GRASSROOTS

BALLYMOTE

Ballymote GAA Club wishes to express deepest sympathy to the family of Tommy Lavin, former Fine Gael County Councillor of Sligo County Council died, and Honorary President of Ballymote GAA Club. Tommy was a life long member of Ballymote GAA Club. He was Chairman of Ballymote GAA committee throughout the 80s and 90s and a selector with Fr. Dan O’ Mahoney of the successful 1993 Intermediate Championship team. Tommy’s support to Ballymote GAA had no limits and for this we are very appreciated off and are now enjoying the benefits. His legacy continues with his son John, an active member of the club and many of his grandchildren have and are currently wearing the Ballymote jersey which gave him great pride. Ballymote GAA club along with Ballymote Boxing Club gave Tommy a guard of honour at his removal from Perry’s Funeral Home to The Church of Immaculate Conception, Ballymote. All activities involving the Gaelic club were cancelled during the week. Our deepest sympathy to the Lavin family and extended families. Ar Dheis De Go Raibh a Anam.

Ballymote Junior team will play their first game of the season in the Abbott Cup competition next Saturday 25th March 5pm in Corran Park. Come out and support the team as they embark on the 2017 season.

Ballymote/ Bunninadden minor team will start their Division 1 League campaign against Eastern Harps 27th March 6.30pm in Bunninadden Community Park. Well done to Sligo minors and Ballymote players Oisin Conlon and Niall Colsh as they maintained their unbeaten start to Connacht League. Good luck in their next game against Leitrim next Saturday 5pm in Connolly Park, Collooney.

Next Friday night Doddys Bar will host Table Quiz fundraising event at 9.30pm. Teams of 4, 40 euro entry. Please support.

COOLERA/ STRANDHILL

TUS Scheme Coolera - Strandhill GAA Club, Ransboro, is still looking to appoint a person for general maintenance duties under the TUS Scheme. For information regarding eligibility requirements, please contact Gerard Mullaney, Tus Programme Supervisor, Sligo Leader at mullaneygerard@ eircom. net or alternatively, by mobile at 086/ 8221995.

There was no winner, of the club lotto draw which took place on Monday March 13th. The numbers drawn were 2, 22, 25, 27. Pamela Kivlehan of Bree’s Bar was one the sole match three winner. The jackpot now moves to € 14,000. The weekly lotto draw takes place at 9pm every Monday night in Coolera/ Strandhill GAA Club House, Ransboro Park. Tickets can be bought at Keane’s Supermarket, Strandhill; Margaret’s Café, Finisklin and Bree’s Bar, Strandhill. For further details, contact Joe Gildea or Rose Cawley or check the club website www. coolerastrandhill. com.

There will be a final registration morning on Saturday March 25th from 11.00- 12.30 at Ransboro Clubhouse. Only those registered by the 31st March deadline are eligible to vote at Annual General Meetings. Registration can also be completed on- line through www. myclubfinances. com/ memberships_ cart_ m. asp? LL_ ID= 1307& CLB= 1. Alternatively application forms can still be obtained from any committee member or registrar Shane Kennedy. All players, coaches, mentors and managers must be registered members of the club. Please complete your membership as quickly as possible, but no later than March 31st. Pella Two panels of under 12 boys had an early start to their Sunday last week when a total of seventeen boys participated in a Pella tournament at Sligo Tennis Club. While acquitting themselves well, they did not progress to the knock- out stages. Many thanks to Ronan, Patsy and all the parents for giving the boys this opportunity. Benson Cup Our seniors travelled to Geevagh last Saturday for their opening tie in the Benson Cup. Fielding a young team which included two debutants, Kieran Prior and Mark Connell, they worked hard in difficult conditions, but ultimately came up short on a 0- 10 to 0- 05 scoreline. Team; M. Connell, A. Murphy, D Mc Gee, E. Mitchell, A. O Boyle, G. Cawley, D Loftus, K. Kelly, C. Malony, M Mc Callion, B. O Mahoney, K. Prior, J. Hampson, K. O Neill, J. Kilrehill.

