The destination of the silverware in this year’s Mayo club Championships has now been sorted, with Knockmore, Mayo Gaels and Kilmeena coming out on top in the Senior, Intermediate and Junior Championships respectively.
In this episode of the Mayo News football podcast we look back on the weekend’s county finals, focusing in particular on the Intermediate and Junior title deciders. Mayo News sports editor Mike Finnerty hosts the show and he’s joined once again by Stephen Drake and Ger Flanagan.
The lads kick off by discussing Colm Boyle’s decision to retire from inter-county football before taking a quick look back at Knockmore’s win over Belmullet in the Senior final last Sunday. Then it’s onto the business of talking through Mayo Gaels’ victory over Ballyhaunis in the Intermediate final, and we hear post-match thoughts from Adam Gallagher of the Gaels.
The lads also review Kilmeena’s first county Junior title victory for 19 years after beating Cill Chomáin, and we get the views of the winning manager, John Reilly. The show concludes with the picking of three more ‘Bring Him In’ candidates and we also name our latest Player of the Week’.
This episode of the Mayo News football podcast is now online and is available to listen to on iTunes, SoundCloud, Podomatic and Spotify. You can also listen to it directly on the Mayo News website as well as here on the blog using the SoundCloud player below or the one on the panel on the right.
The Mayo News football podcast has its own Twitter presence, @MayoPodcast, so if you’re a Twitter user you should follow us there to make sure you get the latest podcast-related updates, including new episodes.
The Mayo News football podcast is produced and edited by Ger Duffy Media and is proudly sponsored by Crean Ceramic City.
I would expect that having Balla and Mayo Gaels up in Senior will be good for both teams and for the schools , especially the secondary school that is comprised pupils from both. Imo it will spur the young players to strive for higher standards on the pitch etc.
I think it’s great for both teams.
Disappointed though that a local journo would say they were gutted that their neighbours had won something . Not much class on show in a comment like that , I thought that’s what tiny white lies were invented for.
Best wishes to both teams in 2022.
Five clear reasons why Mayo will be better next year, in order 🙂
1. The return of Cillian O’Connor. I’m not going to insult ye’re intelligence by expounding further on that point.
2. The year extra development of Jack Coyne, Rory Brickendon, Enda Hession, Padraig OHora, Matthew Ruane, Jordan Flynn, Tommy Conroy, Ryan ODonoghue, Brian Walsh, Eoghan McLoughlin, Darren McHale. Will that group overall be better? You would think so.
3. We got a sharp lesson on our failings in the final. I’m not saying we will 100% fix those. But I expect us to be much less “Happy Mayo lads up giving it a go and sure the pints and fancy burgers was grand”. I expect us to box smarter next year.
4. A very likely move towards a stronger bench. You’d imagine the younger lads will be almost physically outrunning the older lads in training onto the first 15 with resultant strengthening of the bench with experience. Result is more legs for the early battle and more brains and talent to finish the game.
5. The compound interest of a settled, high performance management team. Obviously this is matched in most top counties (not all). But it’s still valid to say it’s an item that improves us.
If we can get even one new bolter to the first 21 that adds to it.
Just a observation on the post match interviews in the podcast. Managers talking about changing tactics mid game to suit what they were facing. Something we seem to badly lack at county level.
Ddandy to be fair to that local journalist he’s a starting player on that Balla team, as is his brother, so he’s just giving his honest opinion there.
Interesting points JP.
No 1: Cillian. I hope you are right, but the Achilles is a very tricky injury in terms of getting back to your best. I’ve had it – it interrupted my stellar tennis career!! Cillian is a lot younger, fitter obviously. Just hope he comes back 100%
No 2 – Jack Coyne. Just pondering why he didn’t get much game time. Games bring you on. Others should benefit – maybe, maybe Oisín too. Eoghan MacLaughlin needs to develop confidence to go for scores rather than laying off.
No. 4 – Agree 100%. Certainly if Aido and Kevin Mac are the people. Still we were saying that about Andy in 2017 and that turned out a bit better than expected!
I hope this combine throws up some talent. Paul Towey is one that needs to get game time.
The club coverage within Mayo is excellent, this year in particular has seen big drive on.
Between Willie Joe’s blog, Ah Ref, Mayo News and advertiser podcasts we are spoilt.
Mayo GAA as well have really upped their game with highlights, interviews and pictures coming from games at all levels.
So well done and thanks to all involved.
Is it time James Horan got Terry Kennedy on board with Mayo,the best coach in Mayo club football with 2 County Championships back to back.
@Sam Og, Can you imagine Terry Kennedy onboard and Colm Reape, Kieran King, Shane McHale as chief defensive foundation. So the team gets an immediate head start on hitting the ground running with such a plan.
