Mayo's inter-county season mapped out in fixture plan

Mayo's inter-county roadmap for 2026 has been revealed with the publication of the GAA Master Fixture Plan.

Following the return of the FBD League early in the new year, the season starts in earnest with the national leagues over the final weekend in January.

League finals will be played over the weekend of March 28/29, with provincial football championships and secondary hurling competitions (Mayo compete in the Nickey Rackard Cup) to start on April 11/12.

The Connacht Senior Football Championship final will be played on May 9/10, while the Nickey Rackard Cup decider will be contested on May 30/31.

First round games in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (for the Sam Maguire Cup) will be played over the last weekend in May, with the final to be held over the last weekend in July (25/26). If needed, a final replay will take place on August 8 (Saturday).

Mayo's seven Allianz National Football League Division 1 fixtures are as follows: Galway v Mayo on Sunday, January 25 (Pearse Stadium, Galway, 1.45 p.m.); Mayo v Dublin on Sunday, February 1 (Hastings Insurance MacHale Park, Castlebar, 1.30 p.m.); Donegal v Mayo on Sunday, February 15 (O'Donnell Park, Letterkenny, 1.45 p.m.); Monaghan v Mayo on Sunday, February 22 (St. Tiernach's Park, Clones, 1.45 p.m.); Mayo v Armagh on Sunday, March 1 (Hastings Insurance MacHale Park, Castlebar, 1.15 p.m.); Kerry v Mayo on Saturday, March 14 (Austin Stack Park, Tralee, 4 p.m.); Mayo v Roscommon on Sunday, March 22 (Hastings Insurance MacHale Park, Castlebar, 3.30 p.m.).

The top two counties at the end of the regular season will contest the final ove the weekend of March 28/29. The bottom two will be relegated to Division 2.

In hurling, after winning titles in each of the last two seasons, Mayo will be operating in the seven-team third tier of the Allianz National Hurling League (Division 2).

The fixtures are as follows: Mayo v Laois on Sunday, January 25 (Hastings Insurance MacHale Park, Castlebar, 1 p.m.); London v Mayo on Sunday, February 1 (McGovern Park, Ruislip, 1 p.m.); Derry v Mayo on Saturday, February 7 (Celtic Park, Derry, 1 p.m.); Mayo v Meath on Saturday, February 28 (Hastings Insurance MacHale Park, Castlebar, 2 p.m.); Kerry v Mayo on Sunday, March 8 (Austin Stack Park, Tralee, 2 p.m.); Mayo v Westmeath on Saturday, March 21 (Hastings Insurance MacHale Park, Castlebar, 1 p.m.).

The top two counties at the end of the regular league season will be promoted and contest the final, with the top-placed county having home advantage for the decider. The bottom two counties will be relegated.

Meanwhile, the counties competing with Mayo in the round-robin phase of the Nickey Rackard Cup next year are Sligo, Louth, Armagh, Fermanagh and Tyrone. The fixtures are as follows: Armagh v Mayo (April 11/12); Mayo v Tyrone (April 18/19); Fermanagh v Mayo (April 25/26); Mayo v Sligo (May 9/10); Louth v Mayo (May 16/17).

The county that finishes in the top place will qualify for the final (May 30/31), while the second-placed county will play New York in a semi-final, with the winners qualifying for the final. The overall winner will be promoted to the Christy Ring Cup, while the bottom-placed county in the round-robin will be relegated to the Lory Meagher Cup unless New York fail to reach the final, in which case the bottom team from the round-robin phase will face New York in a playoff. The loser of that game will be relegated to the Lory Meagher (subject to a motion to Congress 2026).