GRASSROOTS

play St. Michael’s on Wednesday evening at 7pm, in Cloonacool community park. The Senior team defeated St. Molaise Gaels in the league on Sunday, the final score was 4- 12 to 2- 10. They now play Drumcliffe / Rossespoint in round 5 of the league on Saturday evening at 7pm, in Cloonacool. The Club’s annual 8km road race will take place this year on 5th July in Coolaney. BALLYMOTE Division 3 team are enjoying a winning run, beating Eastern Harps on Easter Monday Ballymote 3- 17 Eastern Harps 3- 8. Last Saturday they beat St Mary’s in Kent Pk Ballymote 6- 13 St Mary’s 0- 13. Many players have graduated to the junior team over the last few games, Cian Brennan, Jack Hever, Jack Kyle and Adam Cunnane. Their next game is in Corran Pk next Saturday against Cloonacool at 7pm. The Minor team drew with Owenmore Gaels last week Ballymote/ Bunninadden 0- 16 Owenmore Gaels 3- 7. They now play St Molaise Gaels in Grange 27th April at 7pm. The U 16s drew with Eastern Harps last week, final score Ballymote/ Bunninadden 2- 11 Eastern Harps 3- 8. Next games is 24th April against Shamrock Gaels in Corran Pk at 7pm. The U 14s lost against St Molaise Gaels last Friday. The U 12 Division 1 and U 11 Division 3 team play Eastern Harps in Keash on Tuesday 25th April at 7pm. The U 8/ 10 teams play Shamrock Gaels in Corran Pk on Wednesday 26th April at 7pm. Good luck to all teams on their competitions. A fundraising event will take place over the next two weeks, predicting the score of Sligo V New York in the preliminary round of the Connacht Championship. € 2 a line and prize is € 100 voucher for Coach House Hotel. OUR senior team had a good week in the Sligo Senior League division 3 with wins over Tourlestrane and Shamrock Gaels respectively to go top of the table. Training continues on Tuesday and Friday evenings as usual in the Community Park. The next game is away to Ballymote on Saturday evening next, all support appreciated. The monthly club meeting was held in the community park on Monday evening last. The minors are away to Shamrock Gaels in the minor league on Thursday evening next at 7pm. Congratulations are extended to senior player Niall Brennan and Aisling Boyd on the birth of their baby girl last weekend. Congrats also to Rebecca Goldrick Mullaun and Thomas Kearney Carracastle who were married in Cloonacool Church on Saturday last. The reception was held in Westport. ON Sunday our Intermediate Ladies had a home game in the league to Calry and proved the stronger team from the outset. Molly Kennedy started the scoring with 2 points followed by Nicky Brennan rattling the net, and then after another point from Anna Corcoran Nicky took another chance and scored her second goal of the first half. Our backs worked tirelessly to keep the visitors off the score sheet and another point from Kennedy and Sarah Brennan saw the sides at 2/ 6 to a scoreless Calry when John Niland the man in the middle this morning blew the half time whistle. Calry came out meaning business and pointed a free after 2 minutes followed quickly with a goal and it was game on. When Tourlestrane went down to 14 ladies as a result of a sin bin they had to up their game again but the Calry keeper showed how quick her responses are with 2 fine goal saves. But Tara Walsh after scoring a point caught a high ball and passed it quickly to a well placed Rebecca O’Hara who buried the ball in the net and the Tourlestrane ladies started to leave the visitors with a lot of work to do to catch up. More well taken points from the three Brennan sisters Cathy Nicky and Sarah and the fourth goal for the home side from Sarah Cunney. The game finished 4/ 10 to 1/ 2. Well done to our Junior A men who beat Enniscrone Kilglass last night 1/ 10 to 11 points and to our Minor lads who won well Thursday night against Geevagh. Hard luck to our Feile Hurlers this morning in Scarden where they were unlucky to be beaten as were our Feile Girls team yesterday morning in Curry. The club would like to extend Congratulations to last year’s Senior Captain James Leonard and his