Up and down results for Mayo on the hurling fields in 2022

When Mayo fell to a heavy defeat to Kildare in the first round of the Christy Ring Cup, few could have predicted the turnaround the team would show over the coming weeks.

That opening round defeat in Ballina followed a disappointing Allianz National League Division 2B campaign, where a draw in the opening round against Wicklow was followed by defeats to London, Derry, Sligo and Donegal. It resulted in a playoff against Wicklow, where a one-point loss meant Mayo would be playing Division 3A hurling in 2023.

The defeat to Kildare, therefore, stung somewhat, but Mayo had been boosted before the commencement of the Christy Ring campaign with the addition of new players – brothers Ger and Joe McManus from the St. Jude's GAA Club, Dublin, and former Galway Under 21 player Joseph Mooney. They were all allowed to play for Mayo under the parentage rule.

Once the squad settled, Mayo's form picked up and the Christy Ring Cup campaign got back on track with a victory over Wicklow.

Successive wins against London and Sligo left Mayo and Derry in a winner-takes-all clash for the right to face Kildare in the decider. Played on the newly-surfaced Hastings Insurance MacHale Park, Mayo and Derry served up a thriller before the home side ran out 2-23 to 2-18 winners.

The final against Kildare, played in Croke Park, was another tough game for the westerners but after trailing by 2-17 to 0-8 at half-time, they put in a great second-half display to show they can compete at this higher level. The final score was Kildare 2-29, Mayo 0-19.

Shane Boland finished overall top scorer in the Christy Ring Cup, while Keith Higgins was named on the Ring, Rackard & Meagher Team of the Year for his performances throughout the campaign.

Following the conclusion of the inter-county season, Derek Walsh stepped down as Mayo manager. He was replaced later in the year by joint managers Tom Philips and Dave McConn.

Elsewhere, in the 2022 All-Ireland Under 20 B hurling championship semi-final, Mayo were well beaten by a slick Roscommon outfit.

There was better news at Under 17 and Under 15 level, with the former team reaching the Celtic Challenge final, in which they succumbed to neighbours Sligo by just a point (Sligo 1-11, Mayo 2-7), while the latter team stormed to the Hibernia Cup title with some resounding wins during a most impressive campaign.

Overall, some big steps were taken on the hurling fields last year and there is a good sense of hope for 2023.