ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW: Mayo Junior Club Championship

As a sea of black and amber flags fluttered in the breeze and the young men of Lahardane climbed into the stand to get their hands on the Pete McDonnell Cup at the end of the 2023 junior campaign, Eddie Conroy sat quietly pitchside. The team boss was elated, proud, satisfied, grateful and tired. The former Breaffy footballer had guided his team to the county  title in his first year of management and he was a happy man.

Conroy also knew how difficult the task had been. Winning the junior title is a task that eluded many over the years and for Lahardane to have achieved it just 12 months after their relegation from intermediate ranks was something to be celebrated.

This week, those hoping to emulate Lahardane set off on the mad-mystery tour that is the county junior championship. The runners and riders have been girding their loins for the past few months and now all the shaping and shimmying is over and the action is about to begin.

There are many questions to be asked and none of them can be answered here, but we can tease out some of them. Can Shrule Glencorrib go one better than last year and get their hands on the big silver cup? Can Bonniconlon bounce back to intermediate ranks at their first attempt? Will Cill Chomain finally come good after years of almost crossing the Rubicon? Will the youthful, vibrancy of Eastern Gaels carry them to a first title? Will Killala make up for last year's narrow defeat at the hands of the eventual champions? Or will someone come out of the pack and cause a major upset? There are so many questions to be answered over the next few weeks and watching the championship unfold will be hugely entertaining.

There are three groups. Two groups have five teams each and the third group is made up of four teams. Three quarter-finalists will emerge from each five-team group and two will advance from the four-team group.

That's the easy bit over. Predicting who the eight quarter-finalists will be is a different matter entirely.

GROUP 1

This five-team gathering consists of Moygownagh, Swinford, Bonniconlon, Cill Chomain and Kilmovee Shamrocks. Moygownagh will admit, they're the weakest team in the group and probably won't advance but after that it's a free-for-all.

On Sunday next, Moygownagh make the journey to Kilmovee and Swinford host Bonniconlon. Kilmovee will be expected to win their opener on home soil, but the match in Robert McCallion Park will set the tone for the entire competition. Will Bonniconlon successfully launch their escape bid on opening day or will Swinford make a statement. The men in black and red were demoted to junior ranks a few seasons ago and are well aware of the difficulties experienced in the jaws of junior football. Cill Chomain will start the campaign a week later when they host Swinford but they'll have plenty to look at this weekend.

GROUP 2

All five will expect to advance from this one. Tourmakeady, Ardagh, Ballycroy, Shrule Glencorrib, and Northern Gaels will fancy their chances of reaching the knock-out stages. Last year's finalists Shrule Glencorrib will be hot favourites to advance but who will accompany them out of the group is hard to predict.

Tourmakeady began the season poorly but recovered to have a healthy finish to the league. They'll relish hosting Ardagh in Pairc Naomh Muire next Saturday afternoon. It's one of the most welcoming venues in sport, but guests have to earn anything that comes their way. The following day, Shrule Glencorrib will make the trip to Kilfian to take on Northern Gaels and it'll be a gut-tester for the South Mayo men. If they have designs on winning the competition they'll have to dig out results such as this and the hosts will love the thought of last year's finalists coming to town.

Ballycroy will be waiting in the wings to make their entrance the following week against Northern Gaels and the Erris men will use every day of that extra week to prepare. They started the league campaign in very impressive fashion but a severe injury list took its toll and their league season ended in disappointing fashion. They'll be awaiting news from sick-bay before finalising championship preparations.

GROUP 3

This is a 'Group of Death' if there ever was one. Killala could have beaten Lahardane in last year's quarter-final, so they'll be looking to put that right this season. Achill are young and energetic and pushed Lahardane all the way in last weekend's league relegation play-off, Ballycastle always fancy their chances, especially in Tom Langan Park, while Eastern Gaels are tipped by many to have a real shot at winning the title.

This four-team group doesn't get underway until August 16, but once the ball is thrown in there will be nothing spared. The first round action will take place in North Mayo with Killala hosting Achill and Eastern Gaels making the trip to Ballycastle. The winners of both ties will immediately be favourites to qualify for the quarter-finals, so expect it to begin with a bang.

CONCLUSION

Predicting the winner of any competition is difficult, but calling a winner before the junior championship begins is utter folly. At this juncture, Shrule Glencorrib, Cill Chomain, Killala and Eastern Gaels are among the favourites but the most difficult of all competitions will have more twists and turns than Mondello Park on a frosty morning. Enjoy the ride.