Mayo GAA
- For more details of Mayo GAA see Mayo Senior Club Football Championship or Mayo Senior Club Hurling Championship.
| File:Mayo crest.gif | |
| Irish: | Maigh Eo |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s): | The Westerners |
| Province: | Connacht |
| Dominant sport: | Gaelic football |
| Ground(s): | McHale Park, Castlebar |
| County colours: | Red, green and white |
| County teams | |
| NFL: | Division 1 |
| NHL: | Division 2 |
| Football Championship: | Sam Maguire Cup |
| Hurling Championship: | Christy Ring Cup |
| Ladies' Gaelic football: | Brendan Martin Cup |
| Camogie: | O'Duffy Cup |
The Mayo County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) (Irish: Cumann Luthchleas Gael Coiste Maigh Eo) or Mayo GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic Games in County Mayo and the Mayo inter-county teams.
History
Though not affiliated through the 1890s, there is strong evidence of GAA activity in Mayo and the rivalry with Galway that brought success to both counties from the 1930s on was already in evidence. This History between Mayo & Galway produced 2 of the finest footballing teams in the west. At present both counties have an equal amount of Connaught titles.
Gaelic football
Mayo have had past players named on the GAA team of the Millennium. Distinguished players in Mayo's past include Willie Joe Padden, Liam McHale, Tom Langan, Sean Flanagan and Seamus O'Malley.
One of the great turning points in GAA history west of the Shannon was the 1935 Connacht final when 26,000 turned out to see League champions Mayo beat the All-Ireland champions Galway in Roscommon.[citation needed] The following year Mayo were leading by a goal in the last minute when Brendan Nestor scored an equalising goal for Galway - he raised the flag himself and caused a riot.[citation needed] Mayo won the replay and captured their first All-Ireland. The following year, 1937, they were victim of Louis Blessing's last-minute goal in the semi-final against Cavan in another match that featured a pitch invasion.[citation needed] It ended Mayo's run of 57 matches without defeat.[citation needed] Mayo dominated the National Football League for six years, but pulled out of the 1939-40 league (duly won by Galway) in a grievance over the 1939 semi-final, a bad-tempered draw and replay with Kerry.[citation needed]
Mayo took ten years to come out of Connacht again, won revenge over Kerry, narrowly won the 1948 All Ireland final to Cavan and 1949 semi-final to Meath but returned in 1950 to also win an extraordinary All-Ireland when Louth's Sean Boyle had his kick-out charged down and Mick Flanagan broke through for a freak winning goal.[citation needed] In 1951 Mayo retained the All Ireland with three late points from Padraig Carney, known as the flying doctor because of the method of return from the United States.[citation needed] Eight wides and a one point defeat in the replayed 1955 All Ireland semi-final brought that particular era to an end. The 1967 team ended Galway's four-in-a-row dreams but went on to another one-point semi-final defeat (Kerry in 1969), their last league success and two defeats in league finals.
In 1996 Mayo felt they should have won a controversial All Ireland final against Meath, Ray Dempsey's 45th minute goal giving them a lead of six points to slip away and seeing Colm Coyle's long shot bounce over the bar for the equaliser. During a bad-tempered replay - which had an infamous brawl in which Liam McHale, one of Mayo's most influential players, was sent off - they led by four points at half-time only to succumb to a Tommy Dowd goal. Mayo lost the 1997, 2004, and 2006 finals to Kerry. Their narrow 1-16 to 2-12 semi-final victory over Dublin in the 2006 championship in front of 82,200 spectators in Croke Park earned them their 2nd final appearance in three years. But yet again they lost against Kerry.
Mayo Gaelic Football Squad
| Number | Player | Position | Local Club |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | David Clarke | Goalkeeper | Ballina Stephenites |
| 2 | Dermot Geraghty | Right Full Back | Shrule-Glencorrib |
| 3 | David Heaney Captain | Full Back | Swinford |
| 4 | Keith Higgins | Left Full Back | Ballyhaunis |
| 5 | Aidan Higgins | Right Half Back | Charlestown Sarsfields |
| 6 | James Nallen | Centre Back | Crossmolina-Deel Rovers |
| 7 | Peadar Gardiner | Left Half Back | Crossmolina-Deel Rovers |
| 8 | Ronan McGarrity | Midfield | Ballina Stephenites |
| 9 | Pat Harte | Midfield | Ballina Stephenites |
| 10 | Billy Joe Padden | Right Half Forward | Belmullet |
| 11 | Ger Brady | Centre Forward | Ballina Stephenites |
| 12 | Alan Dillon | Left Half Forward | Ballintubber |
| 13 | Kevin O'Neill | Right Full Forward | Na Fianna |
| 14 | Conor Mortimer | Full Forward | Shrule-Glencorrib |
| 15 | Ciarán McDonald | Left Full Forward | Crossmolina-Deel Rovers |
| 13 | Michael Conroy | Right Full Forward | Davitts |
Honours
- All-Ireland Senior Football Championships: 3
- All-Ireland Junior Football Championships: 5
- All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championships: 4
- All-Ireland Minor Football Championships: 6
- National Football Leagues: 11
- 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1949, 1954, 1970, 2001
- Connacht Senior Football Championships: 41
- 1901, ‘03, ‘04, ‘06, ‘07, ‘08, ‘09, ‘10, ‘15, ‘16, ‘18, ‘20, ‘21, ‘23, ‘24, ‘29, ‘30, ‘31, ‘32, ‘35, ‘36, ‘37, ‘39, ‘48, ‘49, ‘50, ‘51, ‘55, ‘67, ‘69, ‘81, ‘85, ‘88, ‘89, ‘92, ‘93, ‘96, ‘97, ‘99, 2004, '06
Hurling
Although their only senior hurling championship match successes since beating Galway by 10-1 to 4-1 in the 1908 Connacht final have been against Sligo in 1991 and 1992, Davey Synnott helped Connacht to Railway cup victories in 1982 and 1983.
Honours
Ladies' Gaelic football
![[icon]](/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. |
Honours
- All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championships : 4
- All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Finalists:
- All-Ireland Junior Ladies' Football Championships: 1
- All-Ireland Minor Ladies' Football Championships: 1
Bibliography
- Mayo's Football Triumphs by M A Clune (Dublin, Pearse Press 1954)
- The Green Above The Red, A Compilation Of Mayo's All-Ireland Triumphs At All Levels by Terry Reilly And Ivan Neill (Ballina 1985).