Mayo GAA Blog

Mayo GAA news, views and over a century of results

Loads about Lee

There has, understandably, been a significant amount of media coverage following Lee Keegan’s retirement announcement yesterday. It’s a testament to the esteem in which Lee is held that the prevailing narrative throughout all this coverage is one that extols the leadership qualities and never-say-die attitude that made Lee such a fans’ favourite, not just among Mayo people but for followers […]

Another crack at the Kingdom

So, we’re at the Divisional final stage in this year’s National League and at Croke Park on Sunday we’re set to face off against Kerry for the Division One title. The match is live on TG4, throw-in is 4pm and Noel Mooney of Cavan is the ref. This pre-game piece usually takes the same form, comprising a gallop through recent […]

Joe McQuillan is the ref for the final

Cavan official Joe McQuillan was today confirmed as the referee for this year’s All-Ireland final. It’s the fourth time the Kill Shamrocks clubman will officiate in a decider, having first done so for the Dublin/Kerry final in 2011. He was also in charge of two finals involving us, in 2013 and 2017, both against Dublin. Linesmen for the decider on […]

Hitting all the wrong notes

Regardless of how the 2011 League campaign had gone, Mayo’s first year under new manager James Horan was ultimately going to be judged by what kind of championship we had. A Connacht title followed by defeat with honour in Croke Park, preferably not at the quarter-final stage, was probably the height of our ambitions going into that championship season. That […]

Chris Barrett checks out

On the same day that he was named as an All-Star nominee for the fifth time, Chris Barrett today announced his retirement as an inter-county player. He’s the fifth Mayo player to do so since the start of the year and the official announcement from Mayo GAA is here. Chris Barrett was another one of the famed Class of 2006, […]

Séamie O’Shea sails away

There was more unsettling news for Mayo supporters this morning as, for the fourth day in a row, a significant player for the county over the last decade has called time on his inter-county career. Today, it’s Seamus O’Shea who has announced that his time is up. Like the other lads who have done likewise this week, Séamie’s announcement isn’t […]

Donie calls it a day

Donal Vaughan said today it was “with a heavy heart” that he was announcing his retirement from inter-county football at the age of 32. It’s a sentiment that many Mayo supporters will share, as another member of the consistently competitive team James Horan fashioned in his first tenure as Mayo manager calls time on his inter-county career. Having represented the […]

Another chip off the shoulder?

As we embark upon a fresh Championship season, the hearts of the Mayo faithful have inevitably began to refill with hope. This has undoubtedly been aided by a successful end to the Spring. It was one that saw Mayo bring to an end an unwanted string of Croke Park final losses. It also brought to my attention something which I […]

Kerry, again

Little did I think a fortnight ago, when running the rule over Kerry ahead of that upcoming Saturday night meeting with them in Tralee, that here we’d be contemplating a second March clash with them. This one in Croke Park to boot, for possession of the not insignificant matter of a National Football League title. Ahead of that game there […]

A few thoughts on Alan Freeman’s departure

Photo: Elverysblog.com When I was composing that post yesterday morning about comings and goings on the panel I’d already heard that Alan Freeman had left. The word wasn’t, however, out then but it was soon after, with the Mayo News (here) breaking the story yesterday evening and there’s further coverage on it this morning – Irish Independent, Irish Examiner, RTÉ. […]