Sunday and the start of the championship is, of course, uppermost in everyone’s mind – my own included – but the Connacht SFC quarter-final clash between our lads and Sligo isn’t the only bit of inter-county action involving us that’s on over the next few days. Far from it, in fact.
The Juniors gets the ball rolling in this respect tomorrow evening. Fresh from last Friday’s Connacht JFC semi-final win over Sligo (match report on that one here) Seán McLoughlin’s charges are back in action at Fr O’Hara Park in Charlestown for the Connacht JFC final against Leitrim. Throw-in there tomorrow evening is 7pm.
Next up are the hurlers, who, following a disappointing Christy Ring Cup campaign, are now once again battling for their lives in the code’s second tier. They face a relegation play-off this coming Saturday evening at Páirc Seán MacDiarmada in Carrick-on-Shannon against Roscommon and they’ll have to make do for this one as well without the considerable talents of dual players Keith Higgins and Fergal Boland. Throw-in at Páirc Seán is set for 5pm on Saturday.
Then on Sunday, ahead of the senior match, the Connacht U17 championship quarter-final takes place between Mayo and Sligo at MacHale Park. This is, of course, the final year in which the minor football championship is being run as an U18 competition as it’s shifting to U17 next year, with the U21 grade changing to U20 at the same time. It was decided to run both minor and U17 championships this year, hence this match on Sunday. Throw-in for this tie is 11.45am (it’s not often one gets to mention on the blog a match that gets going before midday) and the winners play Galway in the semi-final on 11th June.
Best of luck to all the Mayo teams in action over the coming days.
Best of luck to the hurlers and juniors.
The under 17 game is an interesting one after minor, especially given what another poster said about how under 16 squads faired in Kerry. Looking at league tables top 4 in minor are:
Westport, Louisburgh, knockmore and Bellmullet.
Top 4 under 16 are Castlebar, knockmore, Westport and Bellmullet.
Given the lack of representation from top teams at minor be interesting see if U17 any different and if so will it make a difference?
The Mayo U 17s, play Sligo U 17s, on Sunday, in McHale Park preceding the Senior match , this is the grade that will take the place of the minor championship next year. 12.noon, Throw In, I’m told!
It’s an 11.45 start, Leantimes, according to @MayoGAA.
I think that Hurling relegation play off is on Saturday at five. Mayo V Sligo U 17s game is to start at 11 45 AM but with i senior game not starting until 2 i don’t see why i can’t be starting at 12.
Prob to do with RTÉ showing senior game! Teams these days be on in pitch about 1.35 or so
It is, Mayomagic – that’s what I said in the post.
They face a relegation play-off this coming Friday evening at Páirc Seán MacDiarmada in Carrick-on-Shannon and they’ll have to make do for this one as well without the considerable talents of dual players Keith Higgins and Fergal Boland. Throw-in at Páirc Seán is set for 5pm on Friday
You said Friday twice there Willie.
Who are Mayo hurlers meeting in the playoff?
Has anybody got any word on when season tickets for the Sligo game will be available for printing? So far I have had zilch, nothing.
Thanks for the clarification on the correct time of the U17 throw in,. I had been misinformed. Willie Joe,….. AndyD , got an email from tickets.ie, just the normal self scanning procedure with your season ticket. Even have a tutorial to assist us, in scanning our tickets, obviously there are some issues with tickets not scanning from time to time,.
It’s Roscommon, AndyD – apologies, missed that bit of info off the post. I’ve added it in now.
Mayomagic – I don’t see the relevance of your observation re my mentioning Friday twice, I’m afraid!
Now I see it, Mayomagic – apologies, the relegation play-off is on Saturday 5pm alright. I’ll alter the post now.
Really interested to see how the U17s perform on Sunday, expecting a win but would be nice to see a decent performance to boot. Good squad there so would be expecting this team to put together a decent run and give Mayo underage football the shot in the arm it needs.
I dunno. For the past three years our minor teams seem a mix and match.
I think the clubs our minors develop in up to age 21 is more important than the county scene.
We have a big pick and will always have four or five lads with senior potential in or off the minor panel.
What happens in their club environment when they effectively mature from boy to young man is what will most improve the player.
Look at Johnny Maughan and Conor Stenson in Castlebar. Colm Moran in Westport. They’ll all get a big boost at club level compared to anything we have as plans at county level.
The club scene in my view is healthy. New life has been injected into intermediate and club u21 in particular. Club u21 was dying a death there for a few years. All makes me hopeful about us producing future seniors.
I agree to an extent JP, think clubs more important to development of young players. But in my opinion clubs generally don’t get see there “county” minors that much as they with county/development squads. In turn the vast majority of young players in county not selected suffer as is case this year where only 1 competitive minor game played by 1st week May.
Then play 4 games in 12 days followed by presumably 6 week break again for exams. How this helps develop footballers or encourages lad to train I’m not sure.
With new age groups next year clubs may lose their stronger players to development squads even younger.
Who’s managing the u17s?
Juniors footballers beaten in the Connacht final by Leitrim. 1962 since that last happened
Interesting that 40 voters (9%) think we will lose to Sligo on Sunday. Steady now.
Jaysus an 11.45 throw in for the first game. Steady now twice.
Leitrim beat our juniors musha God help us.