Sports
County’s veterans strike gold in All-Ireland indoor championships
OVER 400 entrants for the All-Ireland Masters Indoors Championships held in Athlone last Sunday showed the strength of this level of athletics as numerous highly competitive events took place on the track and in the field.
There was great success for the many Galway athletes who competed. On the track, Galway City Harriers’ men took triple gold in the Masters 3000m, with wins for Matt Bidwell in the M40 section in 8.56, Martin Kearney in the M60 category and the evergreen Martin McEvilly in the M65 category. McEvilly also took silver in the 1500m O65 later in the day.
Peter O’Sullivan of Craughwell won gold in the M40 1500m in a sprint finish, clocking 4.10, while Eamon Hornibrook of GCH won silver in the 1500m M45 category. O’Sullivan also claimed a bronze in the M40 800m event in 2.03. Judith Roche of Loughrea won silver in the O60 Women’s 800m, running 3.20, and also took silver in the 1500m with a 6.44 timing.
In the sprints, Galway ladies performed well, with Margaret Higgins of Corofin winning the O60 gold 60m, Mary Barrett of Loughrea taking silver in the O55 60m, and Finula Cooke of Galway City Harriers securing bronze in the Ladies O50 60m, clocking 9.82.
In the field events, there were golds for both Mary Barrett, O55, throwing 10.44m and Margaret Higgins Corofin, O60, with 6.31m, in the shot putt. In the high jump, both Barrett and Higgins claimed two more gold in their respective categories, with Higgins jumping 1.10 a new Irish record.
Meanwhile, Mary Barrett of Loughrea competed in the British Masters championships recently in Lee Valley in London, winning gold in the shot putt, throwing 10.95m, silver in the high jump with 1.30m and equalling the Irish indoor record when winning bronze in the 60m hurdles. Mary also recently won the W55 British masters pentathlon in Lee Valley with a new Irish record.
Over 200 runners and walkers took part in the 2015 Abbey 10km held last Sunday. The race was won by Craughwell AC’s Damien Larkin, who is having a great season on the roads this year, clocking 35.21. Eddie Newman of Mullingar Harriers was just behind in second, 35.35, with Patrick Hanrahan of Ballinasloe in third.
Sinead Brody of GCH continued her good early season form, winning the ladies section easily in a time of 40 minutes flat, with Athenry’s Deirdre Quinn in second and Orla Kilraine third.
The 2015 Galway AAI 10 Mile Road Race Championships will take place in conjunction with the Craughwell AC 10 mile road race on this Sunday, March 22.
Medals will be assigned to the following categories: 1st/2nd/3rd Male/Female Senior, O40, O50, O60 and O70; 1st/2nd/3rd Male/Female teams of four finishers.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
Galway 3-18
Cork 1-10
NEW setting; new opposition; new challenge. It made no difference to the Galway minor hurlers as they chalked up a remarkable sixth consecutive double digits championship victory at Semple Stadium on Saturday.
The final scoreline in Thurles may have been a little harsh on Cork, but there was no doubting Galway’s overall superiority in setting up only a second-ever All-Ireland showdown against Clare at the same venue on Sunday week.
Having claimed an historic Leinster title the previous weekend, Galway took a while to get going against the Rebels and also endured their first period in a match in which they were heavily outscored, but still the boys in maroon roll on.
Beating a decent Cork outfit by 14 points sums up how formidable Galway are. No team has managed to lay a glove on them so far, and though Clare might ask them questions other challengers haven’t, they are going to have to find significant improvement on their semi-final win over 14-man Kilkenny to pull off a final upset.
Galway just aren’t winning their matches; they are overpowering the teams which have stood in their way. Their level of consistency is admirable for young players starting off on the inter-county journey, while the team’s temperament appears to be bombproof, no matter what is thrown at them.
Having romped through Leinster, Galway should have been a bit rattled by being only level (0-4 each) after 20 minutes and being a little fortunate not to have been behind; or when Cork stormed out of the blocks at the start of the second half by hitting 1-4 to just a solitary point in reply, but there was never any trace of panic in their ranks.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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GALWAY United need to guard against any kind of complacency when they make the short hop down the M18 this Friday to take on Treaty United at the Markets Field (7.45pm).
The game is a meeting of the two form teams in the division, and as in previous meetings between the sides, will have an additional edge given the number of former United players in the home side’s ranks, and the pair of Limerick lads playing for United.
There might have been just the eight meetings between the sides since Treaty became the latest iteration to represent Limerick in the League of Ireland in 2021, and while United have yet to lose to the men in the candy-cane strips, there has never been more than a goal in four of their eight wins.
The most recent of those was back in February, when Rob Slevin scored the only goal of the game in Eamonn Deacy Park after a tough battle against a side who made a slow start to the season, before finally finding their groove in the past month.
Having taken just three points from their first six games before finally getting a win against Longford Town, they reverted to type with just one point from their next three games, but are now on a run of four wins on the spin, scoring 12 goals and conceding just one.
Their most recent win was a 3-0 victory away to Longford Town last Saturday, and they could have won by double that against the only side to have beaten United this season. That in itself is a warning.
For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.
Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App
Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.
Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Soccer Wrap with Mike Rafferty
While the Salthill Devon men’s team might have lost their grip on the Connacht Junior Cup that they held for two seasons, the club’s women’s side have picked up the mantle and on Sunday last in Headford were crowned provincial champions with a 4-3 win over Manulla.
Following midweek wins for Maree/Oranmore and Knocknacarra, the stage is now almost set for the semi-finals of the Michael Byrne Cup with Salthill Devon meeting St Bernard’s on Sunday in an outstanding quarter-final, with the winners advancing to a semi-final against Maree/Oranmore, while Colga will face Knocknacarra in the other last four contest.
Just one league issue remains to be decided, with the Championship runners-up position up for grabs, as Dynamo Blues have to win their two remaining games in order to overtake Colemanstown United who have finished their programme.
WOMEN’S CONNACHT CUP FINAL
Salthill Devon 4
Manulla 3
Ellerose O’Flaherty scored twice as Salthill Devon were crowned provincial champions with a win over a Mayo side who were losing in the final for the second year in succession.
Backboned by a number of players who previously had League of Ireland experience with Galway WFC, Devon suffered an early set back when Jess Nolan put Manulla ahead, before O’Flaherty levelled matters with a cracking finish on 20 minutes, which was quickly followed by a long-range free-kick from Aoife Walsh.
For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.
Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App
Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.
Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
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