CONNACHT RUGBY TO PLAY AT HOME OF MAYO GAA

Connacht Rugby are thrilled to announce that Hastings Insurance McHale Park in Castlebar – the home of Mayo GAA – will host our BKT United Rugby Championship interprovincial clash with Munster on Saturday 29^th March.

 

In what will be a historic sporting occasion for the province of Connacht, Mayo will host a competitive Connacht Rugby fixture for the first time in the Professional era, and will provide supporters from all five counties with a unique opportunity to attend a vital URC fixture in the heart of the province.

 

Tickets go on general sale on Monday 13^th January, with early access from Friday 10^th January for those who register their interest at connachtrugby.ie/castlebar

 

Ticket start from just €20 for an adult, €15 for a young adult/senior, and €5 for juniors, while all season tickets will be valid for the game. Full details can be found below, and the club have released an extensive FAQs which can be found at connachtrugby.ie/castlebar.

 

CEO Willie Ruane says:

“This promises to be not only a great occasion for Connacht Rugby supporters but also for the very many people all across the province who love sport more generally, whatever the code.

 

We are very proud to represent the province of Connacht, from the four corners of the five counties, and this fixture provides us with a great opportunity to demonstrate that, in bringing a fixture of this significance out to the heart of the province.

 

I want to thank and commend Mayo GAA for the extremely positive and collaborative manner in which they have engaged with us, and in ultimately agreeing to allow us play in the great facility that is Hastings Insurance McHale Park.

 

I would also like to say a special thank you to Dexcom, Intersport Elverys, and the rest of our official partners. The reality is that without their cooperation and support, this event could simply not have happened. It’s now our job here at Connacht Rugby to deliver an event befitting of the occasion, and everyone at the club looks forward to making this a day to truly remember.”

 

Head coach Pete Wilkins says:

“We’re all incredibly excited by today’s news. 29^th March 2025 is a day that we are already looking forward to and it’ll be a privilege to play a part in it. We are proud to represent the whole province of Connacht, and we look forward to sharing this great occasion with our existing supporters and getting out to meet many more new supporters from all across the province.

 

Club captain Cian Prendergast says:

“All the players were absolutely delighted when told the news. The opportunity to play in front of a massive home crowd, in the heart of the province, is something to really look forward to. Today’s announcement is a massive boost for what will be a really important game for us, at a crunch time in the season. Our supporters are amongst the best there are, and we know the passion that the people of Mayo, and Connacht more widely, show every time they support their teams, whatever the code or colour of the jersey. We will be doing everything we can to feed off and match that passion in the performance we deliver on the day.”

 

TICKET INFORMATION

 

Season Tickets

All 2024/25 season tickets will be valid for the game, and on Wednesday 8^th January ticket holders will be provided with an exclusive pre-sale window to both secure the best spot in the ground, and purchase additional tickets, before they go on general sale. Further details can be found in our FAQs.

 

Match Tickets

Tickets go on general sale on Monday 13^th January, with early access from Friday 10^th January for those who register their interest at connachtrugby.ie/castlebar.

 

An adult general admission ticket for the three uncovered stands will cost just €20 (unreserved seating), while a reserved seat in the Main Stand will be priced at just €25.

 

Young Adult (16-21) and Senior (65+) tickets will also be available, costing just €15 each in the uncovered stands and €20 in the Main Stand.

 

Junior tickets (Under 16s) will be priced at just €5 for all areas.

 

We’re also delighted to provide a number of hospitality options for those who want the ultimate match experience, and further details will be provided in early January.

 

Finally, group bookings discounts for 10+ tickets are also available, and can be purchased by emailing info@connachtrugby.ie from 13^th January.

 

Ticket Prices

	Uncovered Stands (unreserved seating)	Covered Stand (reserved seating)
Adult	€20	€25
Young Adult (16-21) / Senior (65+)	€15	€20
Junior (Under 16)	€5	€5

 

Key Dates

Monday 23^rd December: Supporters can register their interest at connachtrugby.ie/castlebar.

Wednesday 8^th January: Priority window opens for Season Ticket holders to select seats and buy extra tickets.

Friday 10^th January: Tickets go on sale to those who register interest.

Monday 13^th January: Tickets go on general sale.

Saturday 29^th March: Connacht v Munster.

 

 

Bord na nÓg End of Year Report for 2024

 

 

2024 End Of Year Review

CONNACHT U 17 CHAMPIONSHIP 2025

First Named team at Home. Round Robin Format. New Cycle

Round 1

Friday 21st March
Roscommon v Sligo
Leitrim v Galway
Mayo Bye

Round 2

Friday 28th March
Mayo v Leitrim
Galwayv Roscommon
Sligo Bye

Round 3

Friday 4thApril
Sligo v Galway
Roscommon v Mayo
Leitrim Bye

Round 4

Friday 11th April
Leitrim v Roscommon
Mayo v Sligo
Galway

Round 5

Friday 18th April
Galwayv Mayo
Sligo v Leitrim
Roscommon Bye

Top Team Qualifies for Final:

Friday 9th May
3 / 5
Semi Final 2nd v 3rd Friday 2nd May
Shield Final: 4th v 5th Friday 2nd May
All Ireland Series

Tier 1
All Ireland Qr Finals: 7th /8th June
All Ireland S/F 21st/22nd June
All Ireland Final 5th /6th July

TIER 2
Pre Lim All Ireland Qr Final 17th May
All Ireland Qr Final 24th May
All Ireland S/F 31st May
All Ireland Final 7th July

