The Mayo county ladies' football team represents Mayo in amateur ladies' Gaelic football. The team competes in inter-county competitions such as the All-Ireland TG4 Senior Ladies Championship and the Lidl Ladies National Football League as a member of the Ladies Gaelic Football Association.
Mayo are the fifth most successful team in the championship of all time, with four wins, and fifth most successful in the League of all time, with three wins. The late 1990s and early 2000s, when Mayo won four All-Ireland Championships in five years, is considered the "golden era" of ladies' football in Mayo. Mayo last won a major title in 2007, defeating Galway in Division 1 of the National Football League, and last won silverware in 2023, also defeating Galway in the Connacht championship.
History Though not represented at the founding of the Ladies Gaelic Football Association in 1974, Mayo has been a constant presence in ladies football. The first provincial council for Ladies Football in Connacht was established in 1975 with three counties participating; Galway, Roscommon and Mayo. Mayo's first official game as a county team occurred on the 13 July 1975, where they lost to Galway in Ballinasloe by 2–5 to 0–1. The squad for Mayo's first ever game were as follows: Margaret A. Loftus (Crossmolina), Bea O’Malley (Newport), Pauline Gilger (Lahardane), Mary Larkin (Ballintubber), Mary E. Chambers (Newport), Christina McCormack (Islandeady), Finuala Murray (Newport), Rosaleen Conway (Ballintubber), Captain Marie Kenny (Islandeady), Teresa Higgins (Claremorris), Ann O’Brien (Claremorris), Mary F. McDonnell (Newport), Kathleen Rowland (Crossmolina), Liz Kilcourse (Castlebar), Catherine Larkin (Ballintubber). Substitutes: Marian Cullinane, Breege Murphy, Kathleen Jordan, Ann Loftus, Bernadette Boland, Ann Bourke, Vera Coyne, and Caroline Moran.
Losing to Galway and later Roscommon in the inaugural Connacht championship in 1975, Mayo became the second winners of the Senior Connacht Championship in 1976, defeating Galway. Connacht played their first inter-provincial match against Leinster in 1976, with six Mayo players representing: Brid Fitzgerald, Ann Burke, Pauleen Finnerty, Mary O, Roseleen Conway and Valerie Collins, a game which Leinster won after a replay, in Ballycumber, County Offaly. Mayo went through a period of no trophies in the early to mid-eighties, mainly because the Connacht championship did not take place in the years 1978, 1979, 1982, 1985 and 1986, before clinching the All-Ireland Junior title in 1987, defeating Wexford and officially being graded as a senior team. The junior championship final against Wexford was the first time a team from Connacht had played in Croke Park. Mayo also went on to win the Connacht championship title for 3 consecutive years in 1988,1989 and 1990. Mayo lost to Laois in the semi-final of the All-Ireland championship in 1988, losing by 1–10 to 1–1.
Pauline Mullen was the first Mayo player to win an All-Star award in 1992. Mayo failed to win silverware again until 1993, where they won the Intermediate Championship or All-Ireland B Final as it was called at the time, defeating Dublin. From 1993 to 2001, the Connacht championship was not played due to a lack of teams being fielded, and Mayo automatically qualified for the semi-final of the All-Ireland Championship each year in these years. The period between 1993 and 1998 however was heartbreak for Mayo as they failed to advance past the semi-finals. In the 1993 semi-final Mayo played Laois in Ballina, County Mayo which ended in a draw, with a score line of Mayo 1–10 to Laois’ 0–13. The replay held in Stradbally, County Laois resulted in a 3–16 to 2–05 victory for Laois. Despite this, Bernie O’Neill became the second Mayo player to be awarded an All-Star in 1993. Between 1994 and 1996 Mayo were beaten both in the semi-finals of the championship and in the final of the National League, losing in the league to Monaghan in 1994, Waterford in 1995 and Monaghan again in 1996. Despite this, All-Stars were acquired by Diane O’Hora in 1994, both Bernie O’Neill and Patricia Mullen in 1995, and by Christina Heffernan in 1996. In 1996, Mayo were defeated in the championship semi-final by Laois again by a score line of 3–14 to 0–19 in MacHale Park. It should be noted however that during the same period the youth teams in Mayo dominated the early to mid-90s in Connacht, with the U14's capturing titles in 94,95,96 and 97, and the U16s winning Connacht championships in 90, 92, 93, 94, 96, 97 and 98.
In 1997 Mayo were defeated by Monaghan in the championship semi-final, and in 1998 in the semi-final they lost to Waterford in Dungarvan. Christina Heffernan picked up her second All-Star award in 1998. Though Mayo had come agonisingly close to an All-Ireland final appearance throughout the late 80s and most of the 90s, the combination of dual managers John Mullin and Finbar Egan from 1998 onwards and the influx of young Mayo players with a taste for and experience with success at underage level led to a period of dominance for Mayo ladies football between 1999 and 2004.
1999 League In the 1999 league campaign, Mayo reached the semi-finals where they were beaten by Waterford.
The 1999 All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Championship Final The Build-Up In 1999, Mayo reached their first All-Ireland Championship final by defeating Meath 3–13 to 2–07 in Parnell Park. Waterford defeated Monaghan in the other semi-final by a score line of 1–15 to 1–9. Rebecca Halahan for Waterford was sent off in the semi-final for elbowing Monaghan's Edel Byrne and would therefore miss the final due to suspension.
