Tickets on sale for Galway game

Willie Joe

Damien Comer is all over the media today bragging about how Galway can win the All-Ireland (piece in the Irish Times is here), Alan Dillon was on the Mayo News football podcast last week (which, if you haven’t yet listened to it, is here) saying we’ll definitely be ready for the Tribesmen this year. The jungle drums are beating ever louder, with less than three weeks to go now to the most eagerly awaited Mayo/Galway Connacht championship clash in years.

Good timing, then, for ticketing details to be released, with Connacht GAA making an announcement (here) about this yesterday. These aren’t the full details – there’s no mention, for example, of arrangements for season ticket holders but, no doubt, Mayo GAA will provide that information before too long.

Anyone who isn’t a season ticket holder and plans to go to the game wouldn’t want to delay too long. The Mayo News (paper and digital variants) is reporting this morning that the number of tickets going on general release will be limited and that tickets for the match are expected to sell out.

It’s been a long time since MacHale Park was packed to the rafters for a Connacht championship match. There was, according to the match report in the Irish Independent the day after, a paying crowd of 34,613 crammed into the venue for the 2006 Connacht decider against Galway. I was there that day and it really was jammers, as it also was two years before that for the final against Roscommon.

Since then I don’t ever remember an attendance coming even close to those kinds of numbers. The Connacht decider of 2014 between the counties drew a crowd of 26,738 and there were fewer than that there at the Castlebar venue the evening the neighbours ended our long spell of dominance within the province two years after that.

With the capacity apparently now capped at around 30,000 – despite the fact that you could easily squeeze another 5,000 in, though no doubt you’d have the Health and Safety police out with their clipboards and their serious faces if that happened – this appears to be one of those rare occasions when the demand for tickets in a Connacht championship tie will outstrip supply. Don’t say you haven’t been told.

120 thoughts on “Tickets on sale for Galway game”

  3. Going to be some atmosphere at it. Been a long time since we’ve had this kind of interest in a match outside the provincial decider or Croke Park duties.

  6. I’m sure it could well have had, Spotlight – I was only looking at when was the most recent times the place was full for a game, which would have been 2004 and 2006. By the by, I note there’s a correlation between the blog’s inception (at the start of 2007) and the lack of a full house at MacHale Park since. A man could easily get paranoid from looking at stats too much!

  7. Spotlight, I would agree, 30 for a provincial quarter final is steep alright, I’m not surprised though, the increase in season ticket prices was an indication of increase in match day prices, Connacht Final 40-50euro?

  8. It looks like that McHale Park will continue to be the venue for the Connacht final as no other Connacht venue is able to hold the crowd that will now attend these matches. Cannot see the Connacht Council forgoing income just because counties cannot get their grounds in order. Munster Council would not allow a Clare Kerry Munster final to be played in Cusack Park!. Why should the Connacht Council allow their matches to go ahead in unsuitable stadiums.

  9. Spotted that Comer article earlier this morning alright. He’s definitely backing Galway to do great things in the years ahead. It’s up to the Mayo players now to get their game to a level over the coming weeks to dismiss those lofty notions for this year at least.

  10. Stand holds 9500, 5500 stand tickets to season ticket holders, vips and family members. The 4000 remaining stand tickets will probably go to clubs in both counties and not on general sale.

  11. People aren’t interested in going to matches anymore WJ. They prefer to stay home and follow them on the blog instead!!

  12. Galway can definitely beat Dublin and win the All-Ireland….but only focus now is Mayo. 🙂

    Lovely.

  15. Galway are going to beat Dublin to win the All-Ireland.. I’m fully convinced of it now.. stop, no no i wont be told otherwise.. Dublin are definitely beatable.

  17. Some achievement to spend 10 million on a redevelopment and end up reducing the capacity by 5,000. Another black mark against the shoddy design work in McHale Park.

  18. Think that’s a bit unfair on Comer… Here’s some quotes from him from the42:

    “A lot of people are talking about Mayo being on a downward slope or whatever, but I think you would be crazy to believe that.

    “Mayo have often proved if you write them off that’s when they come back stronger. We know it’s going to be a tough battle, especially down in their home pitch.

    “We’ll go down there with every ambition and hope we can get a result.

    “They’re a formidable side, there’s no question about it. They’ve some serious players.”

