McDonald to link up with Mayo squad for training camp
Kobe McDonald will be among the 43-man Mayo squad heading to Portugal for a training camp ahead of the new season. Picture: Sportsfile
Preparations ahead of the 2026 inter-county for the Mayo senior football team are heating up, with a warm weather training camp ongoing at the moment.
The understands that a majority of the panel’s 43 players were to fly to Portugal last Sunday for the camp. A number of challenge games are expected to be played before the Christmas, which includes the charity match against Offaly on Sunday, December 21 in aid of Mayo Cancer Support Association.
The big inclusion is Crossmolina Deel Rovers teen sensation Kobe McDonald. The 17-year-old former Mayo minor had an outstanding campaign with his club during the Mayo Senior Football Championship, and his addition is somewhat surprising given that he appears set for a career in Australian football after Melbourne-based St Kilda announced that McDonald will join the club next year.
The panel includes much of last season’s squad, including Stephen Coen, Paddy Durcan, Aidan O’Shea, Sam Callinan and Tommy Conroy, and there are returns to the panel for Cillian O’Connor, James Carr, Michael Plunkett and Rob Hennelly, the latter coming out of retirement.
Members of last season’s Mayo U20 team Hugh O’Loughlin, John MacMonagle, Seamus Howard, Darragh Beirne, Niall Hurley and Tom Lydon have also been called up by Mayo senior manager Andy Moran, while Liam Donoghue, Adam Barrett, Nathan Moran and Kuba Callaghan have been brought in off the back of impressive showings in the Mayo Club Championships.
The 2026 inter-county season begins on the first weekend of January with the Connacht FBD League, with the National League beginning on January 24 away to Galway.
Mayo panel: Jack Livingstone (Breaffy), Rob Hennelly (Raheny), Adrian Phillips (Ballyhaunis), Jack Coyne (captain, Ballyhaunis), John McMonagle (Castlebar Mitchels), David McBrien (Ballaghaderreen), Rory Brickenden (Westport), Donnacha McHugh (Castlebar Mitchels), Sean Morahan (Castlebar Mitchels), Paddy Durcan (Castlebar Mitchels), Michael Plunkett (Ballintubber), Hugh O’Loughlin (Kilmaine), Sam Callinan (Ballina Stephenites), Diarmuid O’Connor (Ballintubber), Stephen Coen (Hollymount-Carramore), Enda Hession (Garrymore), Fenton Kelly (Davitts), Matthew Ruane (Breaffy), Jordan Flynn (Crossmolina Deel Rovers), Nathan Moran (Hollymount-Carramore), Liam Donoghue (Kiltane), Jack Carney (Kilmeena), Aidan O’Shea (Breaffy), Seamus Howard (Belmullet), Bob Tuohy (Castlebar Mitchels), Dylan Thornton (Ballina Stephenites), Conal Dawson (Westport), Darren McHale (vice-captain, Knockmore), Finbar McLaughlin (Westport), Ryan O’Donoghue (vice-captain, Belmullet), Adam Barrett (Kilmaine), Fergal Boland (Aghamore), Kobe McDonald (Crossmolina Deel Rovers), Frank Irwin (Ballina Stephenites), Darragh Beirne (Claremorris), Cian McHale (Moy Davitts), Tom Lydon (The Neale), Cillian O’Connor (Ballintubber), James Carr (Ardagh), Kuba Callaghan (Ballaghaderreen), Tommy Conroy (The Neale), Niall Hurley (Claremorris), Paul Towey (Charlestown Sarsfields).
