This weekend we played at home to Pearses of Galway in the Suck Valley League. We ended up splitting the two games with them, winning two and losing two.

Next weekend we are away to Athleague/Tremane in the last round of the league. Details are at the end of the piece.

Castlebar Mitchels had an easy win in this under 12 league game at home to Pearses. Spurred on in defence by some good work by Ashley Jensen and Paul Colleran Mitchels ran into an early lead and by half time they were 4-3 to 0-0 ahead. In the second half Luke Ruddy and Jamie Lydon continued to feed good ball into the inside forwards and Mitchels ran out easy winners.

Scorers were C. Mylett 2-1, L. Ruddy 1-1, S. Prendergast 1-1, A. O’Sullivan 1-1, B. O’Malley 1-0, L. King 1-0, J. Lydon 1-0, C. Walsh 0-1.

Pearses got off to a flying start in this game with an early goal. The Mitchels lads were slow to settle but points from Tony Sweeney, Fergal Durkan and Michael Clune brought them back to level. Pearses went ahead again with a point from play but Mitchels replied with points from Michael Clune and Damien McHale to lead by 0-5 to 1-1 at half time.

Pearses once again opened the second half strongly and an early goal put them back in the lead. Mitchels again responded well but this time were finding it difficult to get the scores. Infact in the final quarter Pearses still led by 2 points, but then a great finish from the Castlebar lads with goals from Tony Sweeney, Damien McHale, and Alan Gavin and a point from Michael Clune gave Mitchels an eight point win.

Pearses, top of the under 16 league, showed their class in this one. Playing some lovely flowing hurling they started strongly and built up a half time lead of 4-5 to 0-1. Mitchels to their credit never let their heads go down and in the second half they played much better. James Lowe, Marty Gallagher and David O’Malley showed up well for Mitchels while up front Andrew Butler was the main score taker.

The Mitchels minors were missing a lot of players this weekend for various reasons, and were up against the top team in the league, but still were disappointing in this game. It was actually the younger lads led by Conor Hayes who took the game to Pearses but they were let down badly by their more experienced teammates. Pearses played some lovely, skilful, flowing hurling and picked off some wonderful scores. Still one would have to ask some serious questions about the attitude of some of the Mitchels players who whinged and showed no appetite for a tough game.

Spinning the wheel in this weeks lotto draw will be Jenifer Hiney & Pauline Moran.

To the Mayo Senior hurling team who got their season off to a wonderful start with a comprehensive win over Kildare in Division 2 of the National League. Well done to Mark Deeley who is a selector on the team and Ger White who lined out at wing back.

Congratulations to Darragh, Gráinne, and Michéal Healy, Laura Hickey and Sinead O’Brien who took part and performed very well in the instrumental music section of the All-Ireland Scór na n’óg last Saturday.

If you are interested in hurling or camogie and would like to get involved in our club as a player, coach, administrator, helper, or supporter please contact somebody on the committee.

Chairperson Tony Stakelum 086 8586842

Juvenile Chairperson Gerry Lane 087 8278705

Senior Manager Ray Coy 087 2021677

P.R.O. Fr. Michael Murphy 094 9043150

Did you know that in the 18th century hurling entered what is often called its 'golden age', as for the first time there were organised games between counties and provinces. In fact many landlords organised the games between teams consisting of their tenants against their rivals from up the road and large sums of money were often at stake on the outcome of these games. This barony hurling saw two separate but similar styles evolve, a summer form of hurling which is the hurling we now have and a winter form of hurling that was more a kin to hockey. This winter style seems to have grown less and less popular in Ireland as time went by gradually being replaced by summer hurling. However the golden age wasn't to last due to a time of massive change in Ireland to follow.

The formation of the United Irishmen and the growing sense of Irish nationalism meant the landlords, who were mostly protestant, grew suspicious of large gatherings, and the uprising in 1798 and the ensuing Act of Union [1801] deepened divisions between the landlord and tenant. Barony Hurling almost totally ended in the early part of the 19th century. Then came the Great Famine [1846-1850], which had a devastating effect on the Irish people and her oldest tradition. Spreading both to the four corners of the world. Yet by 1850's there are accounts of inter-county games being played again.