This year’s Mayo GAA annual convention took place today at the McWilliam Park Hotel in Claremorris. By the sounds of it, today’s event was a fairly low-key affair. Mayo GAA provided details via Twitter on how the various motions that were up for debate fared out. Those interested can check out the Mayo GAA Twitter account here.
The only executive spot up for grabs at today’s convention was that of Honorary Secretary, with Dermot Butler stepping down after five years in the role – his final annual report is here. Outgoing Assistant Secretary Ronan Kirrane from Davitts was elected to succeed Dermot Butler, beating off the challenge of Mary Prenty (Ballyhaunis) in the vote.
In other votes, former PRO Paul Cunnane was re-elected onto Connacht Council while former County Board Chairman Liam Moffat was elected to the provincial body for the first time. Another former Chairman, Paddy McNicholas, was re-elected to Central Council, while Brian O’Malley was elected to the post of Assistant Secretary.
The Mayo GAA accounts for the year to end-September 2022 were also presented to this afternoon’s Convention. There’s no link available for the annual accounts presented by Honorary Treasurer Valerie Murphy but this report by Mike Finnerty in the Mayo News provides the main details, including the headline figure that a surplus of €1.1m was recorded for the latest financial year.
Oisín McGovern has a round-up of the main events at today’s Convention in the Mayo News – that’s here.
I walked around MacHale Park after the senior football final and I was very surprised and disappointed to see how much damage there was to both goal areas. There was also a lot of damage in front of the stand which I presumed was cause by the crowds gathering there for the various presentation.
I see Seamus Tuohy has now mentioned this as a problem going forward…and I’m not a bit surprised.
Given the county board wasted the best weeks of the summer waiting around to start the club championship while pretty much every other county was in full swing, and then jammed in the biggest club games of the year on the new pitch in late Oct over a couple of weekends when – shock/horror, it rains a lot (who could have guessed?), is anyone really surprised the pitch is in shite?
Before someone comes in with usual reason for the late club championship start in Mayo “oh it’s to give our clubs the best chance in Connacht and not to be waiting around weeks for a game”, what do young lads do when they win county titles? Drink for a week solid usually, maybe throw in a stag party the following weekend in the case of westport this year.
Great preparation indeed for these “crucial” Connacht club championship games that appear to be the main reason why our club championship finishes later and later each year.
“You can’t have teams sitting around for 6 weeks after winning a county title waiting for the first round of Connacht club” they say.
Why not? Would Westport have done any worse against moycullen in November if they’d won the Mayo senior title on 24th or 25th September, celebrated hard for 2 weeks or so (deservedly), then got the heads back down to work for 2 or 3 weeks to prepare for the Moycullen game in early Nov properly?
I don’t like the split season for other reasons, but here in Mayo we have the worst of both worlds. We don’t get to enjoy the one major benefit of the split season – the ability to play the most important club matches in Mayo at the best time of the year when pitches are dry and it’s pleasant and enjoyable for players and supporters.
As for how the county board will respond in 2023? Fully expect them to push the county finals later next year if anything. Logic and the county board are uneasy bedfellows.
Mikey3 – the Mayo club finals were on around the same time as finals in other counties. Some were a week or 2 before us, Kerry were afterwards.
Our championships did start later than most, but the early rounds aren’t played in MacHale park so that had no effect on the pitch anyway.
Mayo were out of the Championship in June…The Mayo Club Championship in my opinion could and should have been been completed at least a month probably two months earlier..The pitch should have been reseeded in the Spring of 2021, not September 2021, seeing as with Covid restrictions only a handful of people were allowed to attend Connacht Championship games in the Summer of 2021 (and a Connacht Final in Croke Park).. and Zero need for the 36K+ capacity of McHale Park and all the indications were there for people to see the likelihood of such restrictions in plenty of time … Had both of those things been done the playing surface would be in a much better state today …On a more cheerful note… Congratulations to Mayo No1 Robbie Hennelly and his Bride Orla on their wedding last weekend.. Wishing the newlyweds all the health, happiness and success in the future!
