60 seconds with some Mayo sports stars

60 seconds with some Mayo sports stars


CONOR MORTIMER
Mayo footballer

What three words would you use to describe your sporting year in 2009?
Interesting, frustrating, different.

What was your sporting highlight in 2009?
The Connacht final win or being picked on Connacht’s ‘Team of the Decade’.

What was your biggest sporting disappointment in 2009?
Being injured most of the year.

What is your sporting New Year’s resolution?
Keep fit and word hard again this year.

Best live sports event you attended in 2009?
The All-Ireland or U2 in Croker.

What would your message be for Mayo fans in 2010?
It will be a good championship this year, especially for Mayo having been drawn with Sligo and Galway. Exciting, I think.

Who is your ‘one to watch’ in 2010?
James Gill.

Who will win Sam Maguire in 2010? (excluding Mayo)
Kerry.

Ryan Tubridy or Pat Kenny?
Pat Kenny.

X-Factor or Strictly Come Dancing?
X-Factor.

CORA STAUNTON
Mayo ladies footballer

What three words would you use to describe your sporting year in 2009?
Not very good!

What was your sporting highlight in 2009?
Winning the Connacht final with Carnacon.

What was your biggest sporting disappointment in 2009?
Losing the All-Ireland club semi-final down in Cork, especially the way we lost it.

What is your sporting New Year’s resolution?
To achieve as much as we can in the next year.

Best live sports event you attended in 2009?
Ireland-France in Croke Park.

What would your message be for ladies football fans in 2010?
Hopefully we’ll get a few new players in and underage will start to do well. We’re not that far away from winning if one or two things change.

Who is your ‘one to watch’ in 2010?
Aileen Gilroy from Killala.

Who will win Sam Maguire in 2010? (excluding Mayo)
You can’t really look past Kerry.

Ryan Tubridy or Pat Kenny?
I’d better say Ryan Tubridy since my neighbour is going out with him!

X-Factor or Strictly Come Dancing?
X Factor.

GAVIN DUFFY
Connacht Rugby

What three words would you use to describe your sporting year in 2009?
Excellent, bad and mediocre.

What was your sporting highlight in 2009?
Playing for Ireland again during the summer tour to America and Canada in June.

What was your biggest sporting disappointment in 2009?
Failing to qualify for Heineken Cup. After beating Munster and Leinster at home in the first half of the season, we just failed build on that.

What is your sporting New Year’s resolution?
To win the Amlin Challenge Cup and get Connacht into the Heineken Cup for the first time.

Best live sports event you attended in 2009?
Mayo against Galway in Salthill.  I brought Brett Wilkinson who is South African, Bernie Upton who is a Kiwi, and Adrian Flavin who is from England to their first ever Gaelic football match. They decided to cheer for Galway just to get on my nerves!

What would your message be for Connacht fans in 2010?
We definitely want to be a team that they can be proud of. If they come to the Sportsground we will hopefully give them something to shout about.

Who is your ‘one to watch’ in 2010?
There are a number of younger players like Tiernan O’Halloran, Eoin Griffin, Aaron Spring Aaron Conneely and Eoin McKeown who are on the verge of a breakthrough with Connacht. Tiernan and Eoin are both in the current squad so I’ll pick them.

Who will win Sam Maguire in 2010? (excluding Mayo)
Kerry. Again!

Ryan Tubridy or Pat Kenny?
Pat Kenny. The best of a bad lot!

X-Factor or Strictly Come Dancing?
X-Factor. Every time!

DAVID O’LOUGHLIN
Cyclist

What three words would you use to describe your sporting year in 2009?
A bit disappointing.

What was your sporting highlight in 2009?
Probably my silver medal in the Track World Cup.

What was your biggest sporting disappointment in 2009?
The World Championships in March – I got sick and wasn’t in good shape.

What is your sporting New Year’s resolution?
Just to enjoy my sport.

Best live sports event you attended in 2009?
Nothing immediately comes to mind, but the rugby internationals (even watching on TV) were pretty special.

What would your message be for cycling fans in 2010?
Get out there and enjoy it.

Who is your ‘one to watch’ in 2010?
Charles Prendergast from Louisburgh.


Who will win Sam Maguire in 2010? (excluding Mayo)
Kerry.

Ryan Tubridy or Pat Kenny?
Ryan Tubridy.

X-Factor or Strictly Come Dancing?
Strictly Come Dancing.

ERIC O’REILLY
Iorras soccer

What three words would you use to describe your sporting year in 2009?
Ever so close.

What was your sporting highlight in 2009?
It has to be the FAI Junior Cup quarter-final in Fairview (Limerick).

What was your biggest sporting disappointment in 2009?
By a long shot, our defeat by Ballymun in the Junior Cup semi-final. We were only the width of a post away from winning.

What is your sporting New Year’s resolution?
To get half the boys to give up the beer! The other half don’t drink.

Best live sports event you attended in 2009?
Munster-Leinster in the Heineken Cup semi-final in Croke Park. It was absolutely brilliant.

What would your message be for Iorras Aontaithe fans for 2010?
We’re not just going to make up the numbers. Seriously, if we could just get ourselves sorted between work and commitment, there’s no reason why we can’t be the top team in the Super League.

Who is your ‘one to watch’ in 2010?
Young Ronan Murray. He’s flying at Ipswich, and he’s not far off making the first team.

Who will win Sam Maguire in 2010? (excluding Mayo)
I’m going to go for Cork.

Ryan Tubridy or Pat Kenny?
Ryan.

X-Factor or Strictly Come Dancing?
X-Factor.

BRIAN HIGGINS
Westport dual star

What three words would you use to describe your sporting year in 2009?
Up and down.

What was your sporting highlight in 2009?
Winning the Mayo Intermediate Championship with Westport footballers.

What was your biggest sporting disappointment in 2009?
Losing the Christy Ring Cup semi-final to Down.

What is your sporting New Year’s resolution?
To get to Croke Park with the Mayo hurlers.

Best live sports event you attended in 2009?
The All-Ireland hurling final between Kilkenny and Tipperary.

What would your message be for fans in 2010?
For Westport football fans, we plan to give senior a good shot. And we’re looking at the All-Ireland in the hurling.

Who is your ‘one to watch’ in 2010?
Lee Keegan from Westport.

Who will win Sam Maguire in 2010? (excluding Mayo)
Kerry or Dublin.

Ryan Tubridy or Pat Kenny?
Ryan Tubridy – even though I don’t like either of them!

X-Factor or Strictly Come Dancing?
X-Factor.