wife Sile Foley who got married on Inis Oirr Friday and also to past club member Ciaran Carty and his wife Tania Gillen who were married in Australia last week. CONGRATULATIONS to our U14 team who have qualified for the national finals of Féile na nGael after finishing as runners- up in the Sligo qualifying blitz held in Scarden on Sunday. In our opening match, goalkeeper Shea O’Neill and full- back Sean Clifford had to make several good interventions in the first half to keep a strong Tourlestrane side at bay. Indeed we were fortunate that the scores were tied 0- 1 apiece at the break, thanks to an equalising point by Robert O’Kelly- Lynch. In the second half, Tourlestrane quickly regained the lead before Robert O’Kelly- Lynch struck for a goal after soloing from the 65m line. A pointed free by the latter ensured victory on a 1- 2 to 0- 2 scoreline. Our second game against a skillful Belbulben Gaels, the eventual blitz winners, proved to be the proverbial backs- to- the- wall affair. Although Cormac Henehan and John Corcoran battled bravely in midfield, we found it difficult to get the ball into our forwards, in the end being held scoreless by our physically stronger opponents. Going into our third game against Castleconnor it became apparent that a win would secure the runners- up spot and claim a place in the Féile finals as the Sligo B team. Showing great determination, we established a 1- 2 to 0- 0 lead by half- time courtesy of two Robert O’Kelly- Lynch pointed frees and a goal by John Mackey. The second half proved to be a low- scoring affair as Castleconnor began to get more into the game. However Rory Kinnane, aided by half- backs John James Hargadon, Owen Cosgrove and Paddy Chambers thwarted most of Castleconnor attacks. In the end, Robert O’Kelly- Lynch settled the nerves of our spectators when he got a fine point to secure a six- point win and a first appearance at the Féile finals for Naomh Eoin since 2014. Well done to the panel of players and mentors. Our u12 hurlers got their season off to the perfect start with a 10- 5 win over Tourlestrane in Tourlestane on Tuesday. The next U12 game will be at home to Tubbercurry/ Cloonacool on Tuesday 2nd May at 7pm. OUR U16s play Easkey/ St Farnans in Round 5 of the hurling league on Monday 1st May in Kent Park at 7pm. TRAINING continues on Wednesdays in Kevinsfort for the U14s at 5.45pm and for the u16s at 5.45pm. FUNDRAISING 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.). We are currently at € 28000 and wish to thank all of those who have donated already for their fantastic generosity. All of those who donate prior to the May Bank Holiday weekend will be entered into a draw for cash prizes of € 1000 and € 500. You can also donate online at www. enniscronekilglassgaa. com under the Astro Turf PayPal link. Your support at this extraordinary time in the club’s history is greatly appreciated. A very poor and disappointing second half performance led to our intermediate team losing to Tourlestrane last Saturday, 1- 10 to 0- 11. 0- 9 to 0- 3 ahead at the break, our lads had no response for Tourlestrane’s second half comeback with wastefulness a major feature of our performance. The squad and management will seek major improvement ahead of next Sunday’s home fixture against Eastern Harps from 3pm. THE Enniscrone- Kilglass/ Easkey minors prevailed after a cracking Division One tie with St Molaise Gaels at Quigabar last Thursday. 1- 17 to 0- 7 ahead at the half time, our lads excelled after the restart to end as 3- 14 to 1- 15 winners. They travel to take on Eastern Harps this Thursday evening at 7pm. OUR U- 16 boys play Calry/ St Joseph’s in Quigabar this Monday evening at 7pm. OUR U- 14s lost out to Tourlestrane at Quigabar last Friday evening. They have a break from competitive action this week – training continues. OUR U- 12s picked up a valuable win on the road last Wednesday evening thanks to a 0- 16 to 0- 14 defeat of Eastern Harps. They will look to continue their winning run this Tuesday against St Farnan’s in Templeboy at 7pm. Players are asked