The details have already been posted in the comments but, for the record, next January’s FBD fixtures have been announced and so we can all officially start looking forward to 2014. Full details of the FBD fixtures for 2014 are here.
The groupings for the FBD have been rejigged a bit for next year. Out go last January’s dancing partners Leitrim and GMIT while in come NUIG and IT Sligo as we switch from Section B to Section A. However, for FBD purposes at least, we remain paired with perennial FBD opponents Roscommon.
Our first inter-county outing of next year is scheduled to take place against NUIG on Sunday, 5th January (throw-in 2pm). This is a home fixture and matches against NUIG tend to get played in Ballinrobe to maybe this one will too. Next up is another home match, against IT Sligo, on the following Sunday (12th) and then it’s an away clash with the Rossies. Sure as eggs is eggs, that one will be in the January cauldron that is Ballinlough.
All matches in the FBD throw in at 2pm and the final (which I see Connacht GAA aren’t even bothering to style as the ‘Home Final’) is scheduled for Sunday, 26th January.
According to yesterday’s Irish Independent, Galway will have at least one new player on show in 2014 as the well-trailed news about Kildare’s James Kavanagh transferring to the Tribesmen has now finally been confirmed. He’ll be a useful addition to them, I reckon – he’s got plenty of big match experience and, to be fair to him, he’s also someone who knows where the posts are. His schoolboy background in St Jarlath’s won’t be a hindrance to him either in settling in with the Herrin Chokers. That piece, by the way, also contains some interesting info on changes that Alan Mulholland has made to his backroom team.
Sticking with the Indo, I had a laugh when I saw Dublin County Board Chairman Andy Kettle’s “hands off” warning about all that AIG largesse that’s going to be swilling into their coffers over the next few years. He’s only saying what you’d expect him to say but, as Liam O’Neill has already pointed out, this is an issue that’s going to have to be grasped at some stage and it’s better that this happens sooner rather than later.
Finally, the Mayo News is reporting that All-Ireland minor winning manager Enda Gilvarry is set to be honoured at the upcoming Club Stars bash with the ‘Personality of the Year’ award. Quite right and well deserved too.
Seems to be some confusion over the FBD league dates wJ, Mayo GAA announced them yesterday as all being played on the Saturdays with 2pm throw in times. At least not as bad as this year travelling up to Ballinrobe for a Wednesday evening throw in of 8 o’clock!
The FBD League has jumped the shark. I played once in the depts of winter in Ballinlough, twas a miserable experience. Brigids are 4/7 to bate Castlebar, was in Carrick on Sunday and the lads looked hungry. It was a good result for Castlebar over Corofin, Brigids wont know much about them.
No trip to New York for winners, so no need to call it the home final!!
Will the Mayo lads not be away on the team holiday over the weekend the first game is down for,if as I understand they will be it could be changed to a midweek game at 8 in Ballinrobe
Strange that Leitrim’s failure to travel to N Y got no mention as far as I could see in the press etc. Compared to the excitement generated by Mayo’s failure to travel last year one wonders why. It certainly cannot be said that pressure of fixtures is the cause.
Thanks WJ for the info. I am looking forward to the game in Ballinlough already. A good chance to look at new faces that might appear in the league games in Feburary/March
I think Leitrim’s excuse was that they played New York already that year and couldn’t justify the expense of going twice in the same year.
Congratulations to Enda Gilvarry. Well deserved indeed. A winner.
Ah, the glamour ties! 😉 Looking forward to getting back out there and putting 2013 to bed for once and for all.
RE the sponsorship issue, the GAA really need to step in and take some kind of action on this for the future. Great for the Dubs and all and it’s good that investment stretches across all four codes but ultimately this level of investment will only serve to widen the gap in what is already a two-tier system.
Interesting seeing them suggesting a jersey exchange system too – wonder will anything come of that?
Anyway, nothing we need to worrying ourselves with – we have our own path to forge …
Just as an aside from topic here, I would like to say RIP Alan Feeley – Claremorris GAA club. I had the pleasure of knowing Alan as a classmate in St.Colman’s and through football. He was a great person and sportsman.
Go raibh dheis de ar a anam
RIP Alan Feeley 🙁
Rip.
A very sad day for all who knew him and a lesson for us all on how quick things can change.
Do you not think Anne-Marie that our own finances should be of some concern – if we are to remain in the top tier ?
Leitrim gave early notice that they wouldn’t be traveling if Mayo did likewise then they wouldn’t have got fined and got the extra unwanted media coverage.
