Galway–Mayo Gaelic football rivalry

Galway-Mayo
Other namesConnacht Derby
LocationCounty Galway
County Mayo
TeamsGalway
Mayo
First meetingMayo 2-4 – 0-3 Galway
1901 Connacht final
(9 November 1902)
Latest meetingMayo 0:15 - 0:16 Galway
2024 conacht final
(5 May 2024)
Statistics
Meetings total90
Most winsGalway (44)
All-time seriesGalway 43 wins, Mayo 42 wins, 6 Draws
Largest victory17 points
Galway 5-13 – 2-5 Mayo
1956 Connacht Quarter-Final
Mayo 4-16 – 0-11 Galway
2013 Connacht Quarter-Final

The Galway–Mayo rivalry is a Gaelic football rivalry between Irish county teams Galway and Mayo, who first played each other in 1901. It is considered to be one of the biggest rivalries in Gaelic games. Mayo's home ground is MacHale Park in Castlebar, while Galway play their home games in Salthill's Pearse Stadium or St Jarlath's Park in Tuam.

The Tribesmen have enjoyed greater success in the All-Ireland, having won nine titles to Mayo's three. The rivalry has historically been good-natured but has taken on a harder edge since the turn of the millennium, with the mood between supporters souring.

History

One of the oldest rivalries in Gaelic football, the fixture was first contested in the 1901 Championship with Mayo winning by 2-4 to 0-3 on the day.[1] The game, which took place in Claremorris on 9 November 1902, was the first official final of the Connacht Championship. The Connacht GAA Council was founded on the same day.[2]

Mayo were the first of the two to contest an All-Ireland final, when they faced Wexford in the 1916 final. Galway became the first to win the tournament in the 1925 Championship (though the Championship itself was not completed until 1926). The 1930s was the greatest era of dominance for the two teams; between 1932 and 1942 Galway and Mayo contested eight All-Ireland senior finals, with Galway winning titles in 1934 and 1938, and Mayo winning their maiden title in 1936.[2] The teams were also two of the strongest teams in the country in the 1950s and 1960s, with Mayo winning in 1950 and 1951, and Galway winning in 1956, 1964, 1965 and 1966. In that era, each team regularly gave the other their toughest game of the year.[3] Following Galway's 1966 triumph however, no Connacht team would win an All-Ireland for another 32 years.[1][4]

The rivalry has historically been characterised as relatively friendly,[5] with many Galway and Mayo players from the 1950s–60s teams having attended the same schools and players from the border areas having family ties in the other county.[3] This is in contrast to the more bitter rivalries in the sport like Cork–Kerry or Armagh–Tyrone.[6][7] The good-natured rivalry has also been attributed to the similarities between the two counties and the shared socio-economic challenges they have faced through the years. With a total of nearly 40,000 people emigrating from the two counties from 1951 to 1966, their shared success in football was considered one of the few bright spots in that era.[2][3]

The friendliness of the contest has been tested in recent years however.[5] Following defeats for Mayo in the 1996 and 1997 All-Ireland finals, Galway knocked Mayo out in the opening round of the 1998 Championship and went on to win the title. Galway, who were managed by Mayo-man John O'Mahony, also won the title in 2001. Galway's win, on the back of Mayo's two defeats and under the stewardship of a Mayo native, left a sour taste. When the team knocked Galway out of the 1999 Championship, the win was celebrated "as if it was an All-Ireland."[3]

Mayo dominated the Connacht Championship in the early 2010s, winning five-in-a-row and inflicting a record defeat on Galway in Pearse Stadium in 2013.[8] During this period of dominance, Mayo reached the All-Ireland finals of 2012 and 2013 but were beaten on both occasions. Their winning streak in Connacht was broken by Galway in 2016 and the Tribesmen won again when they faced each other in 2017. However, in both seasons Mayo went on to reach the All-Ireland final, while Galway were eliminated in the quarter-finals.[5] The tension between the two teams was heightened by this level of competition, and this was reflected in the stands. Galway's All-Ireland-winning captain Ray Silke described the mood between the supporters as having "gone a little bit dark over the last while."[9]

