Mayo GAA confirm start date and structure for 2026 club leagues

Mayo GAA have confirmed that Round One of the Senior Football Leagues are set to take place on the weekend of Friday, April 17, Saturday, April 18, and Sunday, April 19.

The start date, as well as the structures of all divisions of the competition, was confirmed at the February meeting of the Executive and club delegates on Wednesday evening in MacHale Park.

The opening fixtures will take place one week after the senior inter-county team's visit to Ruislip to take on London in the Connacht Championship quarter-final.

Controversy reared its head at the previous meeting when a provisional League structure was shown to delegates.

The new league format comes a month after earlier proposals caused controversy.

Those proposals which were shown to delegates by the county vice-chairman, Michael Diskin, would have seen eight divisions, each featuring ten teams, established.

Divisions One, Two, Three, Four, and Five would feature ten sides, with two being promoted and relegated at the end of each campaign.

The majority of consternation, though, came in the structure of Divisions Six, Seven, and Eight.

The leagues were divided geographically, with each league having a final contested between the top two sides.

From the 30 teams in the three divisions, two sides would be promoted to Division Five for the following season.

Protestations from club delegates saw those plans shelved, and a different structure was presented on Wednesday.

This new structure sees every club's 'A' team, with the exception of Moygownagh, placed in Divisions One, Two, Three, Four, and Five, along with six 'B' sides.

Each year, two sides will qualify for the League final and promotion, while two sides will be relegated, similar to the 2025 leagues.

Division Six contains 29 sides and is split up into four regional leagues. The 29 is made up of Moygownagh 'A', along with 26 'B' teams and two 'C' sides.

The side that tops each regional division will qualify for the Division Six semi-finals. The finalists will qualify for promotion to Division Five.

The leagues are as follows:

Division One:

Ballina Stephenites

Ballintubber

Belmullet

Breaffy

Castlebar Mitchels

Claremorris

Crossmolina Deel Rovers

Garrymore

Knockmore

Westport

Division Two:

Aghamore

Balla

Ballaghaderreen

Ballinrobe

Charlestown Sarsfields

Davitts

Hollymount/Carramore

Mayo Gaels

Moy Davitts

Parke Keelogues Crimlin

Division Three:

Ardnaree Sarsfields

Ballyhaunis

Bonniconlon

Burrishoole

Cill Chomain

Eastern Gaels

Kilmeena

Kiltane

Louisburgh

The Neale

Division Four:

Aghamore B

Ardagh

Breaffy B

Killala

Kilmaine

Kiltimagh

Lahardane

Shrule Glencorrib

Swinford

Westport B

Division Five:

Achill

Ballycastle

Ballycroy

Castlebar B

Claremorris B

Islandeady

Kilmovee Shamrocks

Knockmore B

Northern Gaels

Tourmakeady

Division Six A (North and East):

Ardagh B

Ardnaree Sarsfields B

Ballina Stephenites B

Bonniconlon B

Charlestown Sarsfields B

Moy Davitts B

Swinford B

Division Six B (North and West):

Belmullet B

Cill Chomain B

Crossmolina Deel Rovers B

Killala B

Kiltane B

Moygownagh

Northern Gaels B

Division Six C (South):

Ballinrobe B

Davitts B

Garrymore B

Hollymount/Carramore B

Mayo Gaels B

Shrule Glencorrib B

The Neale B

Division Six D (Mid-county):

Kiltimagh B

Parke Keeloges Crimlin B

Castlebar Mitchels C

Kilmeena B

Westport C

Balla B

Ballintubber B

Burrishoole B