Comfortable win for Ballina and they have been consistently the best team in the County for the last two years at least. Cora Staunton has also had a positive impact on their attacking play which comes as no surprise to me as she knows her stuff. Hopefully they can rattle the best Club teams in Connacht now.

I don't know guys, is there a general lack of interest in mayo football at the moment? Very poor turnout last night for a Co final and a very mediocre game

Mayo club football is at a low ebb

I’m not so sure norm . If ya ask me there’s a whole lot of blowing things up nowadays as if they’re spectacular but in truth it’s just hyperbole . For me this fad of everyone expressing their unconditional love for the parish is totally blown up . People are cashing in on it , social media too but the people pitchside will just be the same bucks that have always been there .

Did nobody think Ballina were magnificent last night , i don’t know what the viewer is after but to me Ballina were sublime . Let’s see now if they can do anything in Connacht before everyone judges the standard . It’s impossible to know till they play in Connacht now .

Norm. I think it's a general lack of interest in GAA football as more people are turning to rugby. This is because of a few reasons. You can get into a Leinster Club rugby match for €5 and the interprovincial between Leinster and Munster was €25.
The standard of football is awful too so hope the new rules improve that but the lack of crowds for the Railway Cup was telling.
Inflation isn't helping either with all the basics going up so it's affecting GAA more than rugby who have a different clientele.
The style of football we played last year didn't excite many so hopefully this might improve this year and get the juices flowing again.

I'd be inclined to agree with you Sean. Thought the standard overall in this year's championship was far better. I thought Ballina were impressive last night and think they are in a better position to challenge in Connacht. As you say, hard to know until they pit themselves against the Roscommon/Galway Champions.

The Junior decider was excellent. Thought the standard was really good. One has to think that Justin Healy has to be worth not just a look, but time to develop within a Senior set up.

@norm. Gaa supporters are now streaming in big numbers especially the young people. Big crowds for club matches that are streamed are a thing of the past. With the drink driving laws supporters cannot go for a few pints after a game anymore. This is life in Ireland today be it for better or worse.

After today County championship is over in all grades. Question did any new player put his hand up and say I am ready for County Senior team next year. In my opinion there is not one new player who put his hand up, worse still many of this years County panel had very poor showings in the Club Scene and cant see what use they are to County panel.

Sean....the narrative for the last 45 years that I have been watching Mayo football is
1) The standard is very poor at club level.
2) There is nothing being done at underage.
3) There is no new talent in the county.
4) The County Board are godshites

The fact that you can't rock up at short notice and get a ticket there and then is not helping either . Sometimes circumstances dictate late on if you can make a match or not.
I spent 20 minutes yesterday evening watching my phone as the little wheel spun telling me my ticket was being processed...I lost interest at 6.30 as had gotten too late then.
I'm sure I was hardly the only one.
I hope Ballina go on a run now and give Connaught at least,a good shot.

Congratulations to Ballina they were super last night I do hope they give it a good go in the connacht championship unlike last year. For the good of mayo football which I don't think is as bad as people are making out.
We had two very good semi-finals.
Looking at other clubs games around the country the standard is much the same as in mayo in my opinion.

In fairness, I don't think the final reflected the standard of the championship. There were some really good performances on the way to the final. Clubs like Westport breaffy and Ballagh will be scratching their heads. Compare to Dublin final the previous week.
The introduction of Crossmolina of 25 years ago was a nice gesture. It was very impressive that so many of that team remained involved, in a voluntary capacity, at club and county level for many years afterwards and some to this day.

The club games should take cash. A lot more would go.

I agree with alot said above.. Football, in my opinion is at a very peculiar point.. Will we adopt 2 or 3 of the proposed rules at least? The 3 up has to stay and the one rule I would bring in would be the number of handpasses, it's still killing the game.. 3 is more than enough then get rid. Hard to police all rules especially at club level.. I think about the club situation, it's a disgrace you can't walk up and pay to go in.. Typical county boards and greedy GAA.. I actually cant suffer the GAA at the moment. Sorry for the rant.. Haha.

