With the reindeers’ hooves almost ready to clatter onto the rooftops accompanied by a generous side portion of ho-ho-hoing, the GAA has finally released details of its master fixtures schedule for next year. You’ll find it all here.
Of most immediate interest, given that the action gets underway in just over a month’s time, will be the National League fixtures for 2022. According to the schedule, our Division One campaign next spring is as follows:
- ROUND 1: MAYO v Donegal, Markievicz Park, Sligo, Sunday 30th January at 1.45pm
- ROUND 2: Monaghan v MAYO, St Tiernach’s Park, Clones, Sunday 6th February at 2pm
- ROUND 3: Dublin v MAYO, Croke Park, Dublin, Saturday 19th February at 7.30pm
- ROUND 4: MAYO v Armagh, Dr Hyde Park, Roscommon, Sunday 27th February at 2pm
- ROUND 5: Kerry v MAYO, Austin Stack Park, Tralee, Saturday 12th March at 7.30pm
- ROUND 6: Tyrone v MAYO, Healy Park, Omagh, Saturday 19th March at 7pm
- ROUND 7: MAYO v Kildare, Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada, Carrick-on-Shannon, Sunday 27th March at 1.45pm
Nothing easy from that list but that’s Division One football for you. It’s good to be back in such company after our brief sojourn in the League’s second tier.
The Connacht Championship gets going soon after the League’s conclusion – the final of which, by the way, is pencilled in for the first weekend in April – and, in light of our being drawn to play Galway at the quarter-final stage, we’re out of the traps rapidly.
That provincial clash against the Tribesmen has been fixed for Sunday, 24th April. No venue or throw-in time has been listed for it. The winners of that game will then face either London or Leitrim in the provincial semi-final on Sunday, 8th May. The Connacht final is fixed for Sunday, 29th May.
There’s loads more detail in the master schedule documentation published today, including all the hurlers’ fixtures and the underage ties. I’ll leave it to you, though, to wade through the rest of it.
Thanks for distilling our own fixtures Willie Joe – so we don’t have to. What a service!
Jesus nothing easy there
We will do very well to stay in the top division this year. It’s a daunting run of league fixtures.
Survival in Div One almost looks like a tougher task than winning an AI.
It will be strange going to the Hyde to support the home team!! The away games will be tough but div 1 is where we need to be, let’s see if we have learned anything from our 2021 journey
Armagh, Kildare look certain for the drop to Div 2 this time and even if Mayo have a poor campaign should still finish ahead of both in the table.
Anyway hopefully at least the current 5,000 supporters are allowed to attend these matches next spring.
Armagh are a good side whose graph is pointed upwards.
We should be looking to beat Donegal and Monaghan. We really struggle to beat these two counties in the league these past few years.. Have they more prep done than us for these games? Possibly.. but you would think our guys should be well up there on fitness considering the early start to the championship this time out. Tactics such as suffocating defences and where we are playing really does for us in the league. The merry go round of where games are been played makes it a bit of a lottery for us this year! Hopefully a winning one. C’mon Mayo
It’s as tough for every other team as much as for Mayo. I finally looked back at the AI final at the weekend- it was worse than I remember. Time to move in though. And the prospect of a good match against Donegal in a few weeks time is uplifting in itself. Safe and healthy Christmas to all on the blog. And a massive thank you to WJ for your extraordinary commitment and desire to share with the rest of us over the course of 2021.
Cud the county board not at least kept one ground as a home base for the league. Attendance and season tickets wasn’t an issue for kildare in a knockout championship game. Why did agree to play kildare in most convenient location in Carrick for their benefit. Kildare were more than willing to forfeit the game if gaa didn’t cave. Tyrone were more than willing to forfeit an all ireland if kerry game wasn’t postponed. But we’ll potter along to limerick or whatever ground were told go to around connaught. Attendance be cut anyway in spring so should have being no issue with ballina. Mayo supporters fill the gaa coffers and county board screw clubs over mchale park debt. Maybe I’m in minority here but it’s another bow down to authorities.
If the league games have to be played with a restricted attendance as per the covid regulations , then our three home league games should be played in Ballina. It is absolute madness travelling outside the county if only a limited number of spectators can attend and giving up the home advantage.
@Jimbo.. it’s madness alright, who can say now what restrictions will be in place by the start of the league, never mind the end of the league?.. In my opinion, even if there were NO restrictions, there is a very big chance that, our ‘home/away’ game’s will attract less people than the capisity of Ballina, and than would be a serious embarrassment… Our Limerick backdoor championship game v Galway in 2019, attracted less people than the capisity either Mchale Park, Pearce Stadium Salthill or Hyde Park Roscommon could hold, anyone of those venue’s would have been much more sensible and more lucrative for the GAA.. But we are unlikely to hear that from the power’s that be!
If restrictions are in place when the league starts then MayoGAA can and probably will change the location to Ballina but that call can’t be made until nearer the time. Ideally the games would be played in Mayo but Ballina is not big enough, CB rightly need to plan for full attendance and secure the grounds required. It would be foolish to plan thinking restrictions will be in place only for them to be lifted and then no suitable ground available at short notice.
I wouldn’t be worried too much about restrictions and neither would I be worried about not playing at home either, the money must be on widespread infections leading to games being cancelled if the projections are correct.
Take what games you can get regardless of where they are and keep fingers crossed that Covid doesn’t impact the players or supporters of any county, but I wouldn’t bet on it.
Only certain pitches are allowed for league games now. Castlebar is the only one in Mayo now, but I was at league games In Ballyhaunis, Cros molina Charlestown and Ballina. Peculiar that when county board took over McHale Park all games are there now. Mitchels were expected to maintain pitch with 1 or 2 league games
With our opening championship game set for 24th April, will MacHale Park be able to host it by then?
I assume it’s our ‘home’ game seeing last year’s was switched to CP.
Mayo GAA announced tonight that Galway quarter final will be in McHale Park, or Hastings McHale Park as it’s now known as!
MacHale Park name will do. Must have fast tracked the resurfacing as it wasn’t to be finished until mid May.
In the past when counties gave up their home match for a neutral venue the next match would be away. Has that changed since?
Maybe with the extremely mild winter, they’re confident the pitch will be ready for end of April.
I presume it will be re sodded from the gaa farm used for Croker
Mayo v Galway FBD stream link is up. €10 to watch.. I doubt any of the 300 tickets to attend will go on general sale.
https://page.inplayer.com/connachtgaa/item.html?id=1550535
Is GAA GO doing any of FBD games.