Next up is a trip to Connolly Park next Saturday ( 25th) to play Owenmore Gaels at 5.00pm. Under- Age The under fourteen season gets underway next Sunday ( 26th) with a home fixture against Calry- St. Joseph’s. Throw in is at 11.00. The under sixteen boys continue their league campaign with a home tie against Eastern Harps on April 3rd at 7.00pm. Ladies As their scheduled first round tie against Curry was cancelled due to pitch conditions, the junior ladies have to wait until Sunday ( 26th) to get their Warm- Up League campaign underway when they travel to play Shamrock Gaels with a 10.00 start.

ST MOLAISE GAELS

The Club Awards Night in the Radisson Hotel Ballincar on Saturday night last was a very successful and enjoyable event. 2 time All Star and Masterchef Finalist Armagh’s Oisin McConville was our Guest Speaker and his Question and Answer session compered by Micheal O’Domhnaill of TG4 fame proved to be the highlight of the night. Our intermediate championship winning Panel were presented with their Medals by Oisin while Alan McLauglin won the Player of the year award and Cormac Feeney was a very popular recipient of the Club Person Award and he was presented with the Monsignor Hynes Cup by Donal Kerins. Thanks to all involved in organising the event and especially Micheal O Domhnaill, Siobhan Waters and Brenda Donagher.

Underage coaching for Boys and Girls from U6 to U12 continues this Saturday March 25th. Girls U6 to U14 10.00am to 11.00am and Boys U6 to U12 11.15am to 12.15pm. Registration can be done on any Saturday morning once coaching commences.

Our next Club Lotto Draw takes place this Monday March 27th at 8.30pm. Thank you to everyone for their continued support for this important fundraiser. Jackpot is now 1,800 euros.

The competitive football season opened last weekend with our senior team entertaining Eastern Harps in the 1st round of the Kiernan Cup on St Patricks Day Saturday at Monsignor Hynes Park. An early Cathal Herron goal set the home side on the way to a 1- 13 to 1- 04 win. This Saturday at 5.00pm the team are in action again with an away fixture against Drumcliffe/ Rosses Point.

This Friday evening March 24th our U16 Boys open their Division I League campaign also with a home fixture against Coolera/ Strandhill at 6.00pm while on Monday next 27th March our Minor Boys have a home league fixture against Shamrock Gaels at 6.30pm.

Our annual “Cash for Clobber” fundraiser coincides with the return of underage coaching. If anyone has old clothes and footwear that they don’t need the Club would be delighted to take these. Goods can be left at the Club rooms on any Saturday morning.

ST FARNAN’S

THE under 14 team get their first taste of competitive action when they play Easkey in the first round of Division 3 league on Sunday next at 11 am in St. Farnan’s Park. It was a disappointing start for the intermediate team in the opening round of The Benson Cup when they were defeated by neighbours St. Pat’s on a score of 4- 10 to 0- 9 on St. Patrick’s Day. The game was played in wet and windy conditions in Templeboy. St. Pat’s made the most of the wind advantage in the first half and led 3- 6 to 0- 2 at the interval. Our scores came from James Hynes and a free by Ciaran O’Connor. Padraig Clarke from St. Pat’s was exceptional scoring the sides first goal and another from the penalty spot. St. Farnan’s had a better second half but couldn’t make inroads into St. Pat’s lead. St. Farnan’s Oisin Connolly made his debut for the Intermediate side in the half back line. The team also welcome back Andrew Mc Munn and Liam Ryan to the side. The team was K. Devaney, C. Gillen, P. Culkin, D. Taylor, C. Gordon, J. Quinn, O. Connolly, M. Lang( 0- 1), Andrew Mc Munn( 0- 2), S. Neary, T. Ryan, K. Lang( 0- 1), L. Ryan, C. O’Connor ( 0- 2f), J. Hynes( 0- 2). Subs used: S. Healy, Adrian Mc Munn ( 0- 1), K. Hannon, G. Hannon. The team play Castleconnor on Saturday at 5pm in Castleconnor in round 2 of The Benson Cup. Well done to Eamonn Kilgannon who made his debut with Sligo senior hurling team on Sunday last. Eamonn helped the team to victory over Leitrim with a personal tally of 1- 1. The next 50/ 50 draw is on Sunday, March 26th. Please support. THE club were deeply saddened to learn of the death of Johnny Frank Mahon, Skreen. Johnny was the last surviving member of the Templeboy team which won the county Junior Championship in 1943. We extend our deepest sympathy to his wife and family. We also extend our sympathy to the families, relatives and friends of the late Frances Jinks, Sligo( sister of Billy Joe Kilgannon ) and the late Peter Naughton, Castleconnor. Ar Dheis Dé go raibh siad.

