The news about Lee’s retirement has blown all other stories off the pages but it’s worth drawing everyone’s attention to the announcement by Connacht GAA (here) that tickets for Saturday evening’s FBD semi-final against Galway in the Dome (throw-in 5.30pm) will go on sale online tomorrow (Wednesday) at 1pm.
There will be a limit of four tickets per purchase and no concessionary tickets will be available. Connacht GAA haven’t confirmed how much the tickets will be priced at but, on the assumption that they’ll be the same as for the Roscommon/Sligo semi-final (and I imagine they will – tickets for that game are on sale already, link for that is here), then they’ll be priced at €10 each.
Tickets will be on sale on the Universe platform – link here. I assume Connacht GAA will provide a specific link on Universe once the tickets go on sale tomorrow.
According to this piece by Mike Finnerty in the Mayo News (here), around 1,000 to 1,200 tickets will be going on sale tomorrow and they’re expected to sell out rapidly.
The match is being streamed live by Connacht GAA, where match passes will also cost €10. The link for that is here.
Lee Keegan has to go down as the best Connacht player ever in the last 50 years , think he would have had the match for Padraic Joyce, Micheal Donnellan, Jarlath Fallon ,Dermot Earley, Ciaran McDonald or any other Connacht player at there peak going back through the years.Would automatically make wing half back on the best 15 since the GAA was formed.
Roscommon v Sligo tickets sold out in a matter of hours today and Mayo v Galway tickets will be sold out in a matter of minutes tomorrow. Hate to sound like a broken record but the small capacity the Airdome has makes it no where near suitable for these matches.
Anyone heard anything about the Mayo u20s at all this year?
Like last season the u20 championship and team was a secret guarded so well the CIA would have been proud. GAA getting rid of u21 in favour of a much less prestigious u20 competition was one of the biggest errors of recent years. If anything they should have made it u22. There was not a single player on the pitch in last years all Ireland final aged younger than 22. Most u20s are nowhere near ready for the very highest level of the game nowadays.
Jack Glynn, Patrick Kelly and Matthew Tierney were all U22 playing last years final
Jack was young player of the year.
Well that was some joke logged it on the second of 1:00, and got to payment and done at 01:02 and capacity full message…joke.
Just tried to buy tickets at exacly 1pm for the Galway game and got as far as putting in all my card information and hitting the buy button only to be told it was sold out.
This is just ridiculous as venue is way too small and regardless of the weather should be played in a larger venue like in the past. A drop of rain never killed anyone at a game to the best of my knowledge! There is also the lost revenue to be considered and the large number of pissed off supporters who would enjoy an excuse to get out in the fresh air.
I don’t think a marker will be set down by Mayo for the league or championship.
That’s the point though. There’s a gap from u20 to senior in reality.
For the last 20 years or more the young player of the year is an award given to the best player u21 in the senior championship that year.
Mike and Chesney might not be aware but the GAA quietly changed it to u22 this year after the season was done. The reason?
There was no u21 player on the field in last years AI final. Probably the first time ever.
There wasn’t many in the semi final losers either. You were probably looking at Jack Carney as a potential nominee actually if it remained u21, and I think there was a lad from Derry. There was no dub starting u21 I don’t think in their team v kerry either.
The general point is that the game has become a contest for mature bodies nowadays. It’s 23-35 aged players.
Young lads need to spend 2-3 years from 19 to 22 conditioning their body to play in all Irelands and contribute meaningfully. Physical Freaks like Oisin Mullin or football genius like Clifford are rare
.
@Blondie 11, I too had logged in at 1.00 and got to payment when notice came up that all tickets were sold. This is a joke to say the least. I was so much looking forward to going to the match and bringing my best mate who has just recovered from cancer and is a number one Mayo supporter all his lifetime. Does anyone know if Midwest radio are doing a live commentary on it.
So many Mayo supporters looking forward to attending the first competition game of the new season and left disappointed with 1,200 sold out within a minute. Meanwhile other provinces are playing their games outdoors, colleges had a full round of championship fixtures last night and again tonight outdoors and numerous clubs games including this weekend are played outdoors.
