Mayo boosted by Reape availability for Dublin test

Mayo manager Diane O’Hora has been handed a big boost with the news that midfielder Hannah Reape is available for their All-Ireland series opener against Dublin in Castlebar this Sunday (1pm).

Reape was shown a straight red card at the end of the Connacht final but a proposed suspension has been overturned on appeal. It is understood that Reape was sanctioned for striking while video evidence showed she pushed Galway forward Eva Noone.

It is a timely boost ahead of the visit of the reigning All-Ireland champions.

It’s a case of out of the frying pan and into the fire for Diane O’Hora’s side. They lost the Connacht final to Galway, this year’s favourites for the All-Ireland, and in their next game, they are taking on the second favourites and the team who lifted the Brendan Martin Cup on six of the last nine occasions.

But while Mayo were considerably off the mark against Galway in the 2025 Connacht final, losing 0-16 to 1-4, this year’s Connacht decider, though a losing one, can be a source of great solace and encouragement to Mayo.

They ran Galway all the way with a stirring second-half display. Trailing the Tribeswomen 1-10 to 0-3 after 33 minutes, Mayo threw off the shackles and showed themselves and everyone else what they are capable of when they find their best form.

They outscored Galway by 0-8 to 0-1 from there to the finish. Galway were hanging on. Only three points separated the sides at the finish (1-11 to 0-11) and who knows how different it may have been had a 54th-minute Mayo goal by Clodagh Keane not been controversially ruled out.

It was clear from what Diane O’Hora said afterwards that this was a performance that can galvanise the group and drive them forward into the All-Ireland series.

“Coming into this match today, nobody gave us any hope at all but these players absolutely backed themselves.

“We got the opportunity to play the team that is being picked by every single pundit in the country to win the All-Ireland hands down and to come within three points, I couldn’t be prouder.

“The talent is in Mayo, the players who have come in, I think we’ve showed we have improved somewhat in the space of a couple of months and we’re just looking forward to the All-Ireland series,” she said.

With so many Mayo players having departed for Aussie Rules, there has been a talent drain in the game in the county. Westport’s Saoirse Lally is the latest to hit Down Under. But O’Hora and her management team conducted extensive trials to run the rule over as many players as possible, and while they did not get promoted from Division 2, the performance against Galway is a sign of clear progress.

However, they will all know it will count for little if they falter in the All-Ireland series.

The group stages see four groups of three with the top two teams progressing to the quarter-finals.

Mayo have been drawn with Dublin and Donegal. The first game is set for this Sunday in Castlebar. The following weekend, Dublin host Donegal and for the final game, Mayo travel to Donegal on Saturday, June 20.

Dublin are 3/1 second favourites for the All-Ireland while Mayo (18/1) and Donegal (40/1) are well back the pecking order. On that basis, many people will expect Dublin to win their two games and that the game between Mayo and Donegal will determine who takes the second quarter-final spot.

But it is never quite as simple as that. Kildare are the rank outsiders to win the All-Ireland yet they were leading the Leinster final against Dublin after 50 minutes but late goals for the Jackies helped them to a 2-12 to 2-6 win.

It was, incredibly, their 13th Leinster title in a row.

But, a bit like their men’s team, many of the stars of the all-conquering Dublin team of the past decade have retired.

Hannah Tyrell and Nicole Owens stepped away after last year’s All-Ireland final win while Noelle Healy, Lyndsey Davey and Niamh McEvoy called time before them.

There were green shoots for Mayo in Páirc Seán in the Connacht final. They were far too conservative and cagey in the first half but, when the game appeared to be going from them, they threw off the shackles and produced arguably their finest spell of the year.

Sinéad Walsh was central to it while half-time substitute Clodagh Keane played a big part in the comeback too.

If they can bring that energy and intent from the start on Sunday, it could be all set for a classic.