Senior results

Galway win
Mayo win
Match was a draw

Championship

Galway vs Mayo
Date Venue Score Competition
9 November 1902 Claremorris 2-4 – 0-3 Connacht Final
26 March 1905 Claremorris 0-7 – 0-4 Connacht Semi-Final
7 April 1907 Claremorris 2-16 – 0-1 Connacht Final
12 July 1908 Tuam 3-6 – 0-1 Connacht Semi-Final
30 October 1910 Ballina 1-4 – 0-5 Connacht Final
24 September 1911 Claremorris W – L Connacht Final
21 July 1912 Roscommon 4-4 – 0-3 Connacht Semi-Final
28 September 1913 Castlerea 1-2 – 0-3 Connacht Final
3 September 1916 Athlone 2-6 – 2-2 Connacht Semi-Final
7 October 1917 Castlerea 1-4 – 1-1 Connacht Final
22 September 1918 Castlerea 0-4 – 0-1 Connacht Final
5 July 1919 Tuam 1-3 – 1-2 Connacht Semi-Final
18 July 1920 Castlerea 2-4 – 0-3 Connacht Semi-Final
18 June 1922 Tuam 0-6 – 0-1 Connacht Semi-Final
4 May 1924 Tuam 0-3 – 0-2 Connacht Final
19 October 1924 Balla 0-1 – 0-1 Connacht Final
9 November 1924 Tuam 2-6 – 0-5 Connacht Final Replay
18 October 1925 Tuam 1-5 – 1-3 Connacht Final
11 July 1926 Roscommon 3-2 – 1-2 Connacht Final
17 July 1927 Tuam 1-5 – 1-4 Connacht Semi-Final
21 July 1929 Roscommon 1-6 – 0-4 Connacht Final
29 June 1930 Boyle 0-7 – 0-1* Connacht Semi-Final
5 June 1931 Castlerea 3-5 – 1-4 Connacht Semi-Final
17 July 1932 Castlerea 3-5 – 1-3 Connacht Semi-Final
23 July 1933 Castlerea 1-7 – 1-5 Connacht Final
22 July 1934 Castlerea 2-4 – 0-5 Connacht Final
21 July 1935 Roscommon 0-12 – 0-5 Connacht Final
19 July 1936 Roscommon 2-4 – 1-7 Connacht Final
2 August 1936 Roscommon 2-7 – 1-4 Connacht Final Replay
18 July 1937 Roscommon 3-5 – 0-8 Connacht Final
17 July 1938 Roscommon 0-8 – 0-5 Connacht Final
16 July 1939 Roscommon 2-6 – 0-3 Connacht Final
21 July 1940 Roscommon 1-7 – 0-5 Connacht Final
29 June 1941 Tuam 0-10 – 1-5 Connacht Semi-Final
20 June 1943 Kiltimagh 3-6 – 1-5 Connacht Semi-Final
18 June 1944 MacHale Park, Castlebar 1-11 – 1-3 Connacht Semi-Final
22 July 1945 Roscommon 2-6 – 1-7 Connacht Final
18 July 1948 Roscommon 2-4 – 1-7 Connacht Final
25 July 1948 Roscommon 2-10 – 2-7 Connacht Final
15 July 1951 St Jarlath's Park, Tuam 4-13 – 2-3 Connacht Final
4 July 1954 St Jarlath's Park, Tuam 2-4 – 1-5 Connacht Semi-Final
17 June 1956 MacHale Park, Castlebar 5-13 – 2-5 Connacht Quarter-Final
29 June 1958 St Jarlath’s Park, Tuam 2-9 – 0-6 Connacht Semi-Final
12 June 1960 MacHale Park, Castlebar 2-5 – 1-6 Connacht Quarter-Final
11 June 1961 St Jarlath’s Park, Tuam 0-10 – 0-6 Connacht Quarter-Final
16 June 1963 MacHale Park, Castlebar 2-8 – 1-6 Connacht Semi-Final
19 July 1964 St Jarlath’s Park, Tuam 2-12 – 1-5 Connacht Final
17 July 1966 MacHale Park, Castlebar 0-12 – 1-8 Connacht Final
25 June 1967 Pearse Stadium, Salthill 3-13 – 1-8 Connacht Semi-Final
21 July 1968 MacHale Park, Castlebar 2-10 – 2-9 Connacht Final
13 July 1969 Pearse Stadium, Salthill 0-11 – 1-8 Connacht Final
3 August 1969 MacHale Park, Castlebar 1-11 – 1-8 Connacht Final Replay
27 June 1971 St Jarlath's Park, Tuam 1-7 – 0-7 Connacht Semi-Final
8 July 1973 MacHale Park, Castlebar 1-17 – 2-12 Connacht Final
16 June 1974 St Jarlath's Park, Tuam 3-11 – 0-13 Connacht Semi-Final
21 June 1981 MacHale Park, Castlebar 2-8 – 1-9 Connacht Semi-Final
11 July 1982 St Jarlath's Park, Tuam 3-17 – 0-10 Connacht Final
17 July 1983 MacHale Park, Castlebar 1-13 – 1-9 Connacht Final
8 July 1984 Pearse Stadium, Salthill 2-13 – 2-9 Connacht Final
12 July 1987 MacHale Park, Castlebar 0-8 – 0-7 Connacht Final
