MAYO’S SENIOR FOOTBALLERS will be forced to move their home games to neighbouring counties for the first half of 2022.

A report in today’s Mayo News confirmed that work on the McHale Park surface will require the county team to relocate temporarily. No other ground in the county has a large enough capacity to meet the demand.

It is likely that stadiums in three of the neighbouring counties, Galway’s Tuam Stadium, Sligo’s Markievicz Park and Roscommon’s Dr Hyde Park will be considered for use. The feasibility of playing their National League matches in Croke Park will also be discussed.

“We’ve looked at every possibility but there’s just no way we can host the games,” Mayo GAA secretary Dermot Butler said in an interview with The Mayo News. “We’re now actively looking at alternatives and working with the authorities in Croke Park in that regard.
Mayo are due to play three home games in next year’s Division 1 of the League. Dublin, Kerry, Tyrone, Donegal, Monaghan, Kildare and Armagh are their prospective visitors.

“The bottom line is that Mayo will be playing all the league games outside the county in 2022,” said John Prenty, the Connacht GAA secretary, to the Mayo News.