Mayo FC joining new LOI system 'the way forward' - Michael Ring

Mayo’s Michael Ring may have stepped away from the halls of Dáil Éireann, but sitting idle was never his way.

The Westport man served as a Mayo representative for a grand total of three decades and announced he wouldn’t be contesting the general election at the end of last July.

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Now, mere months later, Mr Ring is back at the round table. The Former Minister for Sport will be bringing his musings to the National League Committee, who are responsible for the running of the League of Ireland.

In an interview with The Mayo News at the launch of the Mayo Ladies Soccer League a week after taking up the role, he said the opportunity to get involved with one of his passions couldn’t be turned down.

“I’m enjoying it. The FAI came to me and asked me; there’s two non-executive positions; and they asked me would I take up one. I was delighted to do it.

“The League of Ireland Director’s role has given me a boost and has given me something to concentrate the mind. I am busy at it because there’s a lot of meetings. I have had three or four meetings already.”

The constant bustling life of representing Mayo in Dáil Éireann came to an end for Ring in 2024. However, there was no doubt he’d be keeping himself busy one way or another.

“To be fair and honest with you, I was worried about the retirement,” he admitted. “I was going at such a pace, and I was just afraid when it all stopped what would happen.

“The very first few weeks, I have to be honest, I missed it. Then, all of a sudden, I started doing new things. I walk every day, and I’ve found plenty to do. The day flies.

“I actually don’t know where I got the time to do all the things that I did because I’m doing so many things now again.”

Ring is no stranger to the soccer field and regularly togged out for Westport at center back, where he earned the nickname ‘head-the-ball.’

“I’ve been involved in soccer all my life. I was the chairman of the Westport club at one point, I played for Westport. I’ve an understanding of the game, I love the game, and I’m delighted to give something back to the sport.”

There’s been no honeymoon period within this new role. The first item on the agenda is immediately bringing the League to new regions, including his own county, with academies.

These developments in areas with a vibrant soccer scene, such as Mayo with the likes of Rice College’s success and the recent Under-16 Girls national title, are paramount to the League’s future success.

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At least in the opinion of the board’s newest recruit, who described the idea of teams such as Mayo FC joining the League of Ireland system as ‘the way forward.’

“Facilities is one issue, but the real big issue is the academies. We’re really anxious about getting the academies set up around the country.

“I made it quite clear, if I’m involved in the League of Ireland, that they will have to come out into the rural regions. It can’t just be the top five or six top League of Ireland clubs, we’re going to have to come out into the regions.

“We have wonderful talent, when you see the likes of Rice College winning the Under-19 Kennedy Cup there two weeks ago, that’s wonderful that a Mayo team, a schools team, could go up and beat the top team in Dublin and come back and win the All-Ireland.”

Ring was also glowing in his comments on the growing popularity of women’s soccer in the county.

2025 sees further developments with Glenhest Rovers, Achill Rovers, and Fahy Rovers all debuting in the leagues.

The former Fine Gael man, who represented the county for 30 years, also called on the public to get out and support their local sides as the League gets underway.

“It’s wonderful to see it,” he mused. “It’s great to see all the teams and leagues now. Tonight the draw was taking place and I think there was 14 teams in that. That’s fantastic. You go back a number of years ago, and there was only four women’s teams.

“The amount of talent that we have, I’d be hoping people can come out and support the women.”

When Ring first came into the role of Minister for Sport in March 2011, the dropoff rates for women in sports in their mid-teens was notable. Now, in his view, the difference is night and day.

“I did a report on women’s sport,” he stated.

“At that time, young girls were participating up to 14 or 15 and then would go away from sport. That’s not happening, and we’ve fine athletes now in athletics, soccer, gaelic, and everything else.”

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