Paddy Durcan back in Mayo squad to face Tribesmen
Mayo senior football manager Kevin McStay and his management team have named the team to face Galway in the Connacht GAA final on Sunday at 4 p.m. in Hastings Insurance MacHale Park, Castlebar.
There are no changes to the starting 15 that played Leitrim in the Connacht GAA semi-final last Saturday week, though Paddy Durcan is back in the panel and takes his place on the substitutes' bench for the game.
It's the Castlebar Mitchels man's first time in the squad this year after his recovery from a cruciate ligament injury suffered last year.
The Castlebar Mitchels ace played in a challenge match against Carlow ahead of the encounter against Leitrim.
Mayo and Galway have met on 95 previous occasions in the championship from their first meeting in 1902 to their most recent in the 2024 Connacht final. In fact, Galway is the county Mayo have faced most often in championship action. Mayo hold the upperhand with 45 victories to Galway's 44, six games having been drawn.
There have been 25 meetings between the counties in MacHale Park in the championship since their first meeting there in 1944, which Mayo won by 1-11 to 1-3. Their last meeting in Castlebar was in 2022.
The first Connacht final between the counties at MacHale Park was in 1966, when Galway prevailed by the minimum margin – 0-12 to 1-8 – on their way to the third of their three All-Irelands in a row.
Stephen Coen will captain Mayo on Sunday, with Paddy Neilan from Roscommon confirmed to referee the encounter. The game will be screened live on RTÉ 2, with live coverage also on Midwest Radio with commentary from Michael D. McAndrew and Colm Boyle. Tickets are available from Ticketmaster.
The Mayo team in full is as follows: Colm Reape; Jack Coyne, Donnacha McHugh, Enda Hession; Sam Callinan, David McBrien, Stephen Coen; Dylan Thornton, Matthew Ruane; Davitt Neary, Darren McHale, Jordan Flynn; Aidan O'Shea, Jack Carney, Ryan O'Donoghue.
The subs listed are: Adrian Phillips, Conal Dawson, Conor Reid, Diarmuid O'Connor, Fenton Kelly, Fergal Boland, Frank Irwin, Kevin Quinn, Paddy Durcan, Paul Towey, Rory Brickenden.