Mitchels hungry for more as they bid to reach Connacht final
Castlebar Mitchels manager Kevin Filan. Picture: INPHO/James Crombie
A fortnight since ending their nine-year wait for a Mayo senior title, Castlebar Mitchels will now look to extend their season further with provincial success when they take on London champions Fulham Irish in the Connacht semi-final.
Indeed, Mitchels were the last Mayo team to lift the Shane McGettigan Cup when they defeated club giants Corofin to win the Connacht title in 2015 and Kevin Filan’s men stand 60 minutes away from a first Connacht final appearance since 2017.
The majority of the current panel will not have been born the last time Mitchels played in London, where they defeated Tir Chonaill Gaels in the 1993-94 All-Ireland quarter-final.
Their opponents Fulham Irish were well beaten by Ballina Stephenites in the 2023 Connacht quarter-final and while Mitchels will be favourites this Saturday, the Mitchels manager has warned against any complacency.
“You can't underestimate the London clubs,” said Filan. “It's obviously due to the fact that there's more Irish that's going over, obviously for employment and work. We know the teams are getting stronger over there. We don't definitely want to be the team that gets caught, that's for sure.” Among Filan’s selectors is Shane Hopkins, who experienced the highs of winning a Connacht title in 2013 and 2015 to the pain of losing the 2017 decider in extra-time.
“They were amazing days, absolutely amazing days,” said Hopkins. “The Brigid’s game [in 2013] was incredible, like the way we won that game. Beating Corofin as well [in 2015], reigning All-Ireland champions, unbelievable.
“I look back, we had some unbelievable days, like the day up in Crossmaglen [2015-16 All-Ireland semi-final] was unbelievable.
“Obviously, silverware is where it matters. I think we'll give it a good rattle this year as well, with the Connacht championship.” Now a new generation will look to emulate their heroes. Eoghan Hughes was in Tuam when Mitchels played Corofin as a ball boy for Mitchels, travelling up on the team bus.
He began his championship with the intermediate side, but strong performances saw him elevated to the senior panel and he scored the last point in their final win over Garrymore.
“It is a very important thing for us in the club to stay in the intermediate championship because it's such a pathway from intermediate to senior,” Hughes said at last Thursday’s media evening in An Sportlann.
“Playing against Neale that day [in Round 1], didn't know where they were, where they stood and then ended up playing in the senior championship a couple of weeks later. It's massive for the club.” Now a teammate to Rory Byrne, Donie Newcombe, Stevie Keane, Neil Douglas and Paddy and James Durcan, he hopes to add more Connacht silverware.
“Having them boys around, they've been there, they've done it, they know what it takes to win a Connacht title. We're going to put the head down, listen to them because they've been there and we're going to give it our best rattle at getting there," said Hughes.
“Getting to the final first is the most important part. Obviously we have to get over the whole London, the London game which is, it's going to be by no means an easy feat but we're going to give it a proper rattle.
“You could tell training yesterday; there's a serious buzz in the camp. Boys are really, really putting their head down. The county title, it's been unbelievable, but I feel like the sort of impression is that it's not enough now. We want to go on and do more things.”
