SPORTS DESK With Dan Dooner

RDFL pair’s ‘Epic Spin’ in aid of charities

Two Roscommon & District Football League officials are set to undertake a 300-kilometre round cycle in aid of Croí and Jigsaw as well as a donation towards the provision of a defibrillator at RDFL Headquarters in Lecarrow.

League Secretary Gerry Davies and Eddie Conroy of Boyle Celtic FC will visit every club ground in the RDFL starting on Saturday, May 20th at Celtic Park, Boyle before finishing up at the Roscommon &

District League grounds, Lecarrow on Sunday, 21st. To donate online, head to www. idonate.ie/fundraiser/RDFLCycleforCroiandJigsaw.

Tully bows out in semi-final

Fiona Tully bowed out of the Ladies’ Open Championship at the semifinal stage following defeat to Galway’s Ciana Ni Churraoin recently. Tully had defeated Aisling O’Keeffe in the quarter-finals on a scoreline of 21-1, 21-15 to set up another showdown with the girl who beat her in the She’s Ace final just a few weeks ago.

Willie Mullins trains 14 of the 44 entries for the Weatherbys Champion Bumper. The Closutton battalion is led by ante-post favourite Simon Munir and Isaac Souede’s It’s For Me, with stablemate and Leopardstown scorer Fun Fun Fun also well fancied.

In the Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase, Closutton’s Billaway, last year’s winner, and David Christie’s Winged Leader, runner-up 12 months ago, head the 35 entries for the amateur riders contest.

Unfortunately, Ni Churraoin once again proved too strong, winning 2120, 21-14 to end Fiona’s 2023 AllIreland Singles series.

Meanwhile, cross the Atlantic, Siobhan Treacy (UL) and Carragh Kennedy (ATU) travelled to Tucson, Arizona to take part in their first ever colleges competition.

Both girls enjoyed their first trip overseas for a handball competition, with Carragh eventually losing in the 9-16 place semi-final and Siobhan bowing out in the quarter-finals of the Open Grade to number two seed Clodagh Munroe (21-13, 21-14).

Siobhan and teammate Clodagh Neville were also defeated in the doubles at the quarter-finals stage by Munroe and her partner Molly Chambereu.

Finally, Roscommon have two new Connacht champions in the shape of Rory Carthy and Glenn Walsh. Rory won the Minor Singles title while Glenn won the Masters ‘B’ title and now go on to compete in the All-Ireland semi-finals in Cavan this Saturday.

Hurlers held to a draw in Fermanagh

Seamus Qualter’s second term as Roscommon senior hurling manager started with a draw (1-14 to 1-14) away to Fermanagh in NHL Division 3A last Sunday.

The result still leaves Roscommon without a win in the league this year (two draws and defeat), though it does keep them a point above Mayo in the table.

A last-gasp Luca McCusker point, his tenth of the afternoon, denied the Rossies what would have been an invaluable win in their bid to avoid relegation to NHL Division 3B. Qaulter’s men now face the top two teams in this division, Monaghan and Armagh, in their remaining fixtures.

Historic win for Castlerea Celtic youngsters!

Castlerea Celtic’s U-12 side pulled off a historic win last weekend when they were 2-1 winners after extratime away to a fancied Wilton United side from Cork in the last 16 of the SFAI Subway Cup.

Celtic now march on to the quarterfinals of Ireland’s premier schoolboys competition thanks to a brilliant first-half free-kick from Ethan Neary and Alex Doyle’s winning goal in extra-time.