Mayo GAA 2024 Hurling Report

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.

 

https://mayogaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/15078-FRC-Summary-ReportX-(7)-min.pdf

 

 

New Rules Passed

 

Enabling Motion

 

Rules apply to both County + Club, not Third Level competitions.

 

1v1 throw-in

 

1v1 throw-in to start each half, other midfielders on opposite sidelines.

 

Kickouts

Kickouts have to land outside the new 40m arc.

 

Goalkeepers

Keepers can only receive a pass from a teammate in the opposing half of the field.

 

3/3 Structure

Teams must have 3 outfield players in each half at all times.

 

Advanced Mark

Attacking marks can only be claimed inside the 20m line, forward gets an advantage to ‘go for goal.’

 

Scoring Arc & System

 

2 points for a score outside new 40m arc from play and frees. Goals remain as 3 points, points inside arc worth 1. New orange flag for 2-pointers.

 

Solo & Go

A player who is fouled has the option of continuing play by taking a ‘solo and go’ rather than pausing to take a free.

 

Delay Fouling

 

Ball is advanced 50m (up to 13m line) for any foul which purposefully & deliberately delays play.

 

Black Card

Black card fouls now include other obvious examples of cynical fouling.

 

1Fouls

Player fouled inside the arc can choose to bring the free outside the 40m arc to avail of a 2-pointer.
3rd or subsequent players into a melee will receive a black card.

 

Advantage

Allows referees to play a longer advantage if they believe it merits it.

 

Dissent

A show of dissent by challenging the referee’s decision results in the free already awarded being moved up 50m.

 

Captains

Team captains are the only players who can speak to the referee to seek clarification of a decision made by the ref. Clarification only allowed during a break in play.

 

Pitch Markings

New lines on all pitches to facilitate new rules: 40m arc required infront of each goal and a dashed line between the two 65s to indicate the middle of the field.

 

Public Clock & Hooter

Clock-hooter system for timekeeping & to signal the end of each half.

 

Lines Umpires

Allows officials running the line to immediately bring any instances of foul play to the referee.

 

Crossing A Line

Where a rule requires a player to be inside or outside a particular line, the player would be required to have both feet inside or outside the line.