  19. He is 24. Shane Walsh at 23 and he is around longer or known longer. Damien a late developer by all accounts. He was on drums in the crowd in his leaving cert year when Jarlaths were last in the colleges all Ireland final according to his indo interview on the weekend of the league final. Those paper articles all hype to add to the occasion. Would rather this type of provincial clash than mundane one sided versions.

  22. Well it begins again! Its a CULT! Lucky to follow this group of men.Have been rounding up the troops re organising tickets online now – all sorted!! Such interest in this game. I’m killed already with the anticipation!!

  24. richardmgd, I believe thats general access to the Terraces, so MacHale road side, the bacon factory or Albany end.

  25. The mayo Vs Galway game isn’t coming up on the link that the Connacht Gaa provide.
    So here is another link straight to Gaa Tickets
    https://gaa.tickets.ie
    Just to relieve any stress or worry that tickets aren’t available.

  26. I don’t like Comer, I think he’s a limited player who fools referees by running into defenders at speed to get handy frees. To be fair to the lad WJ, he’s all over the media because he won the player of the month. He never said they’d beat Dublin, he just said that Dublin are beatable, he was hardly going to say Dublin were unbeatable. On winning an AI he’d obviously like to win one maybe this year but before he retires, I guess that’s every players ambition. Anyhow hopefully his next interview will be before a qualifier

  27. Long time reader, first time poster 🙂

    Just wondering does anyone know if there is gear coming out from the county board this year for the cairde maigh eo ticket holders? Last year there was the suitcase, and the year before that there was the hat,scarf and bodywarmer! Just curious!

  28. Here’s an extract from Comer’s Irish Times interview:

    “I think we can win an All-Ireland. Honestly, I wouldn’t be playing football if I didn’t think we could win an All-Ireland. I think the form that we’ve shown in the league can prove that, that we can go the distance with the big teams. That’s obviously the aim. Whether it happens this year… if it doesn’t happen this year, we’re going to go for it again next year. Hopefully we’ll have an All-Ireland by the end of my playing career anyway.

    I think that’s fairly clear. If not this year, then next!

  29. Davitt55 I don’t see Comer as a limited player. if he is limited, he’s limited enough that I’d have him in a Mayo Jersey if I could!.

  30. Ah, lads, come on now, what’s wrong with a little ambition and confidence? Give the lad a break.. Let’s face it, confidence, once genuine and grounded is a powerful force, and without it, you are destined for failure. When you think back to the Augusta masters, Rory McIlroy failed, simply because he had doubts, and on the final day his lack of confidence was palpable. Now, what day is pencilled in for Galway v Ros. Lol

  31. The following was in one of the articles too about Comer:

    The Annaghdown man also reckons that Mayo have shown how best to tackle Dublin.

    “Mayo the last two years lost in very unfortunate circumstances, they were just a kick of the ball away. They should have won both games realistically but it didn’t happen for them. But they attacked them and they were aggressive with them where a lot of teams stand back and admire them. If you do that to the Dubs they will destroy you, there is no other way about it. They are a formidable side but if you can go at them and go toe to toe then you have every chance of taking them.”

    I wouldn’t call what Comer said, bragging, I’d call it self-belief. I actually can never remember a Mayo player coming straight out with something like that, talking about winning All-Irelands. You still get the feeling that in the last few minutes of the big games that we still don’t fully believe that we can win the All-Ireland title. Maybe with some of these younger lads who have won All-Ireland Minor and U21 titles on board, they will have that final bit of self-belief to drive us over the line in the final stages of the biggest games.

  32. I remember Keegan being interviewed the about a final and saying that we werent good enough to win, and when we are, we will.

    I also remember O’Shea talking about wanting to win All Ireland’s earlier in his career.

    Even there a couple of weeks ago Andy Moran was talking about the magic 20 points.

    We don’t lack ambition either, but I would agree with Comer that we could use a bit of luck.

  33. Give me a break … if Aidan O Shea even hinted at what comer said there’d be a full podcast dedicated to it … Galway don’t want the favourites tag but don’t mind being bullish about their chances either … hmmmm

  34. when is confidence seen as bragging??? if mayo had the same confidence in their own ability maybe they wouldnt be losing all ireland finals. comer and other top players expect to win big games when they get there and i applaud them (even if they come from mayo) for it. maybe mayo players could take a leaf out of his book!!!

