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16 Apr 2026

Mayo star forward makes top ten U-20 footballers in Ireland list

The prolific attacker made an immediate impact for Andy Moran's senior side in the National League

Mayo star forward makes top ten U-20 footballers in Ireland list

The Under-20 star has shone in the National League for Mayo as well as in the Connacht GAA Under-20 Football Championship. Pic: Sportsfile

Mayo GAA star forward Darragh Beirne has seen his performances for both the Under-20s and Seniors in 2026 noticed, as he was named in a list of ten Under-20 footballers in the country to keep an eye on.

The flame-haired kicker, who has shone both for club, school, and county in the last few years, featured in the Irish Independent's '10 under-20s in Gaelic football and hurling' list, where they highlighted those who have had a major impact on this year's provincial series.

"The Claremorris forward made a brilliant start to his Mayo senior career when scoring 1-1 in each of his first two games," journalist Niall McIntyre penned.
"He carried that form into their U-20 campaign, helping Keith Higgins’s side to early wins over Sligo, Roscommon, and Leitrim, with Kobe McDonald also prominent.
"Beirne is a left-footer who may become a free-taker for the seniors down the line."
To say that Beirne has carried that red-hot form from his first couple of senior appearances into the Under-20 campaign is a more-than-reasonable assessment.
His 1-19 tally across four games, which sees him level with Kobe McDonald at the top of the scoring charts, included a trio of two-pointers.
That tally was intrinsic as Keith Higgins' side went unbeaten in the League phase, including last night's victory over Galway in MacHale Park.
The Claremorris man came into this campaign off the back of a stellar 2025, where he notched 0-7 of his side's 1-14 as his club won the U-21 Championship, netted the second goal as Mayo won the U-20 provincial crown, and was the driving force of St Colman's, Claremorris' run to the Hogan Cup final.

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