While most attention is, understandably, being focused on our senior championship clash with Galway on Sunday, it’s worth bearing in mind that we have two teams in action at Pearse Stadium that afternoon. The curtain raiser in Salthill on Sunday is the Connacht Junior football final against Sligo (throw-in 2pm) and details of the team and subs announced tonight for this one are as follows:
Mayo (Connacht JFC Final v Sligo, 19/5/2013): Paul Mannion (Mayo Gaels); Barry Leonard (Lahardane McHales, Captain), Pat Lacken (Ardnaree), Gary Loftus (Ballintubber); Ja McDonagh (Kilmaine), Conor Walsh (Balla), Padraig Feerick (Hollymount/Carramore); Dean Gavin (Ballintubber), Sean Morris (Charlestown); Adam Gallagher (Mayo Gaels), Micheál Forde (Ballycastle), Ronan Doherty (Ardnaree); Eamon Tiernan (Castlebar Mitchels), Joe Owens (Charlestown), Kevin Newell (Ardnaree). Subs: Paul Tiernan (Ballinrobe), Oisin Quinn (Bohola Moy Davitts), Gareth O’Donnell (Charlestown), David Hughes (Kilmaine), David Caffrey (Charlestown), Ray Geraghty (Ballintubber), Michael Moran (Burrishoole), Danny McGowan (Islandeady), Kevin Gibbons (Louisburgh).
The Juniors are managed this year by Michael Moyles and his management team includes well-known former county senior players Aidan Higgins and Brian Maloney as well as Padraic Costello and Ciaran Kelly.
Best of luck to the Juniors as they aim to secure back-to-back provincial titles at this level.
One match one win to win a provincial title, this Junior championship is on it’s last legs by the looks of it.
Good to see a Lahardane man lead a Mayo team out in a Connacht final, and hopefully lift the cup, and to think , the home place of Jackie Carney and Dermot Early.
So where is aiden higgins and Brian Maloney ?
Id say read the intro again,David.
A man from The Gap leading Muigh Eo out. Good to see.
I hope to see this match, although some of my passengers are whingeing about the earlier start given that it is going to take approx. 5 1/2 hours to get to Pearse stadium from Castlebar. Leitrim had a shorter journey time for their Championship game!!
Not on its last legs by any means, I’d say there were 5000 people in ennis last year for the All Ireland Junior final. I don’t know why Roscommon and Galway are not entering teams. Maybe they feel they aren’t strong enough or whatever. But it has aided Mayo over the years. I seem to remember Mickie Conroy and Colm Boyle playing at the level not to far back. Also in the deep mists of time, our first ever All-Ireland was landed at Junior level in 1934, and this laid the foundations for the first Senior title in 1936. With many of the same players, including Ballycastle own Tom Grier who captained the Juniors.
Its great to see so many Juniors lads get a day in the sun. Lahardane, Ardnaree, Balla etc. And for Charlestown it a chance to show how good there men are also.
Its interesting to see players from Castlebar and Ballintubber on the squad it goes to show the depth of these clubs, when the “B” players are wearing a Mayo Jersey.
Anyway best of luck to bothMayo teams on Sunday.
Oh right!
@ Ceideboy says:
As far as the Connacht junior championship is going it is on it’s last legs. No Ulster championship Cavan play in Leinster and i think in a year or two it will be become a open championship with no provincial title to be won.
Galway,Leitrim,Roscommon all pulled out because they don’t have the money to compete in Roscommon,Galway case they put a lot of money into their underage teams Leitrim are getting it tough to field any team.
This competition has certainly aided Mayo as has Cork,Dublin and Kerry.
How many of this team have previously represented Mayo at Junior level? I have been searching for the program for last years match without success but I don’t think too many were on last years team. I don’t know about Castlebar and Ballintubber’s strength in depth either as neither won last years championship and when Ballintubber did win they made no impression in Connacht Club. I may be wrong but I think this indicates a lack of interest generally in the competition.
I think it would b better scrap this competition and replace it with one for development squads, mainly U 23 players but with room for some older late developers or players who for one reason or another, e.g. studying, emigration etc. were not able to give serious time to football in their post minor days.
Andy – for info, the Mayo News match report on last year’s JFC final is here so that’ll give you an idea of the turnover from last year to this. Quite a number of changes, by the looks of it.
Thanks, Williie Joe.
As I thought, not many back again this year [6 of the 20 used in the All Ireland final, I think].Somebody has to ask why, especially as they got to the All Ireland Final last year.
Down the years [too many of them at this stage] I recall several suggestions of development squads for players with the potential to make senior but for one reason or another these never seemed to get off the ground or did not last long. Lack of competition was probably one reason and Finance was probably another. All in all it is time for a rethink.
Still, best wishes to the team and I hope to be there bright an early to support them. May well use the new park and ride from Ballybrit if I can get past Claregalway without losing patience and heading for the Headford road.