Heroes of Connacht

IT was a weekend that will long be recalled in Sligo RFC after their dramatic 29-27 victory over Corinthians in the Connacht Senior Cup in a packed Hamilton Park on Saturday.

Sligo had last won the Cup back in 1913 so to say the wait was long was something of an understatement.

Fans old and young alike were out in force hoping the Cup was returning to Hamilton Park.

Corinthians, two divisions above Sligo, were never going to be easy opposition and that was certainly the case.

Ross Mannion’s Sligo charges were three points adrift as the clock was ticking agonisingly down and nails were bitten as Sligo tried desperately to comeback.

And come back they certainly did. With seconds remaining, Matthew Cosgrove scored an unforgettable try and Sligo emerged two point winners in what was heart-stopping stuff. Supporters thronged onto the pitch as Captain Shane Boyle was smiling from ear to ear as he lifted the Cup.

It was an unforgettable weekend for Grange swimmer Mona McSharry too.

She was named Young Sportsperson of the Year at the RTÉ Sports Awards on Saturdya night.

The 17-year-old was in the middle of competing at the European Championships in Copenhagen and set a new Irish Senior record in the 100m Breaststoke finals.

The 5 th year student was only 0.2seconds off a medal and said the whole experience was incredible.

She added: “It was unbelievable, even to walk out there and the crowd was going crazy and that whole atmosphere, that’s why I do this, because I want to be in those finals and I want to be doing as good as I can.

“I got a pb (personal best) and a new Irish Senior Record so it’s unbelievable really.”

Two fantastic performances from Sligo RFC and Mona saw the Yeats County very proud of their achievements.