  37. Get up the yard, Galway for Sam. Galway had a fourteen-man Dublin, shorn of many of their top players, at their mercy in a recent big game and they blew it, Comer included. Nothing I saw that day told me we’ve anything of substance to take (as yet at least) from that particular book.

  40. Galway for Sam … how do you explain the Galway (non) performance when faced with Tipperary Roscommon & Kerry ? Just wondering like …

  41. Re McHale Park capacity & official attendance as reported… 2006… 34,613.. It has to be remembered that, the stand then was the old Gerry McDonald stand and the concrete seats on the rest of that side of the pitch… How they managed to reduce the capacity of McHale Park with this new huge stand certainly baffles me.. Roscommon V Sligo Connacht Final of 2010, which I was at as well, if memory serves me right was reported somewhere in excess of 32,000.. I think that was the biggest crowd there post Re Devlopment… I was certainly very sceptical about some of the reported attendance during the recent league match’s… Some have posted that children get in free and are not counted.. But junivile season ticket holders are charged and should be counted, maybe other’s aren’t? But is that right? It certainly isn’t even handed…. It will be interesting when Killkenny play Galway in Pearce Stadium in the hurling as to what the official attendance will be, presumably both fixtures will sell out, if they can get 60% of the total that Castlebar would hold into Salthill, to me anyway it would be a miracle of the Loaves and Fishes proportions!.. What was the attendance between Galway and Mayo on an awful day weather wise in Salthill.. It was certainly over 20 something thousand!

  42. I confess, it might have been my thoughts that, there could be a couple of titles on the way watching O’Shea banging in a few goals early in his career.

    When you look at what Keegan and Moran said, they were talking about themselves rather than the opposition.

    That’s probably why Comers interview seems a bit cocky, because he talking about Dublin having weaknesses.

    It’s like they think that Dublin have got the need for winning out of their system for a while, so they can put the effort in now.

  43. Not bad in their first season back in Div 1 to have Dublin the 3 in a row team ” at their mercy” with 4 mins left in a league final… Anne Marie i think everyone knows that Galway are progressing and have moved on from them defeats. In the last 2 years we beat Mayo and we were ” average” ” have no defence” some of the quotes used here and elsewhere. So Mayo will have no excuses this year they know whats coming and will have everyone back ( bar Lee) . Galway will be worn out from their league exploits and Mayo are at home in Castlebar. Everything points to a big Mayo win…Willie Joe is backing his county fair play to him..

  45. Think it’s Galway that will have no “excuses” Tuamstar … they’re “on the up” a few years now … 🙂 Mayo in decline , don’t have the legs , an ageing team etc … etc …

  46. This game will be tight, cagey, filthy dirty, and bad tempered. It will promote all that’s best in puke football. Either way there will be a winner and a looser. Whether it will be worth 30 euro remains to be seen, but I fear the best part may will be the nostalgic build up to it. I don’t know where the thousands of supporters that is being hyped up in the media are going to come from honestly. The 2nd week in May and a Connacht quarter final. The Galway supporters came in force in 2006 and I remember it well. They were one of the top four teams in the country at the time.Along with Dublin, Kerry, Tyrone, and Armagh. They were raging hot favorites that day I remember and many expected they could go all the way that year. They do not have the supporters of those former years or anything like that. They will be outnumbered in this clash by a serious amount. Mayo supporters will turn up for sure. I am expecting a crowd of around 21 – 23 k. If we see 5 or 6 thousand from Galway it will be a great crowd. Both teams have a mountain to climb after that and hopefully plenty of football to play before the real football starts a full 3 months after this game. Dublin and Kerry have not started to begin to even think about how they will go about dismantling the Mayo’s and Gallway’s of this world yet.

  47. Anne Marie.. Mayo the 2nd best team in the country prob since 2011. Lost the last finals by a kick of a ball, where as you said above we lost to Tipp Roscommon and a poor Kerry team.. Come on you are contradicting yourself… ?

  48. Who’s contradicting who Tuamstar? 🙂 may the best team win … Maigheo Abu! 🙂

  50. willie joe
    i think i remember a dublin player concussed and another not able to walk with a pulled hamstring in 2013 and mayo under james horan still couldnt push up and win the game. if mayo “got up the yard” that day maybe they would have an all ireland.

  51. That was an All-Ireland final, Galway for Sam, not a League final. Quite a difference in intensity compared to a match in early April. Come back and talk when this Galway team has managed to get to and be competitive in such an environment and I’ll happily listen.

