Mayo Star Cora Staunton with her eighth All-Ireland award which was presented to her at the TG4/O'Neill's Ladies Football All-Star Awards in the Citywest Hotel, Saggart. Pic Brendan Moran, SportfileIT’S official – Cora Staunton is the greatest ladies Gaelic footballer of the modern era following the announcement of the 2012 TG4/O’Neill’s Ladies All-Stars in the City West Hotel, Dublin, on Saturday night.

Superstar Staunton received her eighth award for the centre-half forward position. She previously won awards in 2000, ,01, ‘02, ‘04, ‘07, ’08 and ‘09.

Arguably the best ladies Gaelic footballer that ever lived, Cora was presented with her award at the gala function and received numerous plaudits on the night.

It’s easy sometimes to dismiss the achievements of our indigenous sportspeople who are denied international notoriety by virtue of their selfless devotion to our amateur Gaelic games.

The eyes of the world do not see Staunton’s extraordinary feats - her incredible sporting talent, athletic prowess,  fearless application, courageous leadership and truly unbelievable dedication.

It is only those who understand our ancient game that can fully appreciate what it takes to become the greatest in the sport.

The University College Sailing Club who have won the Student World CupTWO Mayo sailors, David Fitzgerald and Ellen Cahill, were members of the University College Dublin sailing team which has won the Student Yachting World Cup in La Rochelle, France.

The prestigious event was contested by 14 teams from all over the globe and the Mayo sailors have shown that they can compete and win  at the very highest level.

David is son of Stephen and Joan Fitzgerald, Westport, and Ellen is daughter of James Cahill and Katherine Killalea, Castlebar.

Both are members of the Mayo Sailing Club who initially learned their sailing skills on the club’s junior courses

The UCD sailing team  beat Canada by 12 points to seal the title after the series was shortened due to gales in La Rochelle.

The side took the lead on Tuesday and extended it after being reinstated in a race from which they were previously disqualified.

OOn board the Shamrock were skipper Mary Gavin Hughes, Sean Ketterick, Joeph McMenamin, Padraic Munnelly, Killala with his winning skate. Pic John O'ConnorN Saturday morning, October 6, the Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Michael Ring, opened the 18th annual, Westport Helm Skate Festival.

The two-day boat competition, with a first prize of €2,000 for the biggest skate, is organised by Vinny Keogh, The Helm Bar, Westport, and attracts some of the top deep sea anglers from all over Ireland and the UK.

The weather forecast for the weekend was excellent, dry with some sunshine and a very light south-westerly breeze -

ideal angling conditions.

The first call of a ‘skate on’ came at 12.15 p.m. from the skipper of the Fawnglass, anchored at the lighthouse. We were close by on the Inland Fisheries Ireland RIB (rigid inflatable boat) skippered by fisheries officers Padraic O’Malley and Barry Kelly, and within minutes we were alongside and I was aboard.

S k i pp e r Jo h n Mc C a b e informed me that angler Michael Mockler, Tipperary, had hooked a skate. I watched for an hour as Michael battled with the huge skate before it was safely lifted aboard.