Mayo GAA Board quash Dublin game switch talk

Talk of Croke Park treble header ‘a non-runner’


Edwin McGreal

Mayo GAA chiefs have quashed speculation that the eagerly awaited Mayo v Dublin National Football League game could be switched from Castlebar to Croke Park.
Mayo are due to face Dublin under lights at MacHale Park in Castlebar on Saturday evening, February 6. That same day two Mayo clubs are due to play All-Ireland Club Finals in Croke Park in Dublin.
Hollymount/Carramore and Ardnaree Sarsfields secured their places in the All-Ireland Intermediate and Junior Club Football Finals respectively with victories on Sunday.
With Ardnaree’s final due to throw-in at 3pm and Hollymount/Carramore following up at 4.45pm, there was growing talk yesterday (Monday) about moving Mayo’s game with Dublin to Croke Park and setting up an enticing triple header.
However, Mayo GAA Board Chairman Mike Connelly said the switch is ‘a non-runner’.
Over 10,000 people are expected to attend the Mayo v Dublin game under lights and Connelly said ‘we couldn’t take 10,000 people away from the business people of Castlebar’.
Mike Connelly is a Hollymount/Carramore clubman himself. One of his brothers, Tom, is the team’s manager while another brother, former Mayo star Ray, is a key man in their defence.
He admits the idea of a treble header is ‘a nice thing to do’ in theory but says ‘we have to think of all sides’ and ‘everything is organised’ for the Castlebar fixture.
He said it was ‘unfortunate’ the club finals were clashing with the Mayo v Dublin game but added ‘as problems go, we’ll take it’.
The Mayo News understands that demand for hotel rooms in Castlebar and Westport on the night of the Dublin game is very high due to the fixture and the crowd is expected to bring a significant windfall to pubs in the area too.
The fixture is also expected to bring a significant financial windfall to the Mayo GAA Board.
Hollymount/Carramore play St Mary’s of Cahirciveen in Kerry in their All-Ireland Intermediate Football Final while it is Kerry opposition that awaits for Ardnaree too, in the form of Templenoe, the club of Kerry legend and Gaelic football pundit Pat Spillane.
For reports, reaction and pictures on those two victories see Sport.