GAA
29 July 1998

Maughan to get new three year term

by AIDEN HENRY

Mayo GAA manager John Maughan will be ratified for another three year term following the abstention at the eleventh hour, of Billy Fitzpatrick, his only rival for the position.

Maughan went through the obligatory interview process on Monday night.

Speaking on behalf of the County Board, Chairman P.J. McGrath said last night "John Maughan was the sole candidate and will, accordingly, be ratified as the manager of the Mayo Senior team for another term".

The stint will be a three year one, with an opt-out clause at any time. The contract is not dissimilar to the one he signed with the Board in Autumn of 1995.

Maughan's hunt for selectors will now gain momentum following his and the County Board's declaration of intentions.

The two outgoing selectors, Tommy O'Malley and Eugene Lavin, will no doubt be head of the list, but there is strong speculation that John Maughan will at least appoint one new selector.

A number of high profile candidates have already been sounded out, including former players like Kevin McStay, T.J. Kilgallon, Tomás Tierney, Sean Lowry, Frank Noone and Billy Fitzpatrick.

The Connaught Telegraph can now confirm that McStay and Kilgallon have ruled themselves unavailable, and most likely to feature among Maughan's plans is Tierney, the former Galway and Mayo inter-county senior footballer.

Melvine By J.M.

THE GALWAY double went down the tubes on Sunday and there was an eerie silence coming from the famous Galway corner in Mickey Byrnes. Dumb-struck or gob-smacked are the words that come to mind. The heavy-hitters had the big bucks on a Galway double this year, or so I'm told.. A few haven't been seen around the town of Castlebar since.

But the High Noon comes this Saturday evening in Hyde Park and if Galway lose the football, after losing the hurling to Waterford last Sunday, there is talk that some of them will migrate back across the border and start picking winkles around Galway Bay.

There was relief for the Vine too. Ray Coy, he of the Hiace Galway Sam 98, was breathing heavily down my bank account after the Mayo match, and there was double money riding on the hurling and football double. I'll still buy yourself and Mary a pint Ray, but I'd be hiding that van in the nearest bog hole one of these days.

There should be a bit of fun in Hyde Park on Saturday evening, and if Rosocmmon win, you can kiss goodbye to that Galway shawl. But, as I promised Donie Duigan, who bought a new pair of saffron and blue pyjamas for Saturday's match, I'll be saddling up that ass after the game if Galway don't win. I still think they are a safe bet. But then, those who went on the Titanic also thought they were heading for the Promised land, and we known how tragic that turned out.

CRICKET, one of those games I could follow with the same ease as a stolen car in Dublin, will return to its roots, the Mall Castlebar, on Sunday August 9th when a Mayo selection will take on a Dublin Civil Service combination.

The magnificent Mall in Castlebar was originally a cricket ground and was donated by Lord Lucan to the people of Castlebar, when he was in one of his more benevolent of moods.

That was, of course, long before he is alleged to have to terminated the life of his children's nanny, and disappear into the night mist from his flat in London, never to be seen again.

Sightings have been reported and his ghost has been seen in various locations around the globe and there is even talk that he could turn up for his eagerly awaited cricket match which is being organised by Pat Larkin in Mayo County Council.

Pat is hoping that a cricket team will be found in Mayo, and I can tell you straight away Pat, I have the man for you when it comes to cricket- the legendary Henry O'Grady. Henry is to cricket what Moses is to the Bible. Cricket experts are few and far between in this part of the country but I happen to know a few knowledgeable people who tell me it is a wonderful sport, and who am I to argue with them.

A close colleague of Henry told me recently when we spoke about Henry "you could not meet a more knowledgeable man on the sport than the genial Henry".

"He has all the posters at home. You name them-West Indies, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and especially England, he's a huge English follower and when the cricket season opens Henry puts the 'no one at home' sign up. Fanatical, absolutely fanatical".

Take Henry for instance. His world revolves around the famous sport and I'm told he holds classes on a regular basis with his colleagues at St Mary's Hospital in Castlebar and there is even some talk that Castlebar R.T.C. will put cricket on the curriculum in the very near future. It won't be the first time we've had cricket on the Mall in recent years. A match was arranged some years ago by some Pakistani and Indian doctors working at Castlebar hospital and it proved very popular.

In fact, given the large number of refugees that are pouring into this country at the moment, I have a feeling it is only a matter of time before Ireland will have a cricket team that will take on the West Indies and all the other leading names in the game. Meanwhile, Pat Larkin is hoping for a big turn out on the Mall on August 9th and if a few people are interested enough he is even hoping to start a cricket team in the town.