to be there at 6.30pm. UNDERAGE coaching in Collooney returns this Saturday at 11am after the Easter holidays. Bingo next Thursday at 9 p. m , the jackpot is € 4,000 in 40 numbers , please come early. The 60 x 30 doubles competition is starting the big alley season, contact C. Cannon on 087 2414355 to enter and for upcoming fixtures. THE Under 6 Program will commence on May 6th. Further information on St Johns Gaa club can be found on our website www. stjohnsgaa. ie or Facebook Page @ stjohnsgaaclub or Twitter @ stjohnsgaasligo SENIOR Football THE St Johns- Burns Skoda sponsored- Division 2 League team campaign continued on Sunday when they took on the challenge of Owenmore Gaels in Connolly Park in Round 4 and came away with a comfortable victory on a scoreline of 5- 16 to 0- 5. The next fixture is on Saturday next at 7.00 in Stenson Park against Castleconnor. In the draw for the Intermediate Championship St Johns have been placed in a group of three with West division sides St Patricks and Enniscrone/ Kilglass. These games will take place in August. THE Minor team had their first fixture of the year when they played Castleconnor in St Brendans Park on Thursday last. They were narrowly beaten on a 1- 11 to 1- 9 scoreline. Their next outing is on Thursday next at 7.00 in Stenson Park against local rivals Drumcliffe- Rosses Point. UNDER 16 Football ST Johns are at home to Owenmore Gaels in a Div 3 League clash on Mon 24th at 7.00 THE U14 team having won their first two games faced near neighbours Calry- St Josephs in Stenson Park on Friday last and were on the wrong side of a 3- 4 to 3- 14 scoreline. The under 12 girls team having got off to a great start in their league with victories over St Marys and Calry- St Josephs, suffered their first defeat of the campaign when they went down to a strong St Molaise Gaels team on Friday last. On Mon 24th they are away to Coolera- Strandhill and on Friday 28th they are at home to Drumcliffe- Rosses Point with both games having a 7.00 throw- in time. THE under 12 boys teams will take on visitors St Molaise Gaels in Stenson Park this Tuesday evening at 7.00 in both Divisions 1 and 3. We wish them well. The St Johns under 8s and 10s take on their counterparts from Castleconnor on Wed 26th in Stenson Park at 7.00 in the Go Games. DRUMCLIFFE/ ROSSES POINT BIG congratulations to the Benbulben Gaels U14 hurlers who, for the fourth consecutive year, have qualified for the All- Ireland Féile na nGael national finals later this year after victory in the Sligo Féile finals in Scarden on Sunday. The team enjoyed victories over Castleconnor, Naomh Eoin and Tourlestrane with the experience of a number of our players who’ve competed in previous years, standing to us. Féile na nGael 2017 takes place in Wexford from June 16- 18th. Our congrats to all the U14 players and management involved. For now, it’s back to the bread and butter of the league this Thursday evening when we host Naomh Eoin in Oxfield at 7 o’clock. Our senior men’s footballers were unable to match that success on Sunday as they suffered their second defeat in Division 1, going down narrowly at home to Shamrock Gaels by 1- 10 to 0- 11. Next up is a trip to Cloonacool on Saturday evening to play Coolaney/ Mullinabreena at 7pm. The ladies intermediate footballers continued their winning start to Division 2 with a fine 5- 12 to 2- 12 success over Shamrock Gaels in Riverstown. Amanda Healy was one of several stars of the show with a personal contribution of 4- 4. Eastern Harps are the visitors to Oxfield this Sunday morning at 10am. Scorecards for our New York v Sligo Championship Score Forecast competition are currently being distributed to club members. Correctly predict the final score ( after normal time) from Gaelic Park on May 7th to win a € 100 Davis’s Restaurant voucher. Entry costs just € 2 or a card of six guesses is € 10. Our thanks Michael Kilcoyne for his generous support in helping to make this fundraiser happen. Full competition info and rules on drp. gaa. ie. Call Michael 0876755753 or Austin 0876855621.

