Castlebar Mitchels end Garrymore fairytale to return to summit of Mayo Football
Castlebar Mitchels celebrate after defeating Garrymore to win the 2026 Mayo SFC Final in Hastings INsurance MacHale Park. Picture: INPHO/James Crombie
Castlebar Mitchels have returned to the summit of Mayo football after a deserved 1-17 to 0-12 victory over Garrymore in Hastings Insurance MacHale Park to win the Connacht Gold Mayo Senior Football Championship.
Garrymore had the aid of the breeze in the first half, but it was Mitchels who got off to a flyer with the outstanding Bob Tuohy opening the scoring with a two-pointer inside a minute.
His county teammate Paddy Durcan was in on goal on three minutes but show his shot blocked by Colin Commins, but Mitchels reeled off the next three points through Bob Tuohy, Cian Walsh and a Joe Forry free.
Garrymore were struggling to create much of note, with two-point attempts by Darren Quinn and Andy Glennon that drifted wide, while Mitchels continued to motor through Tuohy’s fourth point and a second for Forry to make it 0-7 to 0-0 with 16 minutes played.
Garrymore finally got off the mark through an Aaron Hughes two-pointer on 21 minutes, but it was Mitchels who continued to run proceedings thanks to a great score by Sean Morahan and another from Anthony O’Boyle.
It appeared to be all going wrong for the red and white, who saw David Dolan and Shane Nally both withdrawn before half-time, but Shane’s brother Trevor gave them hope with the last kick of the half as his two-pointer left five between them at the break.
Eoin McGreal got the Garrymore charge up and running but another Tuohy point and a booming two-pointer by Paddy Durcan put seven between them and it appeared the game was getting away from Garrymore.
Coming into the final quarter, the deficit was cut to three as Trevor Nally and Darren Quinn pointed either side of a brilliant two-pointer by Eoin McGreal.
Bob Tuohy had a chance to finish of Garrymore only to blaze his goal effort over. A second point from Quinn brought it back to three but an inspirational two-point free from Forry from over 50 metres out put Mitchels five clear with ten minutes remaining.
A two-pointer from Quinn, cleverly worked from a ’45, gave Garrymore hope but it would be extiniguished when Mitchels were awarded a penalty when Justin Commins, who was black carded as a result, brought John MacMonagle down as he was through on goal. Cian Walsh buried the penalty and a late Eoghan Hughes point ensured the Moclair Cup would return to the county town for the first time since 2017.
The victory capped off a trilogy of Mayo GAA Club finals in Hastings Insurance MacHale Park this afternoon. Davitts will return to the senior grade for 2027 after defeating South Mayo rivals Ballinrobe to win the Egan Jewellers IFC title while Ardagh made history by winning their first ever county title, beating Eastern Gaels to claim the Treanlaur Catering JFC 'A' crown.
