UPDATE TUESDAY, 21 OCTOBER (scroll down for earlier posts pre the event):
Ballinrobe GAA Club enjoyed a wonderful weekend of celebration as the club’s 2000 Mayo Intermediate Football Championship-winning team was honoured at the Sunday’s Mayo IFC Final in Hastings Insurance MacHale Park, Castlebar.
The 25th anniversary celebrations began on Saturday night, October 18, when players, management and club officers gathered for dinner in Flannery’s Bistro. It proved to be a marvellous reunion — full of laughter, stories, and friendship — as the group looked back on one of the great eras in the club’s history.
On Sunday, the focus turned to Hastings Insurance MacHale Park, where the 2000 team was introduced to the crowd at half-time in the Kilmeena versus Moy Davitts intermediate final. It was a proud and emotional moment for everyone involved.
Click here to browse 2000 & 2025 cuttings on Google Drive (set to public access)
Ballinrobe has claimed three Mayo Intermediate titles — in 1979, 2000, and 2002 — and many of the 2000 panel also featured again two years later.
Ballinrobe GAA Club has expressed sincere thanks to the Mayo County Board for honouring the team, particularly Fran Downey, the board’s Health & Wellness Officer, who was a highly efficient and thoughtful coordinator.
The late Aidan Golden, right half forward on the 2000 team, was represented in MacHale Park by his nephews Jamie and Billy Donnellan, players with Ballinrobe GAA Club.
“The value of these jubilee reunions cannot be overstated. They rekindle friendships, reconnect people with their club and county and remind us all of the joy of being involved in the GAA. Most of all, they celebrate the spirit of the players whose bond still shines through a quarter of a century later,” said Ballinrobe GAA Club chairperson, John Sweeney.
“We’ll do it all over again in 2027 when we’ll be honoured as the jubilee team for our 2002 Intermediate Championship win. We are looking forward to that reunion already.”
A huge word of thanks goes to Flannery’s Bistro for their excellent food and warm hospitality.
Click here for Facebook post with collage of photos
The full 2000 panel was as follows:
Paul Tiernan; Colm Jennings, Paul Finnerty, Donal Costello; Ruairi Keane, Fergal Costello, Harry Murphy; Sean Grimes, Fergal O’Loughlin; Aidan Golden (RIP), Tony Walkin (captain), Adrian Flannery; Keith McTigue, Maurice Horan, Micheal Keane; Sean McCaughey, Colm Killeen, Jim Staunton, Liam Butler, Declan Costello, Kieran Sheridan, Tom Sweeney, Pat Kennedy, Anthony O’Toole, Peter Walkin, Alan Flannery, Pat Malone, Vinny Cummins.
Management: Peter Ford (Manager), Martin Walsh, Billy Burke, Sean Fahy, Dick Langan (Selectors)
Club Officers 2000: Martin Murphy (Chairperson), Katherine Butler (now O’Loughlin, Secretary), Seamus Macken (Treasurer).
Pictures from the weekend celebrations, along with cuttings and other memorabilia from 2000, are available here: https://www.ballinrobegaaclub.com/2020-jubileeteam-2025/
UPDATE SUNDAY, 19 OCTOBER:
The county board have assured us that our slot will go out live on Mayo GAA TV. This is the link for the intermediate final HERE (please note, it’s behind a paywall). If you buy, you can also watch it back afterwards.
ORIGINAL POST, OCTOBER 5:
It is a huge honour for our club that the team of 2000, winners of the Mayo Intermediate Football Championship, will be introduced as the half-time jubilee team at this year’s
Mayo IFC Final on Sunday, October 19 (throw-in, 2pm).
Twenty-five years on, we recall with pride the feats of a special group of players, mentors and officers who brought the Sweeney Cup to Ballinrobe. We have won three intermediate titles (1979, 2000 and 2002) in our history and many of these players also featured in 2002.
To mark the occasion, we’ve begun collecting newspaper cuttings and memories from the 2000 campaign (see below), with more to follow in the build-up to, and following, the October 19 event. This is a fitting tribute to a team that excelled in that final win over Ballaghaderreen.
On Saturday night, October 18, the group will meet for a social gathering in Ballinrobe. Time and venue to be finalised early in the week.
2000 final starting team and panel: Paul Tiernan; Colm Jennings, Paul Finnerty, Donal Costello; Ruairi Keane, Fergal Costello, Harry Murphy; Sean Grimes, Fergal O’Loughlin; Aidan Golden (RIP), Tony Walkin (captain), Adrian Flannery; Keith McTigue, Maurice Horan, Micheal Keane.
Subs: Pat Malone, Pat Kennedy, Alan Flannery, Peter Walkin, Anthony O’Toole, Sean McCaughey, Colm Killeen, Kieran Sheridan, Liam Butler, Declan Costello, Jim Staunton, Tom Sweeney.
Management: Peter Ford (Manager), Martin Walsh, Billy Burke, Sean Fahy, Dick Langan (Selectors)
Club Officers 2000: Martin Murphy (Chairperson), Katherine Butler, now O’Loughlin (Secretary), Seamus Macken (Treasurer)
A special word for the late Aidan Golden, who will be represented on the day. We miss him dearly.
Best of luck to the team captain Tony Walkin who is taking part in the Ballinrobe RFC Quid Games in the McWilliam Park Hotel, Claremorris, on Saturday night, October 18, and will therefore miss our social gathering.
If you’d like to donate to his fundraising campaign, you can do so here. It’s a pity the clash is taking place – we only learned about our jubilee appearance in early October. We wish the rugby club the very best with their event. Likewise, they have extended good wishes to everyone involved in our jubilee reunion.