 

Tier 3
Pre Lim All Ireland Qr Final 10th May
All Ireland Qr Final 17th May
All Ireland S/F 24th May
All Ireland Final 31st May

CONNACHT GAA SENIOR FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

Quarter Finals
Saturday 5th April
London v Roscommon Ruislip

Sunday 6th April
3.00pm (8 pm)` New York v Galway Gaelic Park Mayo v Sligo MacHale Park

Semi Finals
Saturday/ Sunday 19th /20th April
Saturday/Sunday 19th /20th April
Roscommon v Galway/NY Pearse Stadium

FINAL

Sunday 3rd /4th May @ 4pm

Rob Hennelly announces retirement from intercounty football

 

Mayo footballer Rob Hennelly (34), who made his competitive debut for Mayo thirteen years ago, has announced his retirement from senior intercounty football. The Breaffy native, who made 43 league and 32 championship appearances for Mayo, including three All-Ireland finals, will continue to play for his club Raheny in the Dublin Senior Championship.

Rob was a key member of a group of Mayo players who brought Mayo to the verge of All-Ireland glory on several occasions, and who sustained the county at the highest level for over a decade.

Head of Commercial Enablement at CarTrawler, Rob first shot to prominence as goalkeeper on the Mayo minor team which won the Connacht Championship in 2008, before eventually losing the All-Ireland final to Tyrone in a replay.

Some key statistics underline Rob’s wide-ranging contribution – he won seven Connacht SFC titles (2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2020 and 2021); two Allianz League titles (2019 and 2023); was twice nominated for All-Star awards (2013 and 2021); and scored 0-38 in the Mayo jersey.

He played three years at U21 level for Mayo, winning a Connacht title in 2009. He made his Mayo senior debut in 2011 against Kerry in the Allianz League in MacHale Park. In addition, he played 14 FBD League games for Mayo, winning titles in 2010 and 2011. He won an Interprovincial Series medal with Connacht in 2014.

As a student at DCU, he won an All-Ireland Freshers title in 2009, and two Sigerson Cup medals in 2010 and 2012, along with O’Byrne Cup triumphs in both of those years.

At club level, Robert won a Mayo Minor Championship title in 2006 with Breaffy. He played  for the club in four county senior finals (2013, 2015, 2018 and 2020). Since 2023, he has played his club football with Raheny.

His final appearance for Mayo was against Tyrone in Omagh in the Allianz League in February 2024.

For the majority of his career, Rob was based in Dublin and made hundreds of trips westwards for training sessions and matches. That level of commitment, and the way he dedicated himself to developing his skills, particularly at a time of great evolution of the goalkeeping role, earned him the deep respect of Mayo supporters.

 

From Rob Hennelly:

I am privileged to have been involved with the Mayo senior team since 2009 and to have played at the highest level for as long as I have. However, now feels like the right time for me to retire from intercounty football (although I’m sure many thought I already had!) I tried to give it a go again this year, but life moves fast as they say – and I’m grateful to be leaving on my own terms and with so much to look forward to in 2025 and beyond.

Firstly, I want to say a huge thank you to Breaffy GAA for supporting me throughout my development and standing by me every part of the journey, including my decision to step away last year. On that note, I also want to express my sincere gratitude to Raheny GAA for taking me in and making me feel so at home.

To Mayo GAA and the Mayo supporters, thank you for everything. We’ve shared many highs and lows, and while I’d be lying if I said I have no regrets, I’m proud that we never gave up chasing the dream. I’m also grateful for each management and coaching team I got to play under, and, in particular, want to remember John O’Mahony who gave me my first taste of senior football. May he Rest in Peace.

Thank you to every teammate I’ve had the privilege of togging out with over the past 16 seasons. It’s been an honour to play alongside you all and, more importantly, to get to know you as people. I want to give a special mention to Aidan – we started a journey together with both club and county and unfortunately, we won’t finish it together, but you’ve always been an inspiration to me and so many others. I’m so glad you’re there to continue to lead this team and battle on.

To the current Mayo team, while I’m sad to leave, I’m so excited to see where you go this year. I know the characters, culture, and environment in this group will drive Mayo football to where it belongs.

I also want to acknowledge every goalkeeper I’ve had the good fortune of playing with and against at county level. I have huge respect for anyone who takes on this role, whether as first, second, or third choice, and I’m grateful for everything I’ve learned from playing with and against some of the best goalkeepers of all time.

Finally, and most importantly, I want to thank my incredible family – my wife Orla, my parents, my brother and sisters, extended family, and in-laws. Your love and support carried me through the tough days but having you there to share the good ones are memories I’ll cherish forever.

Rob x

 

From Mayo GAA Chairperson Seamus Tuohy:

I want to express our heartfelt gratitude to Rob for his great dedication, outstanding talent, and unwavering commitment throughout his long inter-county career, since he first wore the Mayo jersey at minor level. He exemplified excellence, dedication, and leadership on and off the field. His contributions to Breaffy and Mayo football have been immense. We thank him for everything and wish him and his family the very best in the future.

 

From Mayo manager Kevin McStay:

Rob Hennelly has given outstanding service to Mayo football. He developed his game right throughout his career and, as manager for the last two seasons, I saw up close how much he dedicated himself to improving his craft. We are very sorry to see him go. He loved being around the squad and he was hugely popular with everyone. I know how difficult this decision has been for Rob, but I understand and respect it. I wish Rob and his wife Orla well in the future.