  52. I don’t think anyone on here can dispute any of Mayo’s results in 2013. 🙂

  53. Tensions getting a little high haha. Absolutely nothing wrong with Comer showing confidence , fair fooks to him. If you don’t believe you can win an all Ireland, you won’t win it. Why on earth shouldn’t he believe.
    It’s lighting bonfires at 4 years of age that I find very worrying , must be a mental spot in Killererin on bonfire night.

  54. The build up as well and trully started tonight ?? As long as we all remain friends before and after May 13th..

  56. Now you’re just being silly, Galway for Sam. Just to be clear – seeing as you only stuck your head above the parapet for the first time on here a few hours ago – this isn’t a place for wind-up shiteology. If that’s your thing, go do it elsewhere as you won’t be doing it here.

  57. Who knows maybe we’ll find our answer soon!

    Galway should just concentrate on breaking their own curse…that they “wouldn’t win it again without a Mayo GAA man in charge”.. now that’s some curse for them.. :O

  58. willie joe
    there be plenty of intensity in 2 weeks time. it wont be an all ireland final but it wont be for the feint hearted. we see how both teams are fixed afterwards. id wish mayo good luck but id only be lying. good luck in the qualifiers and we see you in the final.

  60. I think mayo will beat Galway. Galway operating at 100 percent for league mayo operating at 50. Couple of weeks hard training together and a few days away will.bring them up to pace. Will be tight but mayo to squeeze it. And if they don’t well guess what it’s not the end of the world we still have to get up in the morning and got to work.

  61. This is going to be the sweetest of wins . After which Galway will of course go back to being a young team still developing and all this ridiculous talk of winning an AI this year will be stricken from memories. Winning a championship game in Croke Park would represent progress for them this year 😉

  62. Good man Galway for Sam. That’s the talk. Keep it up. Copy and Paste is a great tool and I fully expect to be using it on your comments on here on the night of the 13th. Do you think for 1 minute that Mayo are bothered whether it’s for the faint hearted or not? Do you think we fear or give a shit about Galway big man talk. We’ve been toe to toe with the best amd hardest of sides for the last 7 years amd there’s nothing in Galway to fear. Hold fire like a good ladeen because Galway have never played “August” Mayo and that’s what’s coming out the tunnel on the 13th. No excuses. No complacency. No where to hide. We’ll fucking see who will be throwing shapes then.

  63. Galway supporter here. I hope it’s a good game of football but with our defensive system I doubt it will. Honestly I don’t think Kevin wa lsh is the man to move us to the next level although he has brought a bit of fight to us from where we were. In the grand scheme of things we are behind Dublin mayo Kerry Tyrone and possibly monagham until proven otherwise. We haven’t beaten anyone in croke park and that’s the goal to start with. We had a very good league but we were playing with a near full strength team all along that may struggle again in championship. I think we beat mayo because the last time because mayo find it hard to break down the blanket defender at times. Even if Galway beat mayo again I would be surprised if mayo don’t go further in the championship again. Mayo have been great to watch over the last few years and I have cheered them on and am sad they haven’t been able to get over the line. As for damien comer. He is a top quality forward but we need more like him in the team.

  64. I see the cheapest price ticket for the Leinster quarter final is 10 euro cheaper than the Mayo v Galway Connacht Quarter final.

  65. Great post pebblesmeller , couldn’t have put it better myself , have to say your post made me chuckle , love the last line !
    It is going to be a long slow 2 and half weeks ,
    I can’t wait to get going again with match build up,
    Cmon mayo.

  66. Mayomagic.. You bring up a very good point…. The question needs to be asked of the Connacht Council and Central Council of the GAA as why are the people of Mayo and Galway expected to pay €10 more than their Leinster counterparts, a part of the country far more wealthy than us in the west?

  67. According to Donegal Democrat twitter page Donegal beat us in a challenge last night

  68. Pebblesmeller you’re getting awful worked up there over a troll. I’d pay no heed to the likes of him. Anyone any info on that Donegal challenge last night? Was very high scoring, must have been a good workout…

  69. Just to answer that question, Leantimes, there’s an obvious reason why our match costs more. Along with the likely Connacht final between ourselves or Galway and Roscommon, the match on May 13th is the standout game in the championship prior to the Super 8s. The Leinster championship is dead and buried, it’s not even worth playing at all at this stage and it surprises me that anyone would pay money at all to go see a Leinster game. If anything, the GAA should be paying people to suffer through that particular ‘championship’. That’s not to defend the price hike in Connacht – and point taken re relative incomes in the two parts of the country – but just to say that there’ll be a major gulf in the relative quality and intensity of the contests punters will witness in the two provinces this summer.

