STORM TRACKER: Follow 'Storm Amy' as it bears down on Ireland amid brutal forecast
Search
06 Sept 2025
Search
06 Sept 2025
Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.
Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist.
If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter .
Support our mission and join our community now.
To continue reading this article, you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles!
Alternatively, you can pay €0.50 per article, capped at €1 per day.
Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism!
They'll be talking about this one for a generation in the green and lovely land around Mayo Abbey. On Sunday evening, Mayo Gaels hosted their nearest and dearest neighbours, Balla, in the opening round of the senior championship and recorded a memorable 0-16 to 0-10 victory.
The victors were clear and deserving winners and their large and loyal band of supporters will celebrate and recall the victory for years to come.
The home side were backed by the breeze in the opening half and kicked some excellent scores as they bossed matters around the middle of the field. They were four clear at the break, 0-10 to 0-6, thanks to their admirable efficiency in front of the posts. However, Balla didn't help themselves in that period, having three frees brought forward for back-chat and John Gallagher converted each opportunity.
Balla needed a good start to the second period and got it when Conor Dunleavy raced forward to cut the gap to three, but the Gaels were in no mood to be reeled in. Keelan McNamara, Sean Keane, Ruairi Keane, James Fallon and James Jennings were among those to catch the eye as the home side fought their way to a six point lead, 0-13 to 0-7, after 40 minutes.
However, Balla didn't fade away and with Gary McHale to the fore they looked for a way back into it. Their best goal chance arrived after 46 minutes when Iarlaith Golding bustled his way through but Paul Mannion saved smartly.
The gap was down to just four points with five minutes to play and home nerves needed to be steadied. Jack Fallon did just that with a well-earned point and when Gallagher clipped over another late point the Gaels' party was about to begin.
The final whistle unleashed scenes of wild delight as the men in blue and gold celebrated a local derby victory which had already found a cherished place in the hearts of the community who dream their football dreams in Abbey Park.
A full match report and after-match reaction from winning manager Paul McGarry will be carried in Tuesday's Mayo News.
Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie
Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.
Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.
This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice of the Press Council. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at www.presscouncil.ie, Lo-call 1800 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie.