Meanwhile, anyone who wants to be educated about the game, Henry O'Grady's your man.

SCEOL EILE : Dan the man Callaghan does come up with the odd gem and I liked this one which I have taken from his book of' Ballyvarry folklore and legends' which is to be published shortly. Don't ask me what it has to do with sport, but then when did this column ever have anything to do with sport, but Dan does qualify as an expert on darts, having displayed his great skill and prowess at this game in none other than the Mecca of darts in Mayo- Frank Reilly's pub in the heart of Ballyvarry.

"I was given a grand present of three fine eels from a man in Park (and by the way, there is no in Park, according to the authority on all that is, was and will ever be Park, M.J.Connor- that is an insert by the Vine and not Dan). Sorry for interrupting Dan, continue

"And you know, eels make a beautiful meal, washed down with a gallon of Guinness and a half loaf of homemade brown bread, but you know the way eels can be, and they say you can cut an eel into a hundred pieces and they will all keep moving in unison and for ever.

Anyway, I was on my way home with the three eels and very much looking forward to a fine feed after a day in the bog, having already put the botte of Chardonnay 96 in the fridge the night before. I met a neighbour of mine, who said there is only one thing to eat with eels, and he recommended you put three streaky rashers with them.

Sure enough, I landed the eels in the middle of the pan, and while some people might cut the heads off them, I decided to leave the heads on them as it kind of gives them that complete look.. Well, I tell you now, eels obviously never die. There was not a stir from them when I placed the three in the pan, and a rasher astride each one as I went to have a small loosener before the main event. Now, you can call me a liar if you want, but it is the truth I tell you, for when I went back to see how the meal was coming along, hadn't the bloody eels eaten the three rashes. and, as the great Frank Kelly used to say, and that's the truth". I love it Dan.

Question of the week: we have a Johnny Ruane special this week. For those of you not too familiar with the legendary Johnny, one of the great shoemakers in his time, and indeed a skilled butcher by trade, he was a noted hurler and soccer player having donned both shirts at club and county level. Anyway, he is inclined to come up with the odd sports question and he stuck me with this one very recently. Name the player who played for his country and his province before he played for his county?

Gaelic football would be a very strong hint.

Fogra: Watch out for the Richie Hickey-Jerry King head-to-head in our quiz which we ran some weeks ago. We haven't forgotten about ye lads and our sponsor, Mick Byrne, is trying to get a suitable date in his very busy schedule. i.e. date when there is no golf nor racing on.

I on the ball

GALWAY POISED TO DELIVER- PERHAPS!

HYDE PARK ROSCOMMON will provide the setting for Saturday evening's Connacht Final re-play (live on R.T.E at 5.00) and we look forward to a good game. as one of those who was firmly convinced Galway had the Connaught title in the bag, I have had time to reassess that judgment. It was flawed, and while I still think Galway are good enough to win the title, a Roscommon win cannot be ruled out, particularly if conditions are in any way similar to Tuam. Galway need a dry sod, I think, that assertion is immutable, given the evidence of the drawn game.

While both sides will not be thinking any further than Sunday, we here in Mayo can afford the luxury of looking ahead. Well, we've had precious little else for doing since losing to Galway back in May.

The Ulster Final was probably the worst game of football we have seen this year, if not this century, and we probably got the worst performance by a referee in the championship so far.

But Brian Mullins and his band of merry Derry men are in Croke Park and awaiting the winners of Sunday's Connacht Final.

I'd have to say if Mayo were facing Derry we would be looking at the game with a lot of confidence. But we're not. And we can only hope either Rosocmmon or Galway will do the business.

I honestly don't hold out much hope for the Connaught champions making it to an All-Ireland final this year. Maybe I'll end up chewing, and probably swallowing, those words and either Roscommon or Galway will go on and even win the All-Ireland. Somehow I doubt it, but then,, many, including myself, would hardly have believed in 95 if we were told Mayo would be in two successive All-Ireland finals.. It would appear Galway are not cracked up to be the team we thought they were, and I think we all accept, while Roscommon have a lot of heart, they are a limited side, but a side with a promising future under Gay Sheerin.

Galway have problems at midfield and they are not entirely at ease in the full back line. A lot will depend on the surface on the day and a dry pitch will be essential if the Galway forwards are are going to exploit their undoubted pace. They did have seventeen wides in Tuam. I don't see them putting the same number the wrong sides of the posts on Saturday.

