For a while, at least, the recession will be left aside and the public will be talking about two things - politics and sport, the heady elixir of life, which can cure all ails. First, let me make it clear, I have absolutely no political axe to grind but the GAA and Fine Gael would appear to have a lot in common.
Both are in a healthy state if we are to look at the figures from McHale Park on Sunday, while you can hardly make out Enda Kenny's head with the size of the halo that is currently hovering over him.
Whatever about Enda landing the job of Taoiseach, James Horan has a bit to travel before he is installed as a possible candidate somewhere down the road.
Sam is unlikely to be coming home to Mayo this year and the best James can hope for is to stay in division one of the national league.

Sunday's clash with Galway always brings out the best in the two teams and if James can pull off a victory in Tuam his ratings, like Enda, will be soaring.
The beauty about sport, and indeed politics for that matter, is everybody has an opinion.
Forecasting who will be elected in Mayo this weekend is akin to predicting who will contest this year's All-Ireland final. Fine Gael, like Kerry and Cork, are well fancied, but you can expect an upset somewhere along the road.
When it comes to opinions you can't beat the GAA supporter and I would suggest if you took a random selection from McHale Pak on Sunday, brought them into room and asked for their views on the penalty Kerry were awarded to win the game, you could have very diverse opinions indeed.

And no matter how independent you may think you are, it is very easy to be coloured by the slight bias for your own county.
Not sure if you saw the actual penalty or the replay on television but in my humble opinion of 30 years writing the referee got it wrong.
Kerry man ran into goalkeeper and not the other way round.

And they're off

Paddy Power has posted the prices for the Mayo hopefuls in the electoral race, which begins in earnest on Friday morning, and if we are to go on the bookies alone it will be four Fine Gael horses and one from Fianna Fáil strolling over the winning line.
If we consider the election to be the Grand National event then you have to make allowances for a few fallers, one or two refusals and, as has been known to happen, a false start.

The commentary could be something like this: 'And we have 15 going to post now for the Paddy Power Politicians Mayo Grand National and clear favourite is the Islandeady stallion, Enda Kenny, on An Taoiseach at odds of 1/150.
'It looks like they have all cleared the first, although John Carey on Green Giant may be a little red-faced having dropped his whip, while Dermot McDonnell on Blowing in the Wind has taken the wrong course.
'Up in the lead are the Sinn Féin fillies with Therese Ruane on Castlebar Sling and Rose Conway Walsh on the Belmullet Lass tanking along.
'Settled in at the back and going a steady pace while reading his copy of Yes Minister is Michael Ring on Covey Lad. John O'Mahony on Play It Again Sam is being pushed along but has the stamina to last this one, and the one that is making eye-catching progress is Michelle Mulherin on Ballina Beauty.
'Approaching Beechers for the first time and it looks like we have three fallers - Loretta Clarke on Moy View Girl, Martin Daly on Mount Assumpta and Sean Forkin on Sarsfield Lad are all gone, while Lisa Chambers on The Flying Filly has refused.

'No sign yet of the springer in the market, Michael Kilcoyne on Labouring the Point, who went to post very early but had a re-shodding problem just before the off, while Jerry Cowley on Yawl Man was sweating going to post and may well have been withdrawn.
'As they go out on heir second circuit in this four-miler the race is finally beginning to take shape and Enda Kenny has now pulled clear by a mile with Michael Ring clinging to his coattails, and out of the pack we have Dara Calleary who has given Ballina Bites Back a very patient ride and is guaranteed a place, while we have a late burst from John O'Mahony and Michelle Mulherin who look like they have finished in a dead heat. Paddy Powers will pay out on the first five.'

The prices

Enda Kenny 1/150; Michael Ring 1/50; Dara Calleary 1/7; John O'Mahony 4/11; Michelle Mulherin 4/11; Therese Ruane 2/1; Michael Kilcoyne 2/1; Jerry Cowley 2/1; Rose Conway Walsh 5/1; Lisa Chambers 12/1; Loretta Clarke 33/1; Martin Daly 33/1; Dermot McDonnell 50/1; Sean Forkan 50/1; John Carey 100/1.

David on the ball

Ballina photographer David Farrell took home a prize in the prestigious AIB Photojournalism Awards 2011. David took third place for his action GAA photo 'Kicking & Splashing', seen here, and was also highly commended in the same category for his image 'Having a Swinging Time', which captures Ballina United's Alex Reddington as he swings from the crossbar in celebration of their win over close rivals Moy Villa during the Mayo FA McHale Agri Stores Cup semi-final.

 

Quote unquote

"I want that one recorded for posterity." Castlebar business man and long suffering Leitrim supporter, Oliver Kelleher, commenting on his county, who scored 3-18 against Kilkenny in division four of the national football league, a game in which the Cats failed to register a score. Such results should not be recorded, Oliver, but banished from the record books.

 

( 5 Votes )