Cian Hanley spoke well in recent interview. It would be great to see him get an injury free run to get a shot with Mayo. Pace, stamina, football skills, height. He has a lot going for him if he could get that run of games and fitness he needs.
Good interview with Rochford in Independent. Positive news on Conroy. My biggest concern about McHale Park is that it is 8m narrower than Hyde, salthill and croke park. Also distance from sideline to wall is at most 2m. I dont know what an insurance company thinks about this but it certainly is a safety issue. An accident waiting to happen
Completely missing the point there wide ball. Why can’t we play the club championship earlier in better weather?! It’s a no brainer to me. The intermediate semi final was called off because of a waterlogged pitch this year.
By the time we get to semi finals and finals, what should be the biggest games of the year in the county, it’s winter slogging and slow sluggish football on soft pitches. Supporters huddled in the stands in miserable weather conditions.
Every club player you spoke to around the place this year wanted the championship started on 12th august or so. Plenty counties played their finals earlier this year too. Even finishing the competitions by 5th Oct would be a decent improvement. Would give a decent offseason to everyone before Christmas too.
There is simply no good reason to be playing club finals in late October after a split season. None whatsoever.
Couldnt agree more Mikey
we had our nicest August weather that I came remember in 19 years aswell – yet most players were laying idle
It was a serious oversight not to start the championships earlier, most other counties wasted no time in getting up and running
We can’t use the dual county excuse either (on that note you’d barely have any clue that Tooreen are playing a seriously winnable all ireland semi this weekend)
I have no problem starting the club championship earlier and in hindsight there was a window to start it in mid august (hindsight is a wonderful thing). However any start date to the club championship must be set in stone at the beginning of the year to give certainty to both intercounty and club players, so they can arrange their personal lives, work, holidays etc in full knowledge there wont be a clash with football. We cant have a scenario where Mayo get knocked out of the championship early and the club championship gets moved forward, that is totally unfair to club players. As Mayo have a decent chance of reaching an All Ireland final most years and the date of the final is known at the start of the year, therefore the start of the club championship has to start a certain period after the All Ireland final, be it 2 or 3 weeks after.
I think it would be reasonable to dave a date that the club chamionship CANNOT start before, thus giving more flexability to everybody eg one monthh before the All-Ireland .
Does anyone know if the Tooreen match is being streamed anywhere on Saturday?
The mayo championship started about 6 or 7 weeks after the AI final this year
Galway -a fully dual county – despite making the final in football and semis in hurling, had 3 rounds of football complete by the time mayo started
Have a look back at posts around mid August here and there were lots of complaints – including myself – as to why there was such a delay.. definitely not just down to hindsight.. and basically every other county got going by august
It wouldn’t surprise me if it was to facilitate county lads heading away as there’s such an obsession with intercounty football in this county – I know other counties got going regardless, and proper order
Leantimes how could club championship start 2 months earlier when club league games are fixed well in advance for July and early August, the championship should of started maybe 2 or 3 weeks earlier though middle of August is ideal.
Whats are we thinking will be Kevin McStays championship starting 15 for Roscommon in April?
1.Robbie Hennelly
2.Donnacha McHugh/Brendan Harrison
3.David McBrien
4.Padraig O’Hora
5.Paddy Durcan
6.Lee Keegan
7.Eoghan McLaughlin/Sam Callinan
8.Matty Ruane
9.Jack Carney/Aidan O’Shea
10.Enda Hession/Oisin McLaughlin/Aidan Orme
11.Diarmuid O’Connor
12.Jordan Flynn/Paul Towey
13.Ryan O’Donoghue
14.Cillian O’Connor
15.Tommy Conroy
Not a bad if they are all available and injury free for next year. Time to put out best team every game with the shorter season. Also time to stop trying to make a player something he is not. Example Lee Keegan still one of the best half backs in the country, leave him there and stop playing him in the full back line, find a man for the fullback line and leave a player in his best position.