Mayo county hurling team
The Mayo county hurling team represents Mayo in hurling and is governed by Mayo GAA, the county board of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The team competes in the Christy Ring Cup and the National Hurling League. It formerly competed in the abolished Connacht Senior Hurling Championship.
Mayo's home ground is MacHale Park, Castlebar. The team's manager is Derek Walsh. Shane Boland captains the team, as of January 2022.[1]
The team last won the Connacht Senior Championship in 1909, but has never won the All-Ireland Senior Championship or the National League.
History
Although not a traditional hurling county, hurling is strong in certain parts of the county especially in the eastern region around Ballyhaunis and Tooreen. Mayo has four senior hurling clubs, each of which provides players for the Mayo senior hurling panel, which participates in the National Hurling League and the All-Ireland Nicky Rackard (Tier 3) Cup.
Mayo has 10 clubs which provide players for the Mayo underage hurling development panels. Mayo has development panels at under-14, under-15, under-16 and minor age-groups, and compete in the All-Ireland 'B' competitions each year.
The Mayo under-21 hurling team competes in the Connacht U-21B Hurling Championship each year alongside Leitrim, Roscommon and Sligo.
Mayo's best performances in the Christy Ring Cup came in 2008 and 2009, when the Mayo side fell at the semi-final stage to Carlow and Down respectively.
Mayo won the 2016 Nicky Rackard Cup, defeating Armagh by a scoreline of 2–16 to 1–15 at Croke Park.[2]
Mayo lost the 2020 Nicky Rackard Cup Final to Donegal by a scoreline of 3–18 to 0–21.[3]
Current squad
Team as per Mayo vs London in the Christy Ring Cup (Round 3), 24 April 2022
RET Player has since retired from the county team.
INJ Player has had an injury which has affected recent involvement with the county team.
WD Player has since withdrawn from the county team due to a non-injury issue.
Current management team
- Ratified for a fourth year in charge ahead of the 2021 season:[4]
Players
- Mayo's most famous hurlers:
- Joe Henry (Tooreen), who won Railway Cup medals with Connacht in the 1980s[6][7]
- Keith Higgins (Ballyhaunis), the dual player who played for the county football team in many's an All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final from 2006 onwards[8]
Honours
All-Irelands (6)
- All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship: 0
- Semi-Finalists (1) 1909
- All-Ireland Senior B Hurling Championship/Joe McDonagh Cup: 0
- Runners-Up: 2004
- All-Ireland Intermediate Hurling Championship/Christy Ring Cup: 0
- All-Ireland Junior Hurling Championship/Nicky Rackard Cup: 5
- All-Ireland Minor C Hurling Championships: 2
- Champions (2): 2013, 2014
Provincials
- Connacht Senior Hurling Championship: 1
- Champions (1): 1909
- Runners-Up (1): 1905
- Connacht Intermediate Hurling Championship: 2
- Champions (2): 1969, 2014
- Runners-Up (2): 1968, 2013
- Connacht Junior Hurling Championships: 3
- Champions (3): 1936, 1967, 2004
- Runners-Up (10): 1934, 1935, 1939, 1950, 1959, 1960, 1964, 1965, 1972, 1975
- Jim Hogan Couriers Connacht U21 Hurling Championship: 2
- Champions (2): 2015, 2016
- Connacht Minor Hurling Championships: 1
- Champions (1): 1964
- Runners-Up (2): 1935, 1952
References
- "Higgins announced as captain of the Mayo hurling team". The Connaught Telegraph. 5 May 2021.
- "Feeney hits 1–9 as Mayo secure Nicky Rackard Cup". Irish Independent. 4 June 2016.
- "Donegal goal burst enough to secure Nicky Rackard glory". RTÉ Sport. 22 November 2020.
- "Walsh to remain in charge of Mayo hurlers". Hogan Stand. 9 January 2021.
- "Walsh's warriors looking forward to league final". Mayo Advertiser. 25 February 2018.
- "Tooreen legend wins Club Stars award". The Mayo News. 3 January 2018.
- "Henry, Joe". Hogan Stand. 13 December 1991.
- "Keith Higgins stars as Ballyhaunis bounce back to claim Mayo hurling title". RTÉ Sport. 12 September 2020.