It’s the time of the year for awards and dinner dances and the like (with the rain and the wind in these parts today, that’s about all the day was good for – a day for the high stool, we’d have called it in the good old bad old days) so the announcement of the shortlist for the Mayo News/O’Neills Club Stars team of the year for 2010 is well-timed.

The list contains 30 nominations, from which a final 15 plus five replacements will be selected, with the final selection set to be revealed at a big do in Westport’s Knockranny Hotel on the third of December (which means the bash can double up as a Christmas party, I suppose).  As you’d expect, the new county champions Ballintubber hog the limelight where it comes to nominations, bagging ten in total, while beaten finalists Castlebar Mitchels have seven.  Beaten county semi-finalists Knockmore and Shrule/Glencorrib have both been rewarded with two nominations each, while Crossmolina, Ballinrobe, Charlestown and Breaffy have got one apiece.  In addition, there are five wild cards from the Intermediate fraternity, with champions Tourmakeady and beaten finalists Burrishoole getting two of these berths while Kiltimagh get the other one.  The full list of nominees is available here.

In other news, it appears that there might be a contest for the plum post of County Board Chairman, with current Vice-Chairman Paddy McNicholas facing competition for the position from Vincent Walsh of Swinford and Brendan Byrne from Castlebar in the race to succeed James Waldron.  The custom is that the outgoing Vice-Chairman gets a clear run when the top job becomes vacant so it’s not clear if the other two nominees will allow their names to go forward so it’s not clear yet whether or not Paddy Mac will have to fight for his seat at the top of the table.  As this report in the Mayo News shows, however, there should be a few lively contests at the annual convention in four weeks time, with multiple nominations for the posts of Vice-Chairman, Assistant Secretary, Assistant Treasurer and PRO.

Elsewhere (and as Mayo Mick mentioned in the comments a few days ago – belated thanks for that Mick), the County Board have announced details of a new season ticket scheme for 2011.  The ticket costs €200, in return for which you get access to all of our NFL matches (the away ones as well as the home ones), our opening championship game (though I’m not sure if by that they mean the Ruislip jolly or our likely clash with Galway in the semi-final) and all-you-can-eat access to club games.  As well as that, you’re guaranteed the opportunity to buy an All-Ireland ticket, should we make it that far.  I’m tempted, I must admit.

Finally, the Mayo News is reporting that Padraic Joyce is very unlikely to be available to play for Killererin in their Connacht club semi-final clash with Ballintubber this coming Sunday.  PJ is apparently on honeymoon somewhere in the southern hemisphere at the moment and so the notion of lining out in mud-splattered, freezing conditions at Tuam Stadium next weekend isn’t exactly top of his agenda at the minute.  As a result, Killererin are likely to be in the position of Hamlet without the Prince the next day and while this may be music to the ears of the Ballintubber lads, that report does say that they also have a few injury worries themselves ahead of their first ever outing in the provincial club championship.