News

Mayo GAA board have just published their Fixtures Calendar for 2013. It’s available here in EXCEL FORMAT – Mayo Fixtures Calendar 2013 and PDF FORMAT – Mayo Fixtures Calendar 2013  

We host the Connacht Colleges Senior A football final between St Gerald’s College, Castlebar, and St Jarlath’s College, Tuam, tomorow (Saturday) at 1.30pm. Stewards are needed for this game – be at the pitch at 12.30pm if you can help out. Our Skills Academy goes ahead as usual tomorrow at 9.30am.

The following are the winners of our 2012 Club Awards – presented last week at our Awards Social in Flannery’s. Pictures below from Trish Forde. Senior Player of the Year – Alan Murphy Hall of Fame – Martin Flannery Club Person of the Year – Tom Carney Junior Player of the Year – Gerry Moran Young Player of the Year – James Quinn   Special Merit Award – Pat Sinnott

Breaking news: we are drawn in the same group as Ballaghaderreen, Garrymore and Aghamore in the 2013 Mayo senior football championship. First game is away to Garrymore. We are also away to Aghamore and have Ballaghaderreen in Flanagan Park. The junior team were drawn with Davitts, Lahardane and Kiltane.   Full draws Treanlaur Catering Senior Football Championship Fixtures Breaffy House Junior B Football Championship

Next Saturday evening, March 9, we welcome Four Masters GAA club, Co. Donegal, to Flanagan Park, Ballinrobe, for a senior football challenge game (6pm). Referee Padraic Costello. We are fairly certain it’s their first time to play in Flanagan Park, and we urge club members to come along for what should be an interesting challenge game. More here on Four Masters HERE. Their history section is worth a read. Apart from everything else, it’s the home club of Donegal players Karl Lacey, Paul Durcan and Barry Dunnion. Not sure if they are travelling, perhaps not with inter-county commitments. They have some well-known players from the past too. See their Wiki entry HERE. Seamus Bonner, mentioned there, passed away last year. He played club football in Dublin for many years, managed Leitrim at one stage, and was father of Kevin, who played for Dublin for a number of years. You can read about the late Seamus HERE. Another former Donegal great, and All-Ireland winner in 1992, Joyce McMullan is listed as the club’s insurance officer. Jog your memory on Joyce HERE.

Our O’Mara Cup game v Mayo Gaels (originally scheduled for Saturday at 12noon) will now take place on Friday evening at 8.15 in Flanagan Park. Referee is Jarlath O’Connor, The Neale.

From Mayo GAA board: Next Saturday evening will see the return of the Allianz Football League where Mayo will take on Dublin in Croke Park. All Cáirde Mhaigheo Season Ticket Holders must have a ticket to gain entry to Croke Park for this match. Tickets have been already printed and will be available for collection in the office of Elverys MacHale Park during the following times: Tuesday 26th February 12.30 – 6.30p.m. Wednesday 27th February 10.00 – 2.00p.m.  Anyone looking for a further information can contact the office in Elverys MacHale Park on 0949050487

Ballinrobe GAA club regrets to announce the death today of a valued member of our club, Mr Jim Kierans (83). A native of Magheracloone, Co.  Monaghan, Jim immersed himself in the life of Ballinrobe GAA club and community when he moved to the town in the early 1950s to take up a teaching position in Ballinrobe CBS. He had previously taught in Belvedere College, Dublin. He was a noted scholar and held a First Class Honours Degree in Classics (Greek and Latin) from St Patrick’s College, Maynooth. He served at various levels within the club including as chairman and, in later years, as president. Jim was a mentor to many generations of members of our club and played a particular role in helping players further themselves in education, employment and Gaelic football. He was a former Mayo Minor football selector and was a member of the backroom team when Mayo won the All-Ireland minor title in 1978. He was an accomlished actor with St Mary’s Dramatic Society, Ballinrobe, during the 1950s and 1960s. A renowned historian, he published a book  A Chronicle of Ballinrobe some years ago which was a curated collection of news articles from the old Ballinrobe Chronicle newspaper. He also republished extracts from the Census of 1901 pertaining to Ballinrobe and the half-parish of Partry. His  opinion was regularly sought by historians, authors, researchers and students and, right up until his recent illness, his mind remained as sharp as ever.  He was close to many families in the Ballinrobe area and, indeed,  it ws through one such relationship – with the Staunton family in Tooreen, Partry – that Jim developed a deep friendship with Steve Staunton, one of Ireland’s most decorated soccer players. This bond was formed when Steve was a regular visitor to the home-place of his father, Tom, in Partry, during his childhood. His remains will repose in St Joseph’s Funeral Home, Glebe Street, Ballinrobe, tomorrow evening, Saturday, between 5.30 and 7o’c. Removal will take place on Sunday morning for 11.30am Requiem Mass in St. Mary’s Church, Ballinrobe.  He will be laid to rest in his native Magheracloone on Tuesday, and not Monday as earlier anticipated. Jim will be remembered at a number of club events this week-end and our O’Mara Cup game with Shrule-Glencorrib, scheduled for 12 noon on Sunday, has been changed to 2.30pm as a mark of respect. A minute’s silence will be observed before the game. The club will give Jim a fitting send-off, in memory of a man who made a very very rich contribution to the lives of our members and to the educational, sporting, cultural and social aspects of Ballinrobe community. It could be said that Jim adopted the town of Ballinrobe – and equally the town of Ballinrobe adopted Jim. We extend our deepest sympathy to his family and wide circle of friends. Funeral arrangements are available here: http://www.rip.ie/death_notices_detail.asp?NoticeID=188022. May he rest in peace.   –            Alan Flannery, Chairman, Ballinrobe GAA Club