Big shake-up on the cards for Mayo GAA's senior league competitions

Divisions One to Five (with 10 teams in each division) of the Mayo Senior GAA League will be on an all-county basis and there will be two teams promoted from each division (divisions five to two) and two teams demoted.

The proposal has been outlined to club by Mayo GAA.

County Board vice-chairman Michael Diskin explained: “We could have three more divisions (6, 7 and 8), but a lot of those divisions would feature second and third teams from clubs, and our fear is that if there is a lot of travelling involved then teams might only make a long journey once.

"However, it would be highly unlikely that those teams would make a long journey two or three times in a season.

‘We had planned to regroup divisions Six to Eight and called them six (A), (B) and (C) based on a geographical basis.

"But we have received a request to re-examine that format, and this will be discussed this week with CCC.

"What we are proposing is that that there will be a final in each of the divisions (one to five) and a trophy and medals for the winners.

"As things stand, there would be two teams relegated from division five and two teams promoted from the three groups involved in division 6 and that is what we have proposed at the moment.”

However, the proposal regarding amalgamating divisions 6, 7 and 8 into one promotion group with only two teams gaining promotion has met with consternation from some clubs

Michael Gallagher from Ballycroy GAA Club said: “There are 30 teams in Divisions 6, 7 and 8, and only two are promoted. There are a lot more than B teams competing in those divisions.”

After a lengthy debate between club delegates and the county board, Kiltimagh’s Paddy McNicholas broached the idea that division six operate in the same format as division’s 1 to 5, and that division’s 7 and 8 would be changed to Division’s Seven (A) and Seven (B).

Those final two leagues would be based on a regional basis, which includes semi-finals and a league final, and two sides then gaining promotion to Division Six.

This format will now go to the CCC.