Watching club games from late 80s and 90s during week. And it's amazing how much the game has moved on.
The quality in the 90s game was poor.
The 80s game was chronic. Big bull toe kicks from ground, constant fouling, sliding tackles, non stop frees.
The game has evolved a lot, and will evolve again. Such is the nature of the beast.

Great goal to start the intermediate game, Coggins with goal after 15 seconds. But some wides/short shots with the wind by Loftus and co could be costly.

Gizmo, I had a great memory of Galway beating Meath in '66 AIF. Was at it and thought it fantastic. I happened to see it on All Ireland Gold a few years back. Talk about shattering your illusions - it was dire.

Corofin back in big-time. What's the club championship draw?

surely comparing different eras is just nonsense , fitness and the evolving of the game has to be brought into context . Olympic records are beaten as time moves on mostly . Its the same as anything in life . we can build apartment blocks quicker than they built a single house 100 yrs ago etc etc, doesnt make the workmen lesser men , just better equipment , machinery and tools .
Soccer perhaps is a bit different for example because the skill set required at the top level is very elite . Gaelic football is really not that skilful of a ball game but there are certain players who will be revered forever because they could play foot ball . Casting the 80s/90s etc to one side as inadequate or whatever is completely wrong imho , in fact give me Ciaran Mac spraying a ball , or michael donellan soloing 50 yds full throttle anyday over some big lump of an athlete been praised to the hilt as a gaelic footballer . all about opinions though i suppose .

Btw Maheady is a special boy is another opinion of mine .

Was at the crossmolina and moy davitts game . Two super talent led young cornerdorwards for each team with Cian mchale and James Maheady showing their class, some score taking, win their own ball just precision that natural corner forwards have and both worth a run with county

Match report and Final Whistle pod on today's Intermediate final are now both up.

Sean Burke correct, that's why I said game has evolved. People giving out about the poor fare now. But by lord was it cat then.
But a product of its times, no point people moaning about current defensive set ups etc. and harking back to olden days where a top team if transported in time to modern would likely struggle at intermediate or junior grade.
The same players if born in current area, trained, coached etc. could be all time greats I'm sure.y point is the game has changed constantly, and will continue to do so.

Norm, I would imagine there are actually more people watching the games now because of the streaming. I don't know if that is a good or a bad thing but it gives people options at least. Myself and my pal remarked more than once last night on the lack of atmosphere for the senior game in particular. I have definitely been at livelier funerals, but I would put a lot of that down to the cavernous venue as opposed to the crowd. Mayo football deserves so much better than McHale Park, but that's what we are stuck with now. Had that game been in Ballina or a venue of similar scale, the place would have been rocking.

I didn't think there was particularly poor fare on show though. The junior game was a great game, and it certainly wasn't the fault of Ballina Stephenites that Knockmore didn't show up for the second game, as much of a disappointment as that was. I thought Ballina put on an exhibition last night though, it was their finest performance in years. And I think all three championships have been really entertaining last year, even the senior, compared to the misery we endured last year.

Yes, comparing epochs is futile alright. Many greats of time fado fado wouldn't be considered that in the modern era. George Best wasn't exposed to the same TV coverage afforded to Messi and Ronaldo etc etc . The days of tea and two majo cigarettes at half time are long gone.

What was the biggest disappointment for me watching the senior final was how poor Knockmore were....maybe injuries caught up with them...but they will be embarrassed by their lack of any real fight in their performance. They showed little penetration in their forward line which was really disappointing from a neutrals perspective an the game was over after 20 minutes. Congrats to Ballina , worthy back to back champions, takes doing in todays world with all the distractions for young players..the real test is ahead and see if they can secure a provincial title.....
Can Moy Davitts be as poor next week? Or will Crossmolina press home their physical superiority? Will be very interesting and great to have a double header again with the junior final.

Now off to England on November 9th is going to meet London champions but in 2026 at inter county level Mayo vs London in the opening game of the Connacht football championship on the rotation line up.