Boyle GAA Blog ...by Tony Conboy

Sun. 11.55pm. The Club extends its heartiest congratulations to our newest Club Lotto winner! Long serving forward and underage trainer Liam Conroy was the popular winner of €5,800 in our most recent fortnightly draw which was held in Mattimoes on Saturday night last. The draw now reverts to €1,000 for the next draw on Saturday night 5th May. Thanks to all who continue to support our Lotto and to Brogans and Natural Options Pharmacies who continue to sponsor the tickets.

Congratulations also to the Roscommon U21 panel and management on their great All Ireland Semi Final victory over Cavan on Saturday last, and especially to our excellent Boyle representatives Tadhg Lowe and Donal Smith as well as trainer David Casey. 

Our U16s’ have two outings in the Division 1 League this week; on Monday against Roscommon Gaels and on Thursday at 7.15pm in the Abbey Park against Clan na Gael.

The National Automation Limited minors will face Padraig Pearses in Woodmount on this Friday evening in their much postponed Division 1 League game.

The Club is trying to locate the whereabouts of a No 14 National Automation Limited jersey. Players are asked to check their kit bags and the finder is asked to return it to Vincent Flanagan please.

The McGovern Directional Drilling team suffered a disappointing five point defeat to Eire Og in Loughglynn on Sunday in the O'Gara Cup. This was a good competitive game with Boyle short a number of players. The half time score was Boyle 1.7 Eire Og 0.7. Eire Og came out with a strong performance in the second half and were deserving winners in the end. Eire Og 2.12 Boyle 2.8. Boyle's next outing is on Friday the 27th at 7pm when they take on Michael Glavey's in the Abbey Park and they certainly have to do better and it is imperative that they win their home games.

The Roscommon Herald U10 Football Blitz will be held in the Abbey Park on Saturday next, involving the stars of the future from clubs in the North West Roscommon region.

The Club is busily engaged in fundraising at present, with a Club meeting on this coming Monday night to review progress on the sale of tickets for our forthcoming raffle which has as its first prizes a monster trailer load of firewood.Tickets will be on sale at locations throughout the town on Saturday next.

The Club is also actively involved in the sale of the County Board annual draw tickets for a prize fund of €50,000. The Club is anzious to not only achieve the quota set by the County Board, but to exceed same, as the proceeds of all tickets sold in excess of the quota may be retained by the Club. It must be emphasised that this is the County Board's major annual fundraiser and that all expenditure incurred at this level is yielding dividends in the success that is being achieved by our underage County teams in recent years. It is hoped that this will shortly translate to senior level. So your support is support for the kind of success we saw in Longford on Sat. County Roscommon supporters can look forward with optimism to the future as there are many very good young players coming through.

All players, past and present and at county and club levels, who have had the pleasure and benefit of receiving coaching from Sean Young over the past forty years are asked to come along to the Moylurg Inn on this Friday night at circa 9pm for a special occasion to celebrate Sean's contribution in tandem with a significant  birthday. Sean continues coaching with county development panels and his enthusiasm and commitment is exemplary.

Congratulations to Strokestown on the opening, on Sunday, of their fine facilities. It is interesting and great that so many sporting facilities are clustered close together and near the secondary school. The scattered distribution and duplication of sporting facilities is an issue in towns such as ours. If one notices the St.Aidan's and Four Roads situations their National Schools are adjacent to the club grounds which must be very beneficial in the initiating of under-age games.      

Boyle Ladies Club.

The highlight of the week has been the exciting two point victory by the U16 Girls over Western Gaels in the County League Semi Final in the Abbey Park on Thursday evening last. They are scheduled to play Shannon Gaels on Sunday next in the County Final-see fixtures for confirmation. The Junior ladies lost out by two points to a stronger Shannon Gaels outfit in the League in a wet Croghan pitch on Sunday evening.

Go raibh maith agaibh,

Martin Dolan/T.C.

P.R.O. Boyle GAA Club

086 2413529