Busy weekend ahead for Community Games in Mayo

Community Games are back in full swing this year with all events taking place at local, county, provincial and national level.

The first of the national finals will take place in Castlebar and Westport this weekend.

It will be a great honour in particular for Mayo Community Games who will host the National Community Games swimming finals at the magnificent Lough Lannagh leisure complex in Castlebar tomorrow (Saturday)

And that's not all as on Sunday Westport Golf Club will host the National Community Games pitch & putt finals.

It’s also very fitting that Mayo Community Games were formed 50 years ago in 1973.

While several venues were looked at throughout the country for the swimming finals it was the Lough Lannagh Leisure Complex in Castlebar that won out on the day.

This facility is only a few years old, and is one of the best and most modern in the Country. Its features include a 25 meter eight lane competition pool.

It also has a 15 meter learner pool, sauna, steam room and all associated facilities for persons with disabilities.

The Lough Lannagh Complex also offers a gym studio, yoga suite and the opportunity to enjoy a tea or coffee and a healthy snack.

Parking facilities at the complex are excellent and an additional 30 parking spaces will be completed before the National finals along with four new charging points for electric vehicles.

The 2023 programme of events for the National swimming finals is available on the Community Games website www.communitygames.ie

Registration for the first event of the morning will start with the girls under -16 at 8:15 a.m. and all swimmers must report to the call room after their warm-ups.

Swimming is extremely strong in Mayo at present with many swimming clubs providing the opportunity for everybody to get involved.

A total of over 35 swimmers from Mayo will participate in the finals.

Claremorris will provide the majority of the Mayo competitors along with Carra, Castlebar, Turlough Towers, Burrishoole, Breaffy and Bonniconlon.

Best of luck to individual swimmers Laoise Higgins, Devyn Morley, Aoife Walsh, Jamie O Malley, Anna Walsh, Devin Kelly, Mattew Walsh, Eva Harte, Jamie Walsh, Charlotte Langan, Conor Harte, Keelin Kavanagh, Nojus Norvilas, Emma Dempsey, Conall Boyle, Caoimhe Walshe, Abbi Hurst, Darach Higgins, Aoife Burke, Shane Rothwell, Ellie Conlon, Tom Cosgrove, Keyton Morley, Moa Mortimer and Naoise Ramsey, and the relays teams at Under-13 and Under-16 level.

To reach the swimmers podium a lot of skill and strength will be required on the day but expectations are high that Mayo Community Games can salvage their share of success.

Community Games is about getting involved and enjoying the events along with meeting new friends.

On Sunday attention turns to the National Community Games pitch and putt finals at Westport Golf Club.

In 2022 Westport hosted this event with great success.

It was no wonder that the same majestic setting was chosen again.

The location has breathtaking views of Croagh Patrick along the shores of Clew Bay.

Westport Golf Club is a highly regarded championship venue with a floodlit driving range and multi hole pitching green, as well as the nine hole pitch and putt course which will host the National Community Games finals.

Westport Golf Club is scheduled to host the Cups and Shields finals in 2023 and the Amateur Irish Close Championships in 2025.

Enda Lonergan and his team have done wonderful work in organising the Mayo Community Games pitch & putt and has also liaised with the officials in National Community Games to bring this major event back to Westport Golf Club for the second year running.

Mayo golfers will feature strongly in the finals of the boys and girls under-16 competition.

In the girls competition Charlie Browne from Westport is playing great golf and won the Mayo final.

Charlie won a national medal in 2022 and will be hoping to improve her standing this year.

Mary Kate Lonergan is another great golfer from the Westport club and we can expect another great day's golf from her.

Emily Griffith from Balla is becoming a good golfer, and this could be the year when she shines at the Westport course.

In the boys competition, we have three talented golfers with a bright future ahead of them. They spend a lot of time at the game and success is not far away from them.

Patrick Griffith hails from Balla and his sister Emily is part of the girls team so it’s a very special day for the Griffith family.

There is no doubt that Patrick is fast, becoming a great golfer after winning the Mayo title in style and he never leaves the course according to local reports.

He will be joined by Jack Duffy from Westport, who is showing very well in the golfing world locally.

Ben Scully from Knockmore is a keen golfer, and will gain valuable experience from this big occasion in his golfing career.

We extend a warm welcome to all our competitors and visitors over the weekend, and wish the best of luck to everybody who is taking part in the national Community Games swimming finals in Castlebar and in the pitch and putt in Westport.