Having the keeper sweeper, defender sweeper and defensive midfielder all from the same club.
Please everyone think on that versus three players from three different clubs?
Those three roles work in unison.
Those three particular players working in unison have won Knockmore two county titles.
Individually, they are good players, I would say mid level inter county standard.
But football has moved beyond picking the best 15 individuals. It’s about having players who combine with each other as effective units.
If Shane McHale only has 3/4s at inter county level or 1/3 a match. Who cares. It’s so important to lock in that goal preventing foundation. Let’s cut to the chase. It’s about preventing goals.
With the sweeper keeper then it offers a more freed up defensive counter attack.
I know nothing on football if there’s three other players can be put together for Mayo to work as a better unit.
Before everyone starts getting hyper excited about combines (they were called trials in my day), bolters or half the Knockmore team coming into the senior inter-county set up, you need to remember that club is club and county is county. Two completely different games played by completely different animals. Our history is littered with brilliant club footballers that couldn’t make the cut at county level, and the day is long gone that a “bolter” comes out of the blue and takes a starting jersey. Physically, if nothing else, it takes seasons to develop players so there will be no bolter.
For instance, I know of one young lad at the trials who is a fine specimen of a young lad, tall, runs for ever, great hands and power, brave too but he was 20% BELOW the weakest of the current Mayo players when it came to two specific tests. This young lad is of a more athletic and powerful build than many that were present at the trials so you can only imagine the gap between good club and senior inter-county players.
We’re on about replacing legends of the game (who would hold their own in any county) in the likes of Boyle, Higgins and Barrett and this will not be done overnight, as last years final proved. We will most likely never replace the caliber of those players and it will be an even bigger challenge to rebuild any defense unit when you have a very poor keeper behind you.
Copy and paste, same mistakes over and over again.
FDBinashui : He was on the podcast as a journo, so I would have thought a little respect for the win would have been forthcoming given what it means to an individual player and a small club.
But, you say he is also a player on the Balla team, so while I still think the comment to be unnecessary, I would concede that the fear of being put back down to the middle division, by the neighbours, may be real, but I didn’t hear anyone else say it like he did.
Best wishes to both clubs going forward, they are in many ways intertwined.
As good as the last team has been over this decade. It’s not right to say will never see players as good as them again, you would never hear this been said in Kerry they expect great players to come along every so often. I still see Mayo winning the All Ireland within the next 5 years and if that’s happens then you would have to say they will be as good as any of the players of the last decade cause they went the final step of the way.We have only really got our house in order since 2011 when James Horan and Stephen Rochford changed the way Mayo prepare for championship games against the top teams, there has always been top talent in Mayo through the decades but we probably didn’t prepare our teams well or had all the best players on the field.
J p. I agree with some ot what your saying but some of the above mentioned have an awful lot to prove and one would wonder are we not better bringing in new players and giving them the same chance some of the above have been afforded. Boland for one should get game time. On cillian I think you may a bit optimistic there. It is a tricky injury and we may not see him back to speed as soon as we would like.
It’s fine to say no bolter. Except, generally with these things no one circles back to say, “ah we had a bolter”
I’ll make a prediction.
A new player will bolt into the 21. This is a player who did not start last year, come on as a sub or be a part of the 41 man panel.
I’ll circle back by end of next season if I’m wrong.
@pebbesmeller, What were the two tests out of interest?
You’re being unfair to Ger (it’s clear that’s who you’re on about) there, Ddandy. His comments about Mayo Gaels were of the light-hearted variety and in an earlier episode he was fulsome in his praise of them. Ger brings a great perspective to the podcast as a current player and, in the respect, there was absolutely nothing wrong with what he had to say.
Sorry Willie Joe , I thought I was fairly clear which contributor I was on about. I have no issues with his general contribution however I stand by my opinion that his opening comment was not nice and was well removed from the sentiment , compliments and best wishes that I have heard all week from his playing colleagues, all of whom are relishing the prospect of meeting at some stage next year. They are not gutted that the neighbours have won a title.
I honestly don’t think the opening comment was light hearted or jocular , it was honest for sure, but sounded sour and unnecessary.
I followed this blog since it’s inception and only commented recently , it’s a great place , the podcast was embedded , so I just gave an opinion . If I listened on some other platform I prob would not have commented , but that still is my opinion , I don’t know the guy other than that , and the six or seven Balla lads I spoke to this week are as I say relishing the thoughts of a meeting or two , as are the Mayo Abbey lads I spoke to, looking forward to some great battles too.
You run a good blog, you don’t want belligerence , nor do I , forced to follow from afar next year I look forward to being spoilt with senior matches, especially a number of local derby’s and again I wish Balla and Mayo Gaels all the best, it’s important they both stay up , as they will develop in spades .
No worries, Ddandy – no issue with any of what you say there.