ST NATHY’S

OUR senior team made their debut on Sunday in the first game of the All Club League where they defeated Drumcliffe/ Rosses Point. It was a great performance by the team and hopefully a sign of the year to come. They are due to meet Eastern Harps at home this weekend, venue tbc. Congratulations to the Senior team of 2016 who were awarded the Sligo Champion Senior Ladies Team of the Year at the awards ceremony held in the Radisson Blu Hotel. We also want to congratulate the girls of Bunninadden National School who won the Gaelic Skills competition. The 3 girls involved were Fiona Whitehead, Katelynn Walsh and Kate McCarthy. Reminder to all players and managers, registration is due to be paid by the 19th April, there will be registration nights during training sessions during the week. All are asked to have it paid as soon as possible. St Nathys launch Gaelic4Girls programme. This is a national initiative aimed at girls aged 6 to 12 years. The programme runs for 8 weeks and starts with registration and a games introduction on Saturday 25th March at 11am in Bunninadden Community Centre. Refreshments will be served for parents while the girls get an insight into what follows for the weeks ahead. Girls are asked to bring € 2 per session and will receive a Gaelic4Girls T- Shirt at the end. Pending weather the sessions will move to Bunninadden Community Park on Mondays at 7pm. Full details after the 1st training on the 25th March.

EASTERN HARPS

CONGRATULATIONS to our Ocean FM pole position quiz team of Brendan McHugh, John O’Neill and Nicholas Murray who beat St. Molaise Gaels in the quarter final and now face St. Johns in the semi- final on April 2nd. Our senior men lost the first round of the Kiernan cup to St. Molaise Gaels last Friday on a score line of 1: 13 to 1: 04. The next outing for the men is on April 8th in the first round of the league. Due to inclement weather last weekend all other club fixtures were postponed. Our U14 boys get their season up and running this Sunday where they are away to St. Johns at 11am. Our Minor boys start their league this Monday with an away tie against Ballymote/ Bunninadden in Bunninadden at 6.30pm. Please keep an eye on the fixtures page of our website and our social media outlets for updated fixture updates. Bingo continues every Friday night in Gurteen Hall at 8.30pm. The jackpot is € 2,000 in 47 calls or less. The in house lotto is € 600.

