Club delegate calls for Under-20 discussion

MAYO’S poor record in the Connacht Under-20 championship over the last decade and the team’s recent ‘disappointing’ championship performance against Sligo have highlighted the need for a review of the grade in the county.
That’s according to Westport GAA club delegate, Willie McDonagh, who told last week’s meeting of the County Board that Mayo’s defeat in the Connacht semi-final last month ‘was probably the poorest performances I’ve seen from a Mayo team’.
Mayo GAA chairman Seamus Tuohy had earlier labelled the performance and loss as ‘disappointing, of course’.
“It didn’t work out on the day,” said the chairman. “We will have a review with Maurice [Sheridan, manager] in the next week or fortnight just to review how the season went.
“Maurice is at the end of a three-year contract so I think it’s important that we wait until after a review takes place before any decisions are made.”
“I’d like to express my disappointment at the quality of the performance of the Mayo Under-20 team against Sligo,” Willie McDonagh said under ‘AOB’ at the end of the meeting.
“It was probably the poorest performance I’ve seen from a Mayo team.
“I know you’re having a review with Maurice [Sheridan] next week, but I think we really need to look at what do we expect from the Under-20s? Is it just about bringing players through to senior or winning something with them?
“Since 2009 we have won two Connacht titles. That’s a very poor return for a county with the quality of footballers we have. I think we need to look at an Under-20 or Under-21 club championship, even if it is at the back-end of the year.
“When I saw the quality of football that Sligo played, the skill level and the way they went about the game, compared to Mayo, it was a million miles apart.”
“Sligo have put huge resources into coaching into schools, absolutely huge,” added Garrymore GAA club delegate, John Farragher.
“That’s where they’re putting their huge focus. Summerhill were in the All-Ireland [colleges final] Hogan Cup this year, and there are full-time coaches working in some Sligo schools.”
“I think to be fair to the present set-up, we’ll go ahead with the review and we can have this discussion at the next County Board meeting,” remarked Seamus Tuohy.
Mayo GAA’s delegate to Central Council, Paddy McNicholas, then revealed that the inter-county age grades for both Under-17 and Under-20 could be set to change for 2024.
“I think we might have to wait a bit longer than the next County Board meeting because there’s a review group looking at both the Under-17 and Under-20 inter-county championships at the moment,” said the Kiltimagh clubman.
“Both of them went to Central Council at the back-end of last year, and there was a proposal to change Under-20 to Under-19 that was shot down.
“I think one of the main reasons it was shot down was that there was no plan for when it would start or finish or what format it would take. And it was the same for Under-17.
“So they’re gone back looking at it again, and I expect something at a Central Council meeting in either May or July, and then there would have to be a Special Congress, probably in September, if they want to change it.
“So Under-20 could change to Under-19 [at inter-county level] next year,” he concluded.
“We can have our own Under-20 or Under-21 club championship competition anyway, it gets players used to the physicality of the game,” added Mayo GAA vice-chairman, Con Moynihan.