We’ve a Bank Holiday weekend to look forward to in a few days time – the new St Brigid’s one – and we’ve got three Mayo matches to keep an eye on this weekend too.
The county’s hurlers are in action first. Having suffered relegation last year, they’re now operating in Division 3A of the National Hurling League, a level you’d think in which they should prosper. Their NHL campaign gets underway this Saturday at MacHale Park with an opening round meeting against Roscommon, a game that’s scheduled to throw in at 2pm.
Both the women and the men footballers have League matches far away from home on Sunday afternoon.
The women’s game is the earlier one. They’re off to Dungarvan to take on Waterford in the third round of their LGFA NFL Division One campaign. Michael Moyles’ team were unlucky to suffer narrow home defeats to Cork and Kerry but those two losses leave us rooted to the foot of the table along with Donegal.
By coincidence, Waterford’s opening two games were also against Cork and Kerry, except in the opposite order to which we played them. Like us, they lost out to Kerry by just a single point, that match in Piltown ending 1-9 to 1-8 in the Kingdom’s favour. At the same venue yesterday, though, the Decies played out a 2-9 apiece draw with Cork.
The men are also in action across the country on Sunday, in their case up in the Cathedral City. Their match away to Armagh throws in at the Athletic Grounds at 3.30pm and that game is being shown live on TG4.
Interestingly, the ref for Sunday is Fergal Kelly, in whose ear Padraic Joyce and his compadres were yabbering constantly at MacHale Park on Saturday night as the Longford official was endeavouring to perform his linesman duties.
I’ll have more on the Armagh game tomorrow and I may even rise to a poll on it then. I clean forgot to do a similar piece ahead of the Galway game – that’s the split season for you, I’d got out of the habit altogether. Saturday night’s raucous atmosphere at MacHale Park helped to spit out the dirty petrol, though, so it’s back to normal service for the one coming up against the Orchard County.
Do you think all the yabbering will have an influence on how he treats our lads next weekend, WJ .
I’ve no idea, Nephin! Hopefully his hearing hasn’t been too badly affected from all that roaring into his ears.
WillieJoe, our game is at 3.30pm on Sunday
Thanks, Paddyjoe – I’ve corrected the post now.
I honestly think that this Mayo team has the beating of Armagh this weekend
Somebody told me the club All Ireland is to be replayed, if true this is great news.
I think if the same team lines out against Armagh, it’s too early in their development to beat such a seasoned and settled outfit, in their home ground.
However, if the likes of Robbie, Paddy, Eoin and Tommy were somehow starting i’d give us a great chance. We are missing probably two points a game when Robbie isn’t playing .
From the players we’ve seem since FBD to now i’d go with this team.
1 – Byrne
2 – Coyne
3 – McBrien
4 – Hession
5 – Coen
6 – Loftus
7 – McLaughlin
8 – Ruane
9 – Diarmuid
10 – Flynn
11 – Tuohy
12 – Carney (just about)
13 – Carr
14 – O’Shea
15 – O’Donoghue
Anyone looking for mid week games, should be 2 cracking Connacht Colleges A semis in Bekan, with St Colmans vs Coláiste Bhaile Chláir first up tomorrow at 12:30pm and Ballinrobe CS vs Summerhill on Thursday evening at 6pm. Great to see 2 Mayo Colleges progress to this stage of the competition with St Gerard’s also very unlucky to lose out. There will be a large number of up and coming talented lads playing on both Mayo sides on view…..
There’s not an absolute hope a replay will ever be played Mayo88
Why not Ciaran
Crokes have lads gone away, a few I’m assuming are in with Dublin already, Glen definitely have lads back playing for Derry already.. word on the ground is Crokes have no desire to play a replay, not to mention the lengthy objection process that is now certain to follow. In any case I expect they’ll sooner concede the fixture than replay it
A complete mess all round, but the main players will have fully turned their thoughts towards the inter county season now and they’re dead right. Now they have the cannon fodder out of the way in game 1 Derry actually have a massive few weeks ahead in the now extremely important Div2
No mess Ciaran, just a simple solution to an injustice suffered by Glen. The replay is the best solution.