ENNISCRONE/ KILGLASS

INDOOR Astro Turf WHILE the playing area is now complete, the club needs to raise € 75000 to bring our indoor astro turf complex to completion ( heating, electrics, toilets, dressing room, kitchen, meeting room etc.). In this regard, the club will require the generosity of the community: individuals, families and businesses, both at home and abroad. As previously advertised, you can sponsor a brick at € 100, a block at € 250 or a wall at € 1500. The official launch of our fundraising efforts took place last weekend, and there will be a draw for cash prizes of € 1000 and € 500 for those who donate prior to the May Bank Holiday weekend. There will be teams in the various areas/ townlands to contact to donate, and there will also be weekly collection points held around the parish to facilitate people who wish to donate. This week on Monday ( March 20th) there will be a collection evening in Gilroy’s, Enniscrone from 8pm to 10pm. Further details of other payment methods online will be made available this week. Your support at this extraordinary time in the club’s history is greatly appreciated. INTERMEDIATE THERE was a false start to the season last Sunday when the inclement weather claimed our intermediate team’s opening fixture of 2017 against Tourlestrane in the Abbott Cup. Their first game in the competition will now be a home game against Cloonacool next Saturday at 5pm in Quigabar. Best of luck to everyone involved. MINOR THE amalgamation of Enniscrone- Kilglass/ Easkey takes place again at minor level this year. Their first outing is at home to Owenmore Gaels on Monday, March 27th. Good luck to everyone involved. U- 16 OUR U- 16 team received a walkover from Easkey last Sunday morning in Division Two. They will play Tourlestrane on April 3rd in round two. U- 14 OUR U- 14 boys host Shamrock Gaels in the opening round of the Division Two league next Sunday morning at 11am in Quigabar. Best of luck to everyone involved. COUNTY scene WELL done to Josh Ellis, Ciaran O’Dowd, Eoin Hallinan and the Sligo minor team on their second successive win in the Connacht Minor League against Roscommon last week. Josh played at full back, while Ciaran was a second half sub. They host Leitrim in round three next Saturday evening. ST Patrick’s Day parade CONGRATULATIONS to the organisers of a fantastic St Patrick’s Day parade in Enniscrone last Friday. Despite the poor weather there was a great crowd in the village. Well done to our U- 14s and organisers of our float which was awarded best volunteer float in the parade. BLOTTO THERE was no winner of last weekend’s blotto draw. The jackpot for next Saturday’s draw is € 6300. Your continued support is greatly appreciated.

CLOONACOOL

THE season kicks off next week- end for our seniors when they play Enniscrone/ Kilglass in the Abbot cup competition away on Saturday evening next. The club asks all players of all ages from the club area to commit to the team for the coming season, by making contact with chairman Bill Carty or secretary Fergus Leonard by this week- end. The following are the members of the U/ 16 panel for the season ahead. G. Gallagher, T. Grismanticus, D. Maloney, J. McDonagh, S. Kerrigan, S. Whitehead, S. Carnahan, R. Moylan, J. Flatley, E. Carty, C. Mathews, C. Gallagher, R. Henry, J. Burke, C. Guckian, L. Carty, G. Conboy, A. Perry. Well done to the Sligo minor team who had a good win over Roscommon in the Connacht minor league last week on a scoreline of 1- 8 to 0- 5. We were represented on the team by Oisin Grehan and Connal Ryan. There was a medal and certificate presentation for underage footballers and hurlers in Cloonacool Community Centre on Sunday evening last, well done to each and everyone of them. The club are now seeking sponsors, and anyone wishing to become involved in sponsorship are asked to contact any club officer in the coming days or weeks. Hard luck to the Sligo senior team versus Longford away on Sunday last in the national league.

