
It’s Monday evening so already it’s time to box away everything about last weekend’s matches and to switch the focus to the action that’s set to take place this coming weekend.
There’s plenty of it too, with no fewer than four Mayo games down for decision between Saturday and Sunday. Like last weekend, there are League matches in football, hurling and camogie, while the women footballers make their first appearance of the year as well.
Let’s take them in the order in which these matches will be contested.
First up is the camogie action, with manager Jimmy Lyons not having to stray too far from home as the venue for their Division 4 Group 2 clash with Kildare is just over the other side of the parish, in Tooreen. That game gets going at 2pm on Saturday.
Next up are James Horan’s men, who travel to Cusack Park to take on Westmeath. We made the perfect start to our campaign last Saturday, while the Lake County are already under pressure having blown a four-point lead late on to Meath yesterday to lose by one. That one throws in at the Mullingar venue at 3pm on Saturday.
Later that evening, at 7.30pm to be precise, the Mayo LGFA team take the field at MacHale Park for a tasty clash with neighbours Galway. That’s a Round 1 match in Division 1A of the League, a group that also includes Donegal and Westmeath. Saturday’s match is also the first competitive outing for the team under new manager Michael Moyles.
Then on Sunday, at 3pm up at O’Donnell Park in Letterkenny, Derek Walsh’s high-flying hurlers play their third NHL Division 2B match of the year. They head into this one having won two from two and revenge for last year’s Rackard Cup final loss to the same opposition will no doubt be on their minds. As, one assumes, it’ll be on Donegal’s minds that our ranks have since been bolstered by the addition of Keith Higgins.
All these games will, of course, be played behind closed doors and so broadcasting and streaming details for them will be of interest to many.
The footballers’ clash with Westmeath is being broadcast live on Eir Sport. As I’m not an Eir customer and don’t have Sky – I’m in Virgin Media land and Eir Sport is no longer carried on that platform – I’ve no idea how I’m going to get to see it. But sure it’s only Monday so there’s still a bit of time to get that sorted.
The women’s football match against Galway on Saturday evening is also being shown live. This one is on TG4, who are continuing their sterling LGFA coverage with an expanded list of live games this year.
Streaming details for the other games may be confirmed ahead of the weekend, depending on what arrangements are, or aren’t, put in place for each of them. I’ll post details here in due course as and when they become available.
Finally, the other thing to look out for as we look ahead to the weekend is our next episode of the Mayo News football podcast. That’ll be online on Wednesday, with Billy Joe Padden at the helm, while Edwin McGreal and I will also feature on it.
With the action back on in earnest, it’s a good time to show your support by playing the Mayo GAA Lotto, the jackpot for which is now €10,400. Play the Lotto here.
All this TV etc. football/hurling is only whetting the appetite for the real, live games. Even to have some idea of when would be a relief. Presumably in the early stages of live attendances the crowds will be limited. I am sure there are minds at work in Croke Park and other places trying to figure out how this will work. Will it involve the proposed EU passport scheme? Might it be based on the Season Card of previous years. Or a combination of both? I would be hoping so as I should qualify straight off being a Season Ticket holder of old and already fully vaccinated. As more people are vaccinated it should be possible to increase attendances accordingly to the stage when by end of July most people would qualify.
Great display by Mayo’s youngsters aganst Down. They reminded me of Matt Busby’s Babes after that horrific air crash. But I was also reminded of that old defensive lapse thas has plagued us over the years – conceding a goal almost immediately after we score a major ourselves. I had a brief look at Mayo’s performances on Youtube and, sure enough,
there we were conceding goals just after we had scored one ourselves. Here’s hoping we’ll keep going for the full 70 minutes -plus against Westmeath and keep racking up scores no matter how much we’re on top.
John MacHale
@ Take your point John McHale about conceding goals, and I know it sprang from a needlessly given away line ball, but you have to concede that it was an outstanding move and finish from a Down perspective.. Just wondering are all our Aussie rules women back from down?..