  70. All getting a little narky as the build-up intensifies. I would suggest we leave the shapes, slaps and shithousery on the pitch. I have little doubt that there’ll be plenty of it on show so we simply need to bide our time.

    As the game gets closer the wind-up merchants (on both sides) will be out in force. Either ignore them or take some entertainment out of their spurious goading, but don’t take them seriously – akin to Brolly/Hook/Dunphy shock jock bullshit.

    Now I’m off to channel my inner Peadar G and watch ‘that point’ on loop for the rest of the day!

  71. I doubt we’re going to see ‘August’ Mayo coming out the tunnel in May. Unless the championship training schedule has been radically altered, of course, and I don’t see why it would be for one game, even if it is Galway.

    What would be the point? So that we’re at ‘August’ intensity for either a qualifier or a semi-final with Sligo? That level of intensity is not realistic for May, and nor can it be sustained for three months. Mayo have to train with a view to peaking in late summer. That’s just the way it is, especially with the mileage in our squad.

    Supporters from both counties are mad to win this game, of course we are, but it’s not ‘game over’ for 2018 if the game is lost. Both managers will be planning for a long summer regardless of events on May 13th.

  74. Galway haven’t won a championship game in Croke Park since 2001.
    That’s 18 years.

  75. But Willie Joe if the quarter final is 30 how much will semi and final be ? Or will it depend on if the Connacht cash cow that is mayo are in it ?
    Super 8 prices ? Knock on effect all summer .
    It’s pure greed

  76. Hard to get excited about the Galway game, this April exclusion on the County scene seems to be long. Hate to say it but very hard to look beyond the bleeding Dubs for Sam, they will have their annual team on overdrive on the media circles, ie, this team is as good as the great Kerry team of 30 /40 years ago, good for the Gaa in the Capital etc. The Gaa President may even get on-board.
    I saw the panel of referees for 2018, alot of old faces there, those guys will get the big games also.

  77. East Cork Exile, we are not playing Galway in Croke Park, Galway have beaten Mayo on their last three meetings including in McHale Park, their Croke Park record has no bearing on the 13th May. I believe Mayo will win but it isn’t going to be easy.

    I don’t know when people are getting so worked up about whatComer said, nothing wrong with confidence, he is the captain, he needs to be saying those types of things to instill confidence in his team, I have heard the same coming from numerous Mayo players over the past 6 years.

  78. I’m not defending the pricing, Km79! Just noting the quality differential between the two products. I wouldn’t wholly agree about the greed allegation, though – I think GAA matches aren’t in general expensive, given the spectacle involved. The fiver in for kids for every match up to the All-Ireland final has to be one of the best deals around.

  79. Would tend to agree on most of that WJ . I don’t have a massive problem overall with the general pricing but I do think it will be come a trickle effect . More games in super 8s as well. GAA games are a family event and with more of them and each one probably increasing in price ………..and I do think the GAA are more motivated by money than anything else now sadly .

  80. Tickets nearly sold out I’ve heard so if you want one from the general sale, get buying now.

  81. Season Ticket holders get this one for “free” yeah?

    “Free” meaning it was part of the original price?

  82. @mayomad. I agree with you that there is nothing wrong with what Comer said. The reality is a county like Galway should be challenging for All Ireland. You are quite correct that Mayo players have said similar in the past few years
    but the difference is that when Andy, Cillian, Lee or Aidan talk about winning all Ireland or how the dub aren’t unbeatable it’s after we have drew with them or lost by a point in an ireland Final. The problem with comer saying it is that this Galway team have won one Connacht title in 10 years, haven’t won in a championship in croker in 18years and have only got to two quarter final where they were beaten out the gate. Confidence is all well and good but where was there confidence when Galway went out in a whimper against Kerry last year. I like comer, think he is a quality footballer and always gives his all but his teammates need to step up.
    I agree with you that I think we will win but as you rightly said it’s not going to be easy.

  83. Yes MayoMark you’re correct re season ticket holders. There was an email sent out yesterday or Monday about it I think.

