Champs draw champs as clubs discover summer opponents

The 2025 Mayo Senior Football Championship looks set to throw up some memorable encounters following last week’s draw in Hastings Insurance MacHale Park.

Niall Heffernan remains with his native club as back-to-back champions Ballina Stephenites will look to cement their place as one of the great Mayo teams of the modern era when they go for the three-in-a-row, but they have been given a difficult challenge in Group 1, one that includes a visit to long-standing rivals – and newly-minted All-Ireland intermediate champions Crossmolina Deel Rovers – in Round 2.

Brian Benson guided the Deel men club to a historic county, provincial and All-Ireland treble this past year and will hope his players can carry the momentum of those triumphs into the senior championship. It’ll be their first appearance in the top tier since relegation in 2018.

Before that, however, the Stephenites will start the defence of the Moclair Cup with a home game against Ballyhaunis. Pete Warren remains with the East Mayo side as manager and they have former Mayo footballer Mickey Conroy among the backroom team.

Garrymore, disappointed to exit at the quarter-final stage last year, are the fourth team in that group, having home advantage in Round 1 against Crossmolina and meeting Ballina Stephenites on neutral territory in Round 3.

There is much change on the sideline among the four teams in Group 2. After much success with the club’s underage and intermediate team in recent years, Kevin Filan now finds himself in the position of senior manager of Castlebar Mitchels. The club legend has guided many of its present and future stars to success and will hope to land a first Moclair Cup for the county town side since 2017.

There is also change up in the Barony, with Kieran Lavelle taking charge of his native Belmullet. The Erris men secured safety last season after beating Kilmeena in the relegation final Aghamore were left heartbroken when exiting the championship last year on points difference after three stoppage time points from Breaffy, their opponents in the opening round this year. Patrick Finnegan returns to the hot seat after a previous stint as manager and he will hope to guide Aghamore to a first quarter-final since 2020.

Breaffy are the only team in Group 2 to keep their manger, with Sean Deane staying put. The former Mayo minor manager arrived midway towards the end of the Mayo SL last season and will hope he can finally guide the club to a first senior title.

Having been a selector for the past two years with the clubs, Patrick Sharkey now takes charge of Ballaghaderreen. He also was a part of club legend Andy Moran’s backroom when the former Footballer of the Year was in charge of Leitrim. Ballaghaderreen took Ballina Stephenites to the limit before being beaten in the 2024 semi-final after extra-time and confidence will be high they can go on another run.

Their first round tie against Claremorris looks set to be a barnstormer. Both sides met in the group stage last year and a draw secured Ballagh’s progress at the expense of the South Mayo side. Kevin Beirne and Ronan Kenny remain in place as they hope to fulfil the much-heralded potential of their young side.

Lyndon Reilly takes charge of Ballintubber, and the five-time Moclair Cup winners are not to be written off while Charlestown, who have yet to confirm their managerial team for the upcoming season, will be salivating for their East Mayo derby with Ballagh’.

The most high-profile managerial appointments have been in Group 4. Ray Dempsey, after helping out with Parke-Keelogues-Crimlin last season, returns to his home club of Knockmore. He guided them to back-to-back Mayo senior titles in 2020 and 2021 and has named one Joe Brolly among his management team.

There is also a big name in the Westport dugout, with former Mayo senior manager Pat Holmes among six men overseeing the club’s senior team, including Joe Doyle, Padraig Barrett, PJ Foy, Sean Sloan and Joe Fadian, as the club look to reclaim the senior title after winning it for the first time in 2022.

For the third year in-a-row, Mayo Gaels and Balla have been drawn together in the group stages. Gaels won in 2023 but Balla got the job done last year as the men in maroon won their first group stage game since arriving in senior in 2021.

Alan Nolan remains with Balla while Mayo Gaels have appointed former players Johnny Griffin and Niall Brett to manage the side. Former Galway and Corofin footballer Ciaran McGrath, who also played for Garrymore, comes in as a coach.

Mayo SFC – Round 1 (August 9/10 – first named at home) 

Group 1: Ballina v Ballyhaunis, Garrymore v Crossmolina.

Group 2: Castlebar Mitchels v Belmullet, Aghamore v Breaffy.

Group 3: Ballaghaderreen v Claremorris, Ballintubber v Charlestown.

Group 4: Westport v Mayo Gaels, Balla v Knockmore.