There are four matches, in four different codes, involving Mayo teams this coming weekend. All four games will be available to view live from the comfort of your own homes, with one being broadcast on TV and the other three streamed.
There’s also a team from Mayo contesting an All-Ireland final in a GAA code this coming Sunday. I’ll get to that a bit later.
Let’s take each of the weekend’s games in the order in which they’re set to be played.
First out of the traps are the county’s hurlers. They’re in NHL Division 2B action against Kildare, this Round 5 clash throwing in at 2pm in MacHale Park on Saturday. This is, in essence, a winner-take-all fixture as the victors are guaranteed promotion to Division 2A next year. (Small caveat – Kildare only need a draw, we have to win if we’re to go up).
The game is being streamed live on the Mayo GAA Facebook page. Match commentary will be provided by Mayo GAA PRO Adrian Hession, who did such a fine job on the mic for the live stream of the most recent Mayo camogie match.
Next up are the county’s resurgent camogie team whose fine displays in recent weeks have earned them a place in the Division 4 semi-finals of the Camogie Leagues. That game is against Cavan and the venue for it is Markievicz Park in Sligo where throw-in is 3pm on Saturday.
It’s also being streamed live, this time on the Mayo Camogie Facebook page.
Then at 5.15pm on Saturday evening down at the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick, the Mayo LGFA team take on Dublin in the LGFA NFL Division 1 semi-final. This game is being streamed live by TG4 on their YouTube channel and because it’s on YouTube I should be able to embed the live feed for it here on the blog as well.
Tickets were on sale yesterday evening and today for this game but I’ve just checked now and they appear to be sold out. I’ve no idea how many tickets were made available – the game isn’t on the list as an official pilot live event so I’m assuming it can have been no more than 200 – but whatever the number was it’s now too late to get one. So, YouTube it’ll have to be to follow it. Or Midwest, they’ll have live radio commentary on it too.
On Sunday, the men’s footballers are in action against Clare at Cusack Park, Ennis, in a National League Division Two semi-final tie where the prize on offer is a promotion place for Division One next year. This game, which throws in at 1.45pm, is being broadcast live by TG4 and there’s also live radio commentary on Midwest.
Finally, what about that team from Mayo contesting an All-Ireland on Sunday? Well, that would be the Breaffy women’s Rounders team who take on mighty Glynn/Barntown of Wexford in the All-Ireland Senior Rounders Championship final at Abbotstown up here in Dublin, starting at 1.45pm on Sunday.
Rounders is, of course, an official GAA sport – a good one too, one I’ve had a brief encounter with myself in an uncommitted, middle-aged kind of way – and the Breaffy women’s team have been knocking on the door at national level for the last few years so hopefully they’ll get the reward they richly deserve on Sunday. It won’t be easy, though, as their opponents are bidding for four All-Ireland titles in a row.
More on that All-Ireland decider is in this piece by Jamie Dowling in this week’s Mayo News – here. Sadly, though, there’s no option to watch a live stream of this decider.
The best of luck to all the teams from Mayo in action this weekend.