25 June 1989 St Jarlath's Park, Tuam 1-8 – 1-8 Connacht Semi-Final
9 July 1989 MacHale Park, Castlebar 2-13 – 1-8 Connacht Semi-Final Replay
1 July 1990 St Jarlath's Park, Tuam 2-11 – 1-12 Connacht Semi-Final
23 June 1991 MacHale Park, Castlebar 3-11 – 0-6 Connacht Semi-Final
14 June 1992 St Jarlath's Park, Tuam 1-11 – 1-11 Connacht Quarter-Final
21 June 1992 MacHale Park, Castlebar 0-15 – 1-6 Connacht Quarter-Final Replay
23 July 1995 St Jarlath's Park, Tuam 0-17 – 1-7 Connacht Final
21 July 1996 MacHale Park, Castlebar 1-11 – 3-9 Connacht Final
25 May 1997 St Jarlath's Park, Tuam 1-16 – 0-15 Connacht Quarter-Final
24 May 1998 MacHale Park, Castlebar 1-13 – 2-6 Connacht Quarter-Final
18 July 1999 St Jarlath's Park, Tuam 1-14 – 1-10 Connacht Final
2 June 2002 MacHale Park, Castlebar 0-12 – 1-7 Connacht Semi-Final
6 July 2003 Pearse Stadium, Salthill 1-14 – 0-13 Connacht Final
27 June 2004 MacHale Park, Castlebar 0-18 – 1-9 Connacht Semi-Final
10 July 2005 Pearse Stadium, Salthill 0-10 – 0-8 Connacht Final
16 July 2006 MacHale Park, Castlebar 0-12 – 1-8 Connacht Final
20 May 2007 Pearse Stadium, Salthill 2-10 – 0-9 Connacht Quarter-Final
13 July 2008 MacHale Park, Castlebar 2-12 – 1-14 Connacht Final
19 July 2009 Pearse Stadium, Salthill 2-12 – 1-14 Connacht Final
26 June 2011 MacHale Park, Castlebar 1-12 – 1-6 Connacht Semi-Final
19 May 2013 Pearse Stadium, Salthill 4-16 – 0-11 Connacht Quarter-Final
13 July 2014 MacHale Park, Castlebar 3-14 – 0-16 Connacht Final
14 June 2015 Pearse Stadium, Salthill 1-15 – 2-8 Connacht Semi-Final
18 June 2016 MacHale Park, Castlebar 1-12 – 0-12 Connacht Semi-Final
11 June 2017 Pearse Stadium, Salthill 0-15 – 1-11 Connacht Semi-Final
13 May 2018 MacHale Park, Castlebar 1-12 – 0-12 Connacht Quarter-Final
6 July 2019 Gaelic Grounds, Limerick 2-13 – 1-13 Round 4 Qualifier
15 November 2020 Pearse Stadium, Galway 0-14 - 0-13 Connacht Final
25 July 2021 Croke Park, Dublin 2-14 - 2-8 Connacht Final
24 April 2022 MacHale Park, Castlebar 1-14 – 0-16 Connacht Quarter-Final
25 June 2023 Pearse Stadium, Galway 0-12 - 1-10 All-Ireland Preliminary Quarter-finals
5 May 2024 Pearse Stadium, Galway 0-16 - 0-15 Connacht Final

References

  1. ^ a b Cullen, Damian (9 July 2008). "Honours almost even in old rivalry that is still McHale and hearty". Irish Times. Retrieved 21 March 2016.
  2. ^ a b c "Will Galway beat Mayo?". Galway Advertiser. 11 January 2018. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  3. ^ a b c d "Mayo and Galway still standing in one another's way". Irish Times. 10 February 2018. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  4. ^ "Kieran Fitzgerald hungry for more Connacht success with Corofin". Irish Examiner. 24 November 2017. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  5. ^ a b c "Mayo aren't making any friends, but they don't care". RTÉ Sport. 12 February 2018. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
  6. ^ "CORK AND KERRY: AT EACH OTHER'S THROATS". Eir Sport. 2 July 2013. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  7. ^ "Armagh and Tyrone clash again". GAA. 3 August 2017. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  8. ^ "Mayo destroy Galway at Pearse Stadium". Irish Times. 19 May 2013. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  9. ^ "Silke: The mood has darkened between Galway and Mayo". RTÉ Sport. 11 February 2018. Retrieved 12 February 2018.