47-12 in favour of Ulster, who scored seven tries. Sligo’s Louis McVitty, who came on as a replacement centre, scored Connacht’s second try in the closing stages. Last Saturday’s other first round game saw holders Leinster draw 20-20 with Munster at the home of Kilkenny RFC in Foulkstown. Connacht face Leinster this Saturday at Creggs. They are in Rathcooney, Co. Cork, for a third round game against Munster on Saturday week, May 11.
Molloy scores in Athlone’s win over DLR
Gurteen’s Roisin Molloy was on target for Athlone Town in their 3-0 home defeat of DLR Waves in an SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Division fixture that took place last Saturday. Molloy scored the hosts’ first goal at Athlone Town Stadium. This was a third win in five games for Athlone, who are second in the table behind Rovers’ Connacht rivals Galway United. Molloy’s teammate Casey Howe, formerly of Sligo Rovers, is among the nominees for April’s League of Ireland Goal of the Month competition. The other goals nominated are those by Fabrice Hartmann (Sligo Rovers), Tony McNamee (Finn Harps), Derry City’s Will Patching, who has two goals shortlisted, Graham Burke (Shamrock Rovers), Carl Mujaguzi (Athlone Town) and Scott High (Dundalk FC). The April GOTM winner will be announced today, Thursday.