@knockingabout i don’t know if midwest have it but it is being streamed for coincidentally the same price as admission, i suspect the high boys in the council expect people to buy the stream when they can’t gain entry, and therefore will lose out on no revenue…well they have lost a tenner from me because i have not a notion. As Bogman said above play them outside in suitable size venues, if as is well possible the weather causes the game to be called off then refix it for the dome and use the facility then. How are Ulster and Munster, Leinster playing their pre season comps outside?? The Dome was deservedly praised when opened but this is not what it is for…seems to be more of a vanity project at these stage to keep showing it off.
I’m sure Midwest will cover it. I listened to the full Galway v Leitrim match on Galway Bay FM last Friday.
Is there anyone who succeeded in buying a ticket off the website today out there ?
Please tell us that there were actually tickets on sale to the general public.
I suspect that they were all earmarked for the ‘special ones’
I’d be interested also to hear from anyone who successfully purchased tickets today as I to got to the stage of inputting card details then it was sold out..
I know it’s FBD and the Dome has a miniscule capacity, but I’m wondering are the majority of these tickets been held for officials…
I had logged in at 12:55 and I still got the message that the tickets were sold out even before 1pm. Doubtful there were any actually on sale at all
Is the NUIG match in sigerson cup being shown anywhere? Be interesting to see how Tommy conroy goes in his first match back ..guessimg hes not playing on friday to? Espcially after what happened to him last year to many matches&training led to his awful injury!
Same as Mulkerins cant say im a fan of sigerson, denied us our fullback and Mayos main forward last year.
I dont think Tommy conroy is playing tonight in sigerson not on the team list probably not ready to come back yet maybe!
@chesneychet agree they are proud to play for both college& county but way to many &matches and training at the same time.
Apolagies I just saw the proper team list and Tommy conroy is playing !
Eoghan McL, Jack Coyne and Connell Dempsey playing for UL
Frank Irwin also in squad
The sigerson cup games will go ahead this evening – but if the weather is anything like where I am this evening with gale force winds and heavy rain – not alone will the games be a lottery and a waste of time in terms of trying to play football but conditions will be extremely dangerous for the players as well. Teams from Galway travelling to Dublin and teams from Tralee travelling to Sligo to play a game at 7 pm this time of the year is a disgrace and shows no respect for player welfare.
Personally I am ok with streaming the match. I had not planned to go the dome anyway and will be in Castlebar for the league match in just two weeks so not bothered about the location of the FBD match. It will allow teams to play a match in good conditions and give new players a chance to show their talent, what do managers learn from a match played in a storm?
I managed to buy tickets today – don’t know if that makes anyone feel better!
Dublin beaten by Offaly last night. The end of an era
A sad end Paddyjoe 😀
Anyone know how how Tommy conroy played last night in sigerson? Know he didnt start but great hes back on bench!
@PaddyJoe cant say I feel sad for them ha doubt they will loose any sleep over it though! But always good when they loose I know I sound very bitter haha
@Clare
Tommy didn’t feature at all last night. There are Sigerson match reports on the Irish Examiner site and I saw it on there. The match reports were up last night and are detailed enough. It is a good service. The weather was rotten and the pitch would have been heavy so a good job he didn’t feature.
Obvious to say it is vital we manage Tommy correctly and we don’t rush him back to soon.
@MindTheHouse thanks for that yes its good he didnt feature at all I did think it was pretty soon to have him back in tbh espcially in weather like last night and with all the matches that will be in the round robin part of it he needs to take all the time he needs to get him back properly&fit enough!
NUIG look very strong again this year – I’d say Joyce will be delighted the likes of Paul/Eoghan Kelly, James McLaughlin, Cathal Sweeney and Tomo Culhane (one to watch this year) get a chance to prove themselves at this level in good competitive games
See this match is being shown kn rte2& rte player just is well as it looks like barely anyone could get tickets!