Rules are there for a reason and must be upheld in the interest of fairness for all.
I would have no problem at all with Fergal Kelly as ref. I think he was the man in the middle the day we
won against Kerry in the league final a couple of years ago? Could be wrong.
Whole club final thing is a complete mess.
I feel sorry for Glen , after losing and then find out opposition had 16 on the field for the last play .
I also feel sorry for Crokes after winning it ( after losing the final last year .And then go on the piss for a week with the lads and head look forward to holidays etc…
I can’t see a replay to be honest.
Crokes should give Glen the cup and they keep the memories!!!
Margie. Your pretty much spot on with your team. Byrne in for reape yes. Reape is not good enough under the high ball.
I agree the club All Ireland is a mess at this stage but no way are Crokes going to concede an All Ireland, that’s just daft. Will have to wait for their reply at the end of the week but they will not be giving up an All Ireland, why should they? They had 16 men on the field which is wrong but the officials should have pulled this, not allowed play to resume before the 16th man came off or they should have retaken the 45. Gaa then made matters worse by not addressing the issue and pushing the matter onto Glen, GAA could have fined Crokes (in accordance with the rules) and the matter would have been closed. I don’t think Glen had the stomach to object until the GAA backed them into a corner. Replay seems enevitable at this stage as no side will conceed now its gone this far
I’ve heard it mentioned several times that Kilmacud would rather hand the cup back, than have a replay. Will they be willing to hand the medals back too. That might be a different story.
Good selection Margie. Only tweak I would make is switch Carney and DOC.
Glen can’t accept a cup they didn’t win, they were 2 points down. Either its a replay or there will be no 2023 senior club champion.
https://www.gaa.ie/stories/watch-live-on-gaanow-university-of-galway-v-ul-electric-ireland-sigerson-cup-q-f/
John Smyth. Thanks for the heads up on those games.
Uni of Limerick have come fro 6pts behind to leading by 2 with 10mins left. Eoghan McLaughlin and Jack Coyne driving UL forward from the half back line.
Good man Achill 75. You’re ar an liathróid.
Extra time now, with Coyne and McLaughlin playing you’d imagine Swanee and Paddy be starting Sunday.
Ya JC needs a rest
McLoughlin and Coyne were excellent for UL. They geat Uni of Galway. Dempsey came on for UL a useful player, big and strong!
Conroy named in the subs but did not come on. He must not be fit enough to play! Hard to come back after that injury! Conor Dunleavy was the only representative on the UG team!
Jack Coyne looks a lovely player. Comfortable on the ball. Like his All Star club mate but not as fast obviously, he will be a mainstay in the Mayo team over the coming years. Not sure what his best position is yet but he looked very good at 6.
Eoghan Mc was electric at times, pace is crazy and he is now a huge man. Needs work on being tidier in the tackle though.
Dempsey is good in the air but not sure he is fast enough at IC level.
Good luck keeping up with Dempsey when he opens up GB 😀
That’s a big shock, looked very similar team to the team Galway won with last year
Joyce won’t exactly be crying I’d say.. lots of galway involvement
Hard to imagine Coyne and McLaughlin will be asked to play 3 games in 8 days. Probably be a couple of different faces on the field this weekend. It really is crazy playing the sigerson and league together tho I suppose these lads would be putting in a shift training if they weren’t playing.
Fair enough Gizmobobs! Then he must be close to the senior squad because he’s a very good fielder, and strong.
Would definitely wonder about the 2 lads involvement on Sunday after playing nearly 90 minutes tonight. I’d have them on the bench though.
Especially after the injuries last year to Tommy etc.
Wouldn’t have an issue with them on the bench.