Waterford had previously beaten Mayo in the 1998 championship semi-final, though only after extra-time. A number of Waterford players had featured on all five winning teams, Noirin Walsh and Julianne Torpey in defence, both midfielders, Martina O'Ryan and Olivia Condon and the entire full-forward line, Aine Wall, Claire Ryan, the team captain, and Geraldine O'Ryan. In 1999, Waterford were seeking their third back-to-back title of the decade, having already won the championship in 91 and 92, 94 and 95 and 98. The 1999 Ladies Senior Football Championship Final was heralded as the old guard versus the new; Waterford, the 5-time champions and seasoned veterans against a young but talented Mayo side in their first All-Ireland. Mayo's rising star Cora Staunton suffered a broken collarbone during training two weeks prior to the final.
Build-Up Quotes John Mullin (Mayo Manager) - "This a very big occasion for the entire team and playing at Croke Park for the first time is going to be a new experience, but I think they are mature enough to stand up to it and produce their best form." Michael Ryan (Waterford Manager) - "They have a lot of fine young players and they are a hungry young team and they've been knocking on the door for a while now. Much will depend on how they react to Croke Park and all that goes with the final tomorrow. It's something that we feel will give us an advantage." Diane O'Hora (Mayo Captain) - "The thing about this team is that they are scared of nobody. Once they get flowing, they are hard to stop." Keith Duggan of The Irish Times predicted a Waterford win, saying "Mayo's presence (in the final) points to a bright new century for the sport, but that era is not quite yet upon us." Tom O'Riordan of The Independent predicted that Waterford would "leave Mayo feeling blue."
Starting Teams Managers: John Mullin & Finbar Egan
Team: Denise Horan Nuala O'Shea Helena Lohan Imelda Mullarkey Marcella Heffernan Yvonne Byrne Niamh Lally Claire Egan Christina Heffernan Maria Staunton Cora Staunton Sinéad Costello Diane O'Hora (c) Sabrina Bailey Martha O'Malley
Substitutes: Orla Casby for Cora Staunton (1 min) Shelly Gibbons for Martha O'Malley (54 mins)Manager: Michael Ryan
Team: Sarah Hickey Triona Whyte Annalia Crotty Noirin Walsh Marian Troy Siobhan O'Ryan Julie Ann Torpey Martina O'Ryan Olivia Condon Fiona Crotty Mary O'Donnell Niamh Barry Aine Wall Claire Ryan (c) Geraldine O'Ryan
Substitutes: D. Nagle for Fiona Crotty (39 mins) P. Walsh for Martina O'Ryan (53 mins)
The Game Cora Staunton started the game but was taken off after 1 minute, replaced by Orla Casby. The action was later explained as 'sentimental' by Mayo manager John Mullin, adding 'we wanted her to be able to say she'd played in Croke Park on an All-Ireland final day. Whatever flak I took didn't matter. On my head be it.' There was no score for the first 8 minutes of play, before Waterford's Claire Ryan got the first point. In the first few minutes of the game, Mayo goalkeeper Denise Horan executed a double save from Áine Wall and Julie Ann Torpey. Christina Heffernan scored Mayo's first point in the 13th minute. After this Mayo began to find their groove. Claire Egan drove clever balls forward to Sinead Costello and Maria Staunton to race onto. Christina Heffernan stretched the Waterford defence with long perceptive balls. Full back Helena Lohan dominated the full back position under the dropping ball, and centre-back Yvonne Byrne fielded the ball excellently, notably in the second half with one-hand amidst several players. Nuala O'Shea kept Waterford taliswoman Áine Wall from scoring all game. At the end of the first half there was nothing separating the sides, with a score line of Mayo 0–5 - 0–4 Waterford. Six minutes into the second half and Mayo were pulling away, with Diane O'Hora, Christina Heffernan, Sabrina O'Bailey and Imelda Mullarkey scoring points to make the score 9 points to Mayo, 4 to Waterford. Waterford then mounted a comeback scoring 4 unanswered to make the score 9 points to 8. But Mayo didn't appear rattled by the comeback and scored the next 3 points. O'Hora hit her fifth and Costello scored the final point of the game, to take the win and Mayo's first All-Ireland.
Match Report
For pictures of the event, see here.
Post-Match Mayo captain Diane O'Hora lifted the cup on the old Hogan Stand, the last person to lift a trophy on the legendary stand before it was demolished that same day. Mayo's starting line-up featured four 16-year-olds, two 17-year-olds, three 18-year-olds, a 19-year-old, a 20-year-old, a 21-year-old goalkeeper, two 22-year-olds and one 23-year-old. First substitute in, Orla Casby brought the number of 16-year-olds up to five, second substitute Shelly Gibbons was only 15 and Mayo had a further three 15-year-olds on the bench. Mayo players Denise Horan, Marcella Heffernan, and Christina Heffernan all received All-Star awards for the 1999 season. Diane O'Hora said in an interview post-match: "After we got the first score, we were just so relaxed throughout the game - not over confident but there was a real belief there. We just had nothing to lose coming up here and it showed." John Mullin post-match: "Personally, this feels amazing . . . here I am, middle aged and suddenly a manager of a Mayo team that has won an All-Ireland. But this is a remarkable young team. There was much made of the fact that they hadn't been to Croke Park before but it wasn't something that bothered us." Michael Ryan post-match: "Even with two minutes to go, I though we might get a goal but, ah it wasn't happening for us. That's the way of it and take nothing from Mayo, they were great today."
When asked how she was feeling post-match, Marcella Heffernan replied cheerfully - "I don't want to leave, I could stay here forever."
Reflections
2000 League Mayo won their first league title in 2000, defeating Tyrone in the final by 1–11 to 2–06.
Temporary Resignations