I think it’s the league game in 2 weeks time that’s on RTE. The one this weekend is being streamed
Ah ok makes sence @Wide ball
Connacht GAA have announced (https://twitter.com/connachtgaa/status/1613477926669803523?s=46&t=mfejM95deuyuoaQEuhWOYg) that “a very limited number” of additional tickets for Saturday’s FBD match will go on sale at 1pm today.
We are one week into the season and the flaws of the split season as it currently stands are already showing.
Over in the O’Byrne cup every second team is pulling out.
Others are playing 3 games in 8 days and picking up injuries left, right and centre, in weather conditions you wouldn’t put a dog outside in.
Provincial councils shoehorning games into the worst month of the year.
Throw in the sigerson on top of it all for good measure. You couldnt make this shit up. I hope Tommy Conroy stays well clear of Maurice Sheridan NUIG panel.
Imagine he picked up another serious injury playing for them in the muck over the next few weeks? Wouldnt like to be Willie Joe moderating this place if that happens.
Will be very interesting to what team is named on Saturday. On one hand it’s a good opportunity to give lads a run out with the upcoming league game in mind but then the conditions the two games are played in are likely to be night and day
I’d agree with those saying not to risk the sigerson lads. Get the more experienced lads up to speed and aim to start the league well. We have 3 home games in the first 4 rounds of the league. Great opportunity to get ourselves safe early doors and then experiment
Podcast alert – we’ll be making the Lee Keegan Retires pod available on all platforms shortly. Rob is joined on it by Colm Boyle, Billy Joe Padden and Edwin McGreal to reflect on Lee’s Mayo career and the legacy he leaves.
The Lee Retires pod is now online on all platforms.
Mickey 3 lots of guys are on football scholarships and their priority must be the college.
@Mikey3 the guys are proud to play for both county & college and thats the way it should be.
Yes to many games at once amd that needs to be changed. I don’t think Tommy conroy would watch from the sidelines of a sigerson cup if he could be out represnting his college.
But to many games at once needs to be changed to prevent injuries like his happening !
Agree @JR
Did Conor Diskin ever play Sigerson? Hard to believe he hasnt been called up by management looking at some of the names on McStays extended panel.Best player for Claremorris for a number of years now.Was very good against Balla and Belmullet in the championship
Only four of the Galway team that started the All Ireland final is named to start against Mayo in the FBD semi final (Finnerty,Heaney,McHugh,Tierney)
1. Bernard Power (CorofinGAA)
2. Cathal Sweeney (Salthill Knocknacarra GAA Club)
3. Seán Fitzgerald (Bearna)
4. James Foley (Mountbellew Moylough GAA Club)
5. Dylan McHugh (Corofin)
6. Billy Mannion (Mountbellew/Moylough)
7. Daniel O’Flaherty (Salthill/Knocknacarra)
8. John Maher (Salthill/Knocknacarra)
9. Matthew Barrett (Mountbellew/Moylough)
10. Dylan Canney (Corofin)
11. Matthew Tierney – Capt (Oughterard)
12. Johnny Heaney (Killannin)
13. Ian Burke (Corofin)
14. Robert Finnerty (Salthill/Knocknacarra)
15. Barry McHugh (Mountbellew/Moylough)
Subs
16. Tadhg O’Malley (St Michaels GAA Club)
17. Jack Kirrane (Milltown GAA)
18. Eoghan Kelly (Cumann Peile Mhaigh Cuilinn)
19. Paul Kelly (Maigh Cuilinn)
20. James McLaughlin (Maigh Cuilinn)
21. Evan Murphy (Salthill/Knocknacarra)
22. Tomo Culhane (Salthill/Knocknacarra)
23. Damien Comer (Annaghdown)
24. Brian Mannion (Tuam Stars)
25. Nathan Grainger (Claregalway GAA)
26. John Daly (Mountbellew/Moylough)
So they say The Tickets for Saturdays game Sold out in 60 second’s.
Hands up Who got one !! ?
Mcstay named team see paul towey starting full forward be interesting think he has great potential and glad mcstay is giving loads of new players a chance!
good team should play good football in the dome with no wind or rain.,anyone know rest of panel for the game.