But Rosocmmon have a young and lean look about them. I like their midfield and I think they have strength down the crucial spine of the team, but they're just too raw at the moment to make it to the semi-final. Galway to win by four points.

Which brings us to the likely pairing in the other semi-final. So far Kerry looked the most confident and composed side and remain the team to beat. Even with Maurice Fitzgerald only vaguely interested in the game against Cork, thy were too good. A piece of magic from Fitzgerald and it was all over.

Whether it is Kildare or Meath they meet in the semi-final will be crucial. I'd be a lot more confident of Meath beating Kerry than I would of Kildare, but I don't think Kildare will be in the scenario. They can hardly call the game against Laois a test. I think Meath will emerge but I believe Kerry will be crowned All Ireland champions against Derry. But, the beauty about championship is that you can be as far out as a lighthouse, but we do wish our Connaught representative sincere best wishes and the best of luck in the semi-final.

BALLINA MUST DIG AGAIN

It would be a gross understatement to say that it is a crying shame that Ballina does not have a decent sports complex. Apart from the facility at Scoil Padraig, and that is very small, the town is lacking a proper indoor facility for such sports as soccer, basketball badminton etc.

We all know the history. We all know there is around £200,00 lying in the bank gathering, dust as ell as interest.. We all know a grant has been approved.. It seems to be Ballina are two thirds there. So what's the problem?

But as yet not as much a one brick has ben laid or a piece of sod turned on the site. It's not just a shame, it's a disgrace that as we approach the millennium as town of its size does not have such an important facility. Maybe it's easy to judge from twenty five miles away in Castlebar where there are two sport's complexes, one built by the GAA and the other by the De La Salle Committee, which was essentially former pupils of St Gerald's College who saw the need for the facility at the school and for the community at large.

Neither of those projects would have been seen through if those who spearheaded the effort saw money as an obstacle.

The late Gerry McDonald who inspired the building of an Sportlann was a firm believer in the maxim 'if there's a will, there's a way'. Ballina could do with taking a leaf from Gerry McDonald's book, although never published, 'how to raise funds'

At the end of the day if the good people of Ballina want a sports complex badly enough they will have one, but they will have to do it themselves. I'm afraid they are gong to have to dig a little deeper into their pockets, and if we are to believe the legend of the Celtic Tiger, pockets were never as full nor as deep.

WHO'S FOR TENNIS

WELL DONE to Castlebar Tennis Club. It's not so many years ago that this paper carried an appeal from the club for new members and urgently needed funds. It came very close to putting locks on the gates; that's how bad things were at the time. But what a success story it is today. They are an example to a lot of clubs around the county. In an age when team sports tend to dominate young lives, and indeed older lives, it is difficult to promote what is an individualistic sport, apart of course from the doubles, and indeed just as important, the mixed doubles.

My route home has on occasion forced me to navigate a route home which takes me by the tennis court. It is heartening to see the numbers of people who are enjoying the sport and what superb facilities the club have now provided.

They went to a lot of expense (£80,000) in resurfacing their five courts with the latest high-tech material. The club is enjoying unprecedented success and we wish them the very best of luck., especially this weekend as they host the Connaught hard court championships.

Wouldn't it be great if they were to produce a tennis star of the future. I know they have many stars in the club, and probably none more illuminating than the gregarious Ann Garavan. What a joyous, bubbly, happy go lucky lady she is.

I wouldn't dare devalue her achievements by saying isn't she wonderful to be playing tennis at her age. All I know, is that there are not many in the club who relish the thought of facing Ann on the court. She knows how to play hardball, and what a wonderful player and person she is. And well done too to Tom Murphy and former chairman, Michael Murphy, who have been very much to the fore in reshaping the club and turning it into the vibrant club that it is today. Long may it continue, and long may the young, and not so young, people of Castlebar enjoy what is an excellent sport for developing coordination, as well as proving an excellent social outlet with the fully refurbished clubhouse.. It is a credit to themselves and to the community in Castlebar that they have developed such fine facility, and during times when it was not easy to do so. Who's for tennis!

Quiz: well done to Margaret McNamara from lecarrow , Newport, who answered last week's questions and told us that Paddy Mulvihill, the former Kerry player, is indeed the new Limerick senior team manager. A sports voucher is winging it's way to you Margaret.

This week's question: In what grounds did Ireland win the 1948 Triple Crown and who scored the winning try?

Connaught Telegraph - News & Sport - July 1998