  85. Willie Joe, I take your point and agree with you as regard’s the lack of ‘anticipation, excitement, quality’ that used to be part of the Leinster Championship and comparative value for money in comparison with a Mayo/ Galway a hugely anticipated quater final of the Connacht Championship.. But I think that a big part of the reason for that lies with all the various County Board’s in Leinster who let Dublin play all their Championship match’s in Croke Park without so much as a whimper.. (in more than a decade, Dublin have played 2 Championship match’s outside Croke Park, once they played, Laois in Nolan Park, Killkenny and, Carlow in O’Moore Park,Laois in neither case did either Carlow or Laois get a home venue, even tough Laois fine home ground was good enough for Carlow to play Dublin in ). I believe revenue was the real reason why the Leinster Council wanted Dublin to win and given every advantage, but between the Leinster and County board’s they have effectively killed off the Leinster Championship and killed the Golden Goose, that once regularly laid golden eggs for them, The Dub’s aren’t even turning up on enmasse anymore for what effectively are non events!.. I am reminded of the hughly anticipated 1999/2000 Millinium New Year’s Eve celebrations,.. Pub’s and other Venue’s had put on extravagant cover charges in expectation of unprecedented demand… But people stayed at home…. The GAA, and their Chief Executive who won’t say how much he’s is being paid by a mostly voluntary and amature, player’s and members… I think the GAA should take note,.. The Super Eight’s is another revenue spinner idea in my opinion and has another inbuilt Dublin advantage , but like the Dublin bias in the running in what used to be the Leinster Championship.. I think the GAA could easily kill another Golden Goose!

  86. I wouldn’t disagree with you there, Leantimes, except to add that the likes of Meath, Kildare and others throwing in the towel hasn’t helped. One cameo from last year’s Leinster championship summed up for me everything that’s wrong with counties in Leinster at the minute, which was the quarter-final meeting between Meath and Louth. This match took place not in Drogheda nor in Navan but in Parnell bloody Park up here in Dublin. That’s the equivalent of Leitrim and Sligo playing a Connacht championship match in Ballina, which wouldn’t happen, of course, because neither Leitrim nor Sligo would, in a million years, ever let it happen. But Meath and Louth were happy to do so. Zero pride, zero backbone. It’s no wonder Leinster is finished.

  87. Totally agree there about Leinster counties . It’s baffling how they don’t insist on an alternate arrangement on venue. Not alone to give themselves a better chance of winning but the economic benefits to a rural town too, 7 or 8 thousand visiting dubs in the likes of navan for the weekend €€€€€€

  88. Mirror mirror on the wall
    Where will dublin play football
    Any place they chose or like
    If you don’t like it, on yer bike

    Mirror mirror name the day
    For the big mayo and kerry replay
    It doesnt matter, send them south
    Let them travel, pay and shut their mouths.

  89. A few long range points from Chrissy Barrett and Shane Nally will penetrate the Galway shawl and swing it in Mayo’s favour. Nothing wrong with August Mayo turning up in May in fact these guys are at it 7 years now they are almost professional.

  90. Willie Joe. I couldn’t agree more about that crazy situation between Louth and Meath. The wife is from Louth and I work in Meath and I think I was more outraged than anyone in either county. It was madness but as you said shows a lack of pride. I know us mayo fans curse our luck in September but at least we our proud people. As are in fairness the rest of county.

  91. It was asked above but does anyone know what or indeed if there is merchandise from Chairde Maigh Eo? They’re like a secret society!……can’t find contact details

  92. Comer does probably go a bit over the top alright but from our point of view the more bigging up of Galway the better before we play them. Remember in 2016 it was the opposite with Kevin Walsh playing the poor mouth talking about the amount of Galway players who turned down an invite to join the panel. That probably contributed to the collective complacency in Mayo in the build-up to that match. So the more talk about how good Galway are the more it suits us.

  93. I wouldn’t want to be disrespectful to the Galway fans but Mayo WILL decide how this game goes. If they have enough lads fit enough and decide they need to win, they will drop the hammer and Mayo will win.
    The Mayo team don’t know what fear is and they also have the ability and players to play the game at any tempo plus they can play their game in several different ways. Galway have some good players, they have improved but they don’t have the same the ability to change their game. If the Mayo bull sees the red rag in May 13th it will be green and red flags that will be flying after the game.

