ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW: Mayo intermediate and junior club championship

A new season and new Mayo junior and intermediate ladies champions beckon - but calling a winner is a fool’s game:
Castlebar Mitchels are no dead certs after dropping down from senior. But any side with Mayo stars Danielle Caldwell and Kathryn Sullivan, former Mayo senior Orla Conlon, and Minor county star Suzanne Touhy will definitely be among the peleton.
Newly-promoted Claremorris are a fascinating prospect. Last year, with nine teenage starters, they got all the way to the All-Ireland junior club final and have the potential to go a long way in the years ahead.
Leaving Cert student Bree Hession will be a marked woman at club level for many years to come, as will Mayo senior Alana Fitzpatrick.
Under the new management of Johnny Cummins and Mark Morley, and with the experience of Laura Kelly, Sile Hughes and Marina Cawley, Claremorris could well make back-to-back county final appearances.
Also vying for a way out of Group A are Swinford-Killasser and Kilmoremoy. The former have Mayo senior Caitlin Henry in their ranks and put it up to Charlestown for a long time in the Division 2 final before succumbing to overwhelming firepower.
Kilmoremoy have three Mayo Minors; Meabh Callinan (Sam’s sister), Bairbre Moffatt and Caoilfhionn Tighe, as well as Mayo senior Milly Sheridan, but had to beat St Brigid’s in a play-off to avoid the drop to Division 3. They and Swinford-Killasser will struggle against arguably two of the best teams in the competition.
A Moy Davitts team recently relegated to Division 2 are seeking to bounce back after last year’s disappointing county final display.
While the experienced Siobhán Wilson is out with a cruciate injury, the Moysiders are bolstered by Mayo underage stars Sarah Carney and Kate Byrne and long-established ex-Mayo seniors Tracey Hall, Natasha Gaughan and Lisa Reid.
Still, they will need to be on top of their game to beat Tara and Ciara Needham’s Louisburgh. Likewise Ballyhaunis, with a team starring Mayo midfielder Erin Murray, Kerry native Katelyn O’Sullivan and former Mayo goalie Aisling Tarpey (who now plays in the forwards), will be in the mix after putting it up to Claremorris in the Division 2 shield final.
Eilis Ronayne’s Davitts will also be in the mix for the second place in group B on the back of a Division 3 county title.
On paper, St Brigids are the favourites to win the junior championship.
Last year, they shot 5-63 in championship before tanking in the county final against the future Connacht champions Claremorris.
This year, the girls from Killala, Cooneal, Ballycastle, Lacken, Moygownagh and Kilfian were relegated to Division 3 and are an unknown quantity.
They’ll be up against a fancied Aghamore team starring Mayo senior Saoirse Delaney - who contested the county junior final in 2022. The Neale and a decent Westport side B will put it up to each other but likely won’t have enough to get out of the group.
Four of the youngest clubs in Mayo will compete in group B, where a rising Parke team will battle it out for the top spot with Division 3 Shield champions Breaffy.
They should have too much for Cill Chomáin and Kilmeena, who have struggled for numbers in recent times.

Intermediate Championship:

Group A
Castlebar Mitchels, Swinford-Killasser, Kilmoremoy, Claremorris A
Group B
Moy Davitts, Louisburgh, Ballyhaunis, Davitts

Junior Championship:

Group A
St Brigid’s, Westport B, Aghamore, The Neale
Group B
Breaffy, Cill Chomáin, Kilmeena, Parke/Keelogues/Crimlin