Of course – the point I (clumsily) made being that there’s not a thing we can do at this point in time about what other counties are doing or getting. What we need to be focusing on obviously is our own setup …
It’d be nice to get a seven-figure cash injection, wouldn’t it? But I don’t see anyone queuing up to offer 😉
To your comment below, “clumsily” is not a word I or anyone else on this Blog would ever associate with our Anne Marie and I don’t say that lightly.
As regards that cash injection, sure we might even except “Greeks Bearing Gifts” at this stage, so long as there’s no horse 🙂
Just in from a hard weeks work. Turned on the Donegal match. Feck it, November is a long month. Need something to cheer a man up.
RIP Alan
A true gent and proud to have known him. A very sad day for the town of Claremorris. My thoughts are with his family. May he rest in peace.
Good man bohola man! That’s the spirit…Roll on next year 🙂
Sure aren’t we doin grand…with the cairde and all.
Yeeah Steve, saw that on twitter the other evening. Puts things in perspective. We’re all here for only a short while really.
That was some game, I was hoping we could hold out and best them by 19 points, that would have been the record for any loss in croke park.
How are you guys feeling about 2014?
After the worst October of my life, finally getting giddy again. The players and potential players must be rearing to go, a trip to ny next may after a tough league campaign.
17 degrees C in nyc tomorrow and Sunday , the New York lads are probably training already.
Does anyone know, definitively (WJ?) how much the Elverys’ sponsorship is worth to Mayo GAA?
Has the date for the NY game next May been confirmed yet? Looking at booking flights before Christmas.
And do any of our NY based contributors know of any Mayo friendly pubs/clubs over there? From what I can gather, the ground is up somewhere in the Bronx.
Should be a good weekend over there.
Hi Dan, I emailed Mayo County Board this week, and they replied that “It is provisionally fixed for the first weekend in May, which is the 3rd/4th.” which would be in keeping with the May Bank Holiday tradition. I booked it this week 🙂
Good man Digits, thanks for the update.
Plenty of mayo friendly pubs near the pitch. Game will be played at Gaelic park in the Bronx and is right beside a subway station, the 1 or 9 train which comes from manhattan,pitch is a five minute drive from Woodlawn where there’s plenty of irish and irish pubs and restaurants.
It’s a good day out but a nonevent of a game. Lack of new young lads coming this side is a problem and the brutal winter makes training very hard.
But socially it’s a great event for the like of me or other people that would love to see mayo play in front of us. Staying in manhattan is a great experience for anyone and I imagine if you book early you might find reasonable prices.
Hup Mayo
Can i say the best of luck to my erris neighbours today kiltane today in conn. intermed. final against boyle from rossie country and hopefully the first of a connacht double for mayo in the coming weeks……….also best of luck to the tooreen hurlers in their final against the galway champs and what a win that woud be….go on lads.
Thanks for that David.
And good luck to Kiltane today, heard there’s a good crowd heading across from Erris
Was at the last one A good weekend in NY.Great craic before during and after the game, stay for the Barbecue and beers after the match.The team stayed in Wellington and Belvedere Hotels, both Midtown.If its the neighbors you want to hang with there are lots of Irish pubs round there. Or you could try Hogs and Heifers down on 13th st west for something a little different!
A gang of us were out there as well in 09, mad week! Was a scorcher of a day too, after the match we headed in to Woodlawn, 5/10 minute cab ride. Met a good few lads there, bumped into an old school mate that I hadn’t seen in over 20 years! He was working in ground zero and got us in there the next day, had to dress up as construction workers!! Got some great photos that I wouldn’t have otherwise got! Mighty session of music in “The Rambling House” in Woodlawn (Kathona Ave) great grub also, would recommend it.
have mayo the dubs at home really looking forward that match wonder will o connor be back for it
Well done to Kiltane – great 2nd half performance today and deserved Connacht club intermediate champions.
Tommy “Goals” Conroy and Mikie Sweeney running the show up front for Kiltane again today in the intermediate final against Boyle. Good to see, when Davitts went on a similar route in 2011 Colm Boyle and Mickey Conroy got a run with Mayo the following January and established themselves as senior Intercounty players over the following 2 seasons. Hopefully something similar this year.
It would be great to add two lads that can score and will fight for the opening to get their shot rather than blasting it in hope. Well done to kiltane today and lets see what the two lads can do in the spring.
It’s croker again .
thats twice the dubs have home advantage wonder will any of the minor lads come in next year bit like davy fitz and clare
Hopefully Cillian will be given plenty of recovery time-Soon enough to see him next May
Does anyone have any ideas on where is good to stay when over there?
Struggling a bit to find a hotel around that area, so maybe somewhere in Manhattan that has easy train access to the Woodlawn area.
Cheers lads
Dan
Try fitzpatricks in manhattan