  94. “Get up the yard, Galway for Sam. Galway had a fourteen-man Dublin, shorn of many of their top players, at their mercy in a recent big game and they blew it, Comer included. Nothing I saw that day told me we’ve anything of substance to take (as yet at least) from that particular book.”

    Jeez Willie Joe sometimes I think you are haunted by the possibility of Galway winning the All Ireland. Mayo have had statistically so many chances but no medals so yeah you probably should be worried given the history of Galway football.

  95. FW/Mayolassie..Apparently no merchandise this year… looking like every 2nd … costs gone up and all that

  96. TBH I usually don’t like complimenting Galway but based on their 2017 Championship, I thought they would go straight back down to Division 2. Their consistency in the League is what impressed me. I think comparing this Galway team to the team that lost against Tipperary, Roscommon and Kerry is wrong, Galway in 2018 look like a different animal. It’s going to take a monumental effort from us to get over the line on the 13th

  97. Reamon, given the history of Galway football? I don’t believe ye have beaten Kerry since the 60’s in championship. While it’s approaching a full century since ye beat Dublin. Will be next to impossible to win an all ireland without overturning those stats.

    I do admire how Galway can get their swagger back all of a sudden.

  98. Agree about the situation in Leinster WJ. Its all about pride at the end of the day. Kildare should be included in this group also. They used to be a real footballing county. I have lost all respect for Meath. Time was they had some great players. “Iron men in wooden ships” and all that. Hope our squad keep their focus for the business end, this skirmish with the bally boys is boring the arse off me to be honest.

  99. Ahh, Reammon.. Sure ye don’t have a Mayo man managing ye anymore… I don’t really like giving ye the benefit of my advice.. But when your 4 point’s down and decide to implement the dreaded ‘Galway Shawl’ defence against 14 man Dublin,with a Gale at your back… Someone needs to tell ye what to do… Tyrone tried the dreaded ‘Blanket’ so as Dublin wouldn’t hammer them, it doesn’t work… 70+ minutes in Castlebar will decide whether its one step forward or one step backwards for either of us… The destination of Sam was never decided in May.. We both know that,.. Comer is a handful alright.. But we won’t be using a Blanket’s, Duvet’s, Hot Water Bottle’s or Shawl’s to help our defence due to the fact May is officially Summer Time in Ireland…

  100. The Cairde merchandise is every 2 years as far as I am aware. The trailer is nearly full by now. ha ha. Roll on 2019.

  101. “Statistically so many chances”…..what exactly are you trying to articulate Raemonn?? Do you mean a statistical significance of pooled data (p <0.05)? If so then please enlighten us with your mathematical derivation or could it be more of a vocabulary shortfall ?

  102. Not haunted at all, Reamonn. Galway have made decent progress this spring – nobody can argue to the contrary on that – but their recent championship record when they’ve got to Croke Park has been less than impressive. Maybe they can improve on that this year – who knows? they might actually go and win a championship match at HQ this summer – but I’ll hold my judgment for now. All I can say is that I saw very few hints in the League final of the lofty ambitions Comer was blowing about all over the media this week.

  103. John o Mahoney is a great manager but even with two spells he couldn’t win Sam in Mayo.. Did it in his first year in Galway !

  104. All building up nicely now for the 13th, ladies game to whet appetite, lots to look forward to, as regards team selection and how the game will pan out, great to read all the different opinions and views, I cant see MAYO losing this game, if they get out of the blocks guickly and tag on a few score’s, and sure why wouldn’t they, its what they do, and it’s what we do as well, support them always, im so proud of them warriors, and privileged and proud to be from that lovely country, and county, its going to be 1 hell of a game on the 13th. its payback time, Mayo will settle the bill, with a bit of interest thrown in for good measure, can’t wait, we go again, it’s what we do.

  105. In fairness Tuamstar, yea bet a washed up Meath team and poor auld Kildare, a team that never won an All-Ireland.

  107. @ citog. Couldn’t remember that far back. They won 4 all irelands I think.

    I hope everyone is familiar with what happened in 1925. The year Mayo became All Ireland champions but the powers that be went back on their decisions and Galway ended up becoming all Ireland champions in a farcical affair.

    Tried copying the link for this but it is just going in as text. Copy and paste the text below and stick it in the browser and it tells the sad tale.

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1925_All-Ireland_Senior_Football_Championship

  108. @Tuamstar, John O Mahoney won the U21 All Ireland with Mayo, in his first spell with Mayo seniors he led Mayo to their first All Ireland final since 1951 his 2nd spell shouldn’t have happened because he was too involved with politics and politics and sport do not mix.