SHAMROCK GAELS

THE Club’s annual dinner dance takes place on Easter Sunday 16th April in Castle Dargan Hotel. Tickets available shortly from committee members. The Senior Ladies got their season underway on Sunday losing narrowly to Owenmore Gaels in the warm up league. The Gaels had led by seven points going into the final quarter, however a strong finish from Owenmore Gaels saw them win on a scoreline of 2- 8 to 2- 6. The team was: Edel Lyons, Eilis O’Connor, Aoife Morrisroe, Catherine Tuohy, Chloe McTiernan, Naomh Quinn, Roisin Durey, Roisin Kearns ( 1- 0), Aoife Brennan, Erin Mullaney, Simone Kelly ( 0- 2), Rachel Boyd ( 1- 0), Mairead Tuohy ( 0- 2), Fiona Baker ( 0- 2), Aoife O’Connor. Subs used: Stacey Muldowney, Sheona Leydon, Sarah Walsh. They now play Coolera next Sunday. The lotto jackpot stands at € 2,400 with the next draw this Saturday 25th March in Sean Macs. If you are not in, you can’t win. WELL done to Sligo Minors and Gaels players Karl McKenna, James Carroll, Evan Lyons and Daniel Lyons on their win against Roscommon last Thursday and best of luck in the next round against Leitrim this weekend. The senior team take on Coolaney/ Mullinabreena next Saturday at home at 5PM in the first round of the Kiernan Cup. THE U14 team get their league campaign underway this Sunday away to Enniscrone at 11.00AM. The Minor team are away to St Molaise Gaels on Monday week 27th. The U6 Nursery program continues each Friday in the Coola Complex ( at school) from 6- 7PM . The club wish to express sympathy with the family of Mikey Carty, Ballintogher, who died at the weekend, a minute’s silence was observed before the Ladies game on Sunday in his memory DRUMCLIFFE/ ROSSES POINT OUR senior men’s footballers opened their Kiernan Cup campaign for 2017 with a 2- 11 to 0- 8 win over Calry/ St Joseph’s at Oxfield on Saturday evening. Second half goals from Kevin Davey and John Harvey were the decisive scores. We play neighbours St Molaise Gaels in our next group match this Saturday in Oxfield at 5pm. Our ladies intermediate footballers were well beaten by St Nathy’s on Sunday in their opening match of the ACL warm- up competition. This is a young DRP team, which is learning fast. Next up is a trip to Hazelwood this Sunday morning to play Calry/ St Joseph’s at 10am. The Benbulben Gaels U16 hurlers drew their opening league match of the new season with Naomh Eoin last Sunday on a final scoreline of 5- 7 to 4- 7. We’re making some long term plans for your local GAA club and we’d like you to help us shape those plans. Interested club and local community members are invited to a Club Planning Workshop on Friday evening, March 31st, in Co Sligo Golf Club, starting at 8: 30pm. We are looking for your opinions on the best way forward for the club over the next five years ( 2018 to 2022). For more info, please contact club development officer Austin O’Callaghan on 0876855621. We have three club players, Seán Power, Jude McGarry and Can Lally ( Injured) involved with the Sligo Under 21 football panel who play Roscommon in the Connacht U21 football championship semi- final this Wednesday evening in Kiltoom at 7: 30pm. Thanks to all our underage players and their parents who took part in the Sligo St Patrick’s Day parade last Friday, sporting their red and black club colours. Thanks also to everybody who supported our Family Hot Pot event in Rosses Point afterwards, Special mention to Mary Power who, once again, was organiser in chief. The proceeds from the Hot Pot raffle are going towards our nominated charity for this event - the local RNLI. Our monthly club meeting for March will take place on Monday, March 27th in Oxfield at 9pm. Save the date: The DRP Family Quiz will take place on Sunday, April 9th, in Rathcormac Hall. More details soon.

COOLANEY/ MULLINABREENA

WE will hold a Table Quiz on Saturday 25th March at 9.30pm, in the Happy Landing, Coolaney. Table of four is 40 euro. The U. 14 team play Geevagh on Sunday 26th at 11am in Cloonacool community park. The Senior team play Shamrock Gaels in round 2 of the Kiernan cup on Saturday 25th at 5pm, in Coola. The U. 12 team continue training on Tuesday evenings in Bunninadden community centre from 7 to 8pm. The U. 16 / Minor team train on Wednesday evenings in Nace O Dowd Park. Blue Kidz coaching continues every saturday morning from 10am to 11am in the Teeling Centre, Collooney. We have launched our “O ‘ Neills club shop” with plenty of merchandise that includes jerseys, socks, shorts, club tops, trousers and jackets available to our members and supporters to purchase. Please refer to our club website at www. coolaneymullinabreena. com for more details. Well done to our “Pole position” quiz team of John Marren, Padraig McGourty and Shane O Brien, who are now in the next round of the Ocean FM quiz in early April.

COLLOONEY HANDBALL

UNDERAGE coaching in Collooney on Saturdays at 11 am , all welcome. Collooney hosts the underage 40 x 20 Connaught finals on Sunday 2- 04- 2017, good luck to all taking part. Bingo next Thursday at 9 p. m , the jackpot is € 3,700 in 40 numbers , please come early. The 40 x 20 season is drawing to a close and all handballers are now thinking of the “Big Alley” , keep an eye out for upcoming competitions.