ST MARY’S

SATURDAY morning coaching has entered its 4th week and in excess of 150 people between boys, girls and coaches work hard in Kent Park each Saturday. The April Bord na nÓg meeting will be held this Monday and top of the Agenda will be preparations for the Clifford Cup and our U14 boys Feile team’s journey to Fermanagh where they will be hosted by Newtownbutler. June promises to be a very busy time, and plenty of help will be required. On the playing front a very important fixture is scheduled for Wednesday when our U8’ s and U10’ s visit Grange for a first outing of the season and good luck to everyone. The previous evening the two U12 teams will travel to Shamrock Gaels in their respective leagues. The U14 Division 1 side played last week and were too strong for a game Drumcliffe- Rosses Point side. While we led at half time, it took another goal early in the second period to put our mark on the match and out of reach for our hosts. The Division 3 side visited St Michaels and found the going tougher, with a strong St Michaels outfit taking the honours. The U14’ s will represent the Club and County at Feile, so training will be stepped up from this week. In the mens’ section of the club the senior side met Calry for the second time this season. Calry had taken the honours previously, but St Marys had too much power for them this time with our County players available, and took the points on a scoreline of 3- 13 to 0- 10. The senior side will visit Shamrock Gaels for their next league match on Saturday. The Junior side had a good outing but were beaten by Ballymote. Next up is a trip to Easkey.

A busy couple of weeks for the club started with the senior football team playing two very competitive games in the Div 1 League over the weekend. They played Coolaney/ Mullinabreena in Cloonacool Park in a very entertaining and exciting game with the result in doubt up to the final whistle when the opposition were ahead by the narrowest of margins on a score Calry St Josephs 0— 13 and Coolaney / Mullinabreena 1— 11. On Sun 16th Apr the team played Drumcliffe Rs/ Pt in Hazelwood in what was a very gritty and committed performance and they deservedly carved out a well deserved draw on a scoreline of 10 pts each. The senior football team played our near neighbours St Marys away in Kent Park on Sun 23rd Apr in Rd 4 of Div I League. Our players battled valiantly but could not match the teamwork, cohesion and fitness levels of our opponents and finished up the wrong side of the final score of St Marys 3— 13 to Calry St Josephs 0— 10. Team on duty:- A Devaney, B Shannon, A Cummins, T Scanlon, C Mc Govern, D Mc Connan, C Heraghty, D O Boyle, J Ballantine, C Stenson, D Cummins, M Flynn, A Flynn, B Mc Govern, G Golden and subs used: K Raymond and J Mc Goldrick. . Training continues on Tuesday at 7.00pm in Forthill. The next game in Div 1 League is at home to Eastern Harps next weekend. Details of game will be notified to players.

Club Lotto draw results:Jackpot € 5,800, numbers drawn 6,9,12,27 and no winner. Promoters prize winner Martin Horan Cartron. Next draw is on Wed 26th April and Jackpot is € 5,850.

The awards night held in the Clayton hotel last Friday night was a huge success. Well done to all the organisers and award winners .

The U14 girls had a great start to their league beating St Marys in Kent Park this evening. We were 1 point down at half time but put in a great performance in the 2nd half to win comfortably in the end. The girls then went on later in the week to defeat St Mary’s, Naomh Molaise Gaels and Drumcliffe/ Rosses Point to qualify for the County semifinals of this years Fele tournament.

Having ran St John’s so close last week the under 12 girls had a break this week but return to action with a busy weekend facing both St Mary’s and Coolera/ StrandHill and Friday night and Monday night respectively.

Friday night’s game is at home while Monday night’s fixture is away, both games throw in at 7 PM.

Once again we had a great turnout in training for our nursery programme on Saturday morning and again thank you to the senior players who came down to give their time to coach the younger boys and girls.

The children are really enjoying the Saturday morning sessions with the senior players. The children play Cloonacool at 7 PM in Hazelwood on Wednesday night

We extend our sincere sympathy to Sean Harte and to the whole extended Harte family on their tragic loss of Sean’s brother Sonny, ( Christopher) and nephew Sean. Sean captained the victorious 1987 Junior championship title winning team. Go ndeanfaidh Dia trocaire ar a anam uasail. DECLAN Loughnane is no longer the manager of Sligo hurlers after seven years in charge. Sligo hurlers and the Offaly native parted company last week.

Loughnane lined out in goals for the team at the weekend, when they took on Lancashire in the first round of the Lory Meagher.

They won on a 4- 14 to 0- 17 scoreline.

He has also previously managed the IT Sligo hurlers and Sligo’s Minor and U21s.

During his spell with the county team, Loughnane guided the side to appearances in the Lory Meagher final two years in a row.

Sligo are continuing their Lory Meagher campaign this weekend in Birmingham when they face Warwickshire, throw- in for that game is 2pm.