  109. Was anyone there in 1981 when Willie Nally single handed beat Galway? That was the first big victory I remember against the auld enemy. Knock out football back then too, so everything was on the line

  110. Whity, Twas, and I was, knockout football and I was there!… I didn’t have feeling like that ever before then, and didn’t really have a feeling like that until what even surpassed it in the 7 point comeback against Dublin in 2006… And Mayomagic, your right there!

  111. I can recall another great memory from a Galway v Mayo championship clash – Castlebar 1983. Mayo corner back (answer on the back of a postcard), collected the ball near his own goal, and for some inexplicable reason, the ball squirted from his grasp – like a wet bar of soap. Stephen Joyce collected, and duly dispatched to the net. It turned the game on its head – Galway went on to win, and progressed to AI final losing to Dublin.

  112. Michael Gavin…..Kilmeena….I was at that game too…and I think he fell in his arse rather than let the ball slip

  113. Can’t beat 97 and 99 for fond memories of this fixture , glorious days when we broke the Tuam hoodoo.

    On the point of this game means little in terms of progress in 18 championship. Are ye well in the head like even putting local rivalry to one side. The prize on offer in practical terms is a chance to play sligo with still a life remaining or a qualifier minefield with ulster heavyweights and no life remaining …..seriously get a grip , the lower of this is in trouble where as the winner is in a great position.

  114. I always wonder about Mayo luck or some would say bad luck and when it all started.

    Mayo were declared all ireland champions in 1925. Because of a late connacht final Mayo were nominated to represent Connacht. We bet wexford in the semis and the other 2 semi finalists kerry and Cavan were eliminated for fielding illegal players. We were declared champions.

    In the meantime Galway bet Mayo in the delayed Connacht final. At this point the Gaa withdrew Mayo as Connacht nominees and galway then became all ireland champions.

    The other semi finalists objected so the Gaa ordered the semi finals to be played again. Kerry objected having beaten Cavan already. The objection didn’t stand so Kerry withdrew and Cavan were in the final.

    Galway bet Cavan then in the final.

    Mayo’s all ireland was taken from them having earlier been declared champions.

    Cavan finished runners up having been earlier disqualified from the championship.

    Galway ended up champions having been earlier removed from the competition.

  115. Galway haven’t wont a championship game in Croke Park since 2001, 18 years.

    I was there 18 years ago and by-jesus I wouldn’t trade that win for anything in the meantime.

  116. I have club + season ticket. Do I just wait for the county board/GAA to just post out my ticket or is there something else I need to do. I know the GAA have sent out an email but I cant find it.

  118. Sinabhuil I think you’ll just need to bring your season ticket with you to gain access to the match. I have the Croke Park one for a few years now and that is usually the protocol at this stage of the year.

  119. @ Willie Joe: think you’re being a bit harsh on both Louth and Meath there. Louth were drawn at home to face Meath in the championship, but their ground neither has the numbers nor the facilities to cope with the demand for a big SFC fixture (as anyone who’s ever seen the grass hill behind one of the goals at the O’Raghallaigh’s would tell you). Louth obviously didn’t want to cede home advantage to Meath, so it ended up being fixed in a neutral venue, Parnell Park.

    I lived up there (on the border between the two counties) for a few years, and certainly in Meath there is no shortage of pride (many would call it arrogance). Both have been adversely affected by the influx of commuters from Dublin, most of whom have no real roots in, or affinity with the GAA. Those that do, tend to send their kids to their home clubs back in Dublin.

    Neither of those counties are well placed to take on Dublin at the moment IMO, especially Louth, where League of Ireland soccer is far stronger than gaelic games in the main towns.

    As for us, we are probably up against it given the amount of injuries we’ve had recently and the form Galway have shown. But Mayo-Galway games seldom respect the form graph and I am expecting a rip-roaring contest nonetheless.

  120. Is anyone else really pissed off with the cairde Maigh Eo craic if changing the merchandise to every two years now? I rang them two weeks ago and that is what I was told. I asked them why am I being charged €80 more than croke park tickets holders for the same thing. They told me I don’t need to have 70% attendance to be guaranteed an all Ireland ticket. That doesn’t make any difference to me when I have 100% every year. They are taking the piss because they know you aren’t going to go be up a season ticket.

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