OPINION: Mayo League to elect new committee this week

The Mayo League meets this week to elect a new management committee and hopefully, get the 2026 season, the start of which has been delayed, back on track.

A selection of candidates is on offer at the EGM, including two for the position of secretary.

Whilst everyone will want to wish the process well, it should be noted that members of the warring outgoing factions are on the nominee list and it is difficult to see how, if elected, they will be able to work together, after the breakdown of the last committee.

If it didn’t work that last time, how will it work now? Hopefully they can find a way.

The row that brought the situation this far, seemed to be about Mayo FC and, amongst other things, a sweetheart deal around rent-free use of Milebush, but The Mayo News understands there are other issues under the surface.

Some are of recent origin; others historical.

The vote for secretary is a straight shoot-out between John Durkan and Martin Kielty.

Mr Durkan has been secretary for over 30 years and I am surprised that he didn’t take this opportunity to retire.

He has given excellent service to the league and was behind much of the progressive direction that body has taken to develop the game in Mayo.

But 30 plus years is a long time and this would have been an ideal opportunity to leave. Maybe he didn’t want to go under the circumstances.

Mr Durkan is a shrewd and capable operator and has been nominated by 14 out of the 25 clubs entitled to vote.

If all those delegates turn up on the night and vote as per their nomination, he should be re-elected.

But like, football, nothing is certain in elections.  

Martin Kielty has been nominated by three clubs. He is on the league management committee for 15 years.

If he is elected, he will be able to draw on this experience; it’s not as if he would be going in green.

The key advantage that Mr Kielty has, is that he offers a new face at the helm.

Club delegates have to decide if they want a new secretary running the league. Is it time for change?

If it is, Martin Kielty is a very credible option. If not, John Durkan is a very credible option.

The Mayo News understands that Mr Durkan stepped down from the board of Mayo FC last week.

This move is seen to be a clearing of the way for his re-election as Secretary of the Mayo League, answering potential conflict of interest questions before they are asked.

Mr Kilety was one of the founding members of Mayo FC but stepped away last year. No potential conflict of interest there either. 

Nine committee members will be elected. The outgoing chairman, Chris McHale Roe, a coach with Galway United’s women’s League of Ireland team, is seeking a place on the committee.

He had a very short tenure as Chairman, when he took over from Seamus Hughes, at the AGM last December. Mr Hughes has not been nominated for a position on the committee. The Mayo News understands that he was not interested in going forward. 

The other nominees on the list (seen by this newspaper) are: Aidan Dunleavy, Chris McGauley, Gerry Sweeney, Kieran Gallagher, Paul Kenny, Patrick Lindsay, Seán Molloy, Richard Gorman, Seán Ruane, Tom McDaniel, Mark Beattie and Kenneth Gannon.

A lone female who was nominated, is not going forward, meaning that whatever the outcome, the new committee will be made up exclusively of men, ignoring representative voice and input of 50.43% of the population of the county.

As the saying goes, the more things change, the more they stay the same.