Review into disappointing U20 season to take place
It was a disappointing for the Mayo U20s. In manager Peadar Gardiner first's year in charge, they finished bottom of the Connacht round-robin phase and while they won the Connacht 'B' final, they subsequently lost the All-Ireland 'B' semi-final to Down.
A full review is to take place into Mayo’s performance in this year’s Connacht and All-Ireland U20 ‘B’ championship. Mayo GAA chairman Seamus Tuohy informed club delegates at last week’s monthly board meeting that he had spoken with team manager Peadar Gardiner and that a full review would be completed and feedback brought to the delegates.
Mayo finished bottom of the Connacht U20 round-robin championship table having lost to Leitrim and Sligo while they did pick up three points from a possible four against Galway and Roscommon.
Ballinrobe GAA delegate Gerry O’Malley queried the benefit of Mayo subsequently playing Leitrim again in a Connacht ‘B’ final and then Down in an All-Ireland ‘B’ semi-final, which denied many clubs some of their best young talent for the opening two rounds of the Mayo Senior Football League.
Central Council delegate Paddy McNicholas admitted that the competition organisers “hadn’t Mayo in mind” when offering a ‘B’ competition and that the idea really was to offer extra matches to “weaker counties… [which] would have been great benefit to some”.
McNicholas said an overall review of U20 championship football had concluded that the big expense attached to preparing a team was unfair if just to play one game.
“I suppose like all competitions it possibly will be reviewed down the road,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Mayo GAA executive is in the process of having a cost analysis and ground survey completed on the proposed development of training facilities at Mulvey Park.
“When that is completed we will present a draft plan,” Seamus Tuohy informed delegates.
The chairman also revealed that Mayo GAA has made representations concerning the venue for the upcoming All-Ireland SFC Group 2 encounter with Dublin. The match could potentially decide which team qualifies automatically for the quarter-finals and is due to be played at a neutral venue – which Mayo insist should rule Croke Park out of the equation.
“What we have asked for is that the game is not in Croke Park, we want it at a neutral venue. That’s our position.” In other news, Mayo GAA has announced AbbVie as sponsors of its adult senior leagues for a three-year period. AbbVie, who are also sponsors of the Sligo senior football team where they also have a base, employ approximately 1,300 people at their Westport facility which specialises in aseptic sterile manufacturing.
