Caherlistrane and Davitts meet in heavyweight Intermediate clash

MacHale Park to host Galway and Mayo champions

MACHALE PARK, Castlebar will host a Galway-Mayo showdown on Sunday afternoon as Caherlistrane and Davitts meet at the Connacht Intermediate Club Football Championship quarter-final stage (throw-in: 3.30pm).

The clubs border their neighbouring county but not each other with Caherlistrane roughly half an hour's drive from the Davitts heartlands of Ballindine and Irishtown.

Whoever emerges from the championship's only quarter-final will go forward to face Roscommon's Éire Óg in the last four on the weekend of November 21-22. Leitrim's Annaduff and Curry from Sligo meet on the opposite side of the draw. The final is down for Saturday, November 28.

Both clubs have previous when it comes to representing their county and went all the way to All-Ireland finals - Caherlistrane in 2006, Davitts in '12. Monivea-Abbey pipped Kilmeena in 2023 but Mayo champions have had the better of the last two meetings with Crossmolina Deel Rovers defeating St. Michael's in '24 and Kilmeena overcoming Caltra in '25.

Caherlistrane have made major progress under Barry McCabe this season. Their 13-match unbeaten run includes championship round-robin wins over St. Brendan's, An Cheathrú Rua and Kilconly before accounting for Glenamaddy, Oranmore-Maree and An Spidéal in the knockouts to seal a return to the top table in Galway.

Teenager Timmy Madden finished with seven points from play in the county final, while Shane Greaney, Ciaran Donnellan, Oisín O'Brien and 'keeper Kieran McDonagh completed their match-winning total. Joint captains Stephen Lawless and Alan Morris were also influential along with county man Johnny McGrath in their 0-15 to 0-12 result.

At the business end in Mayo, Davitts defeated Ballyhaunis, Islandeady and then, like Caherlistrane, won all-points final on a 0-23 to 0-17 scoreline against Ballinrobe. Jack Melvin and captain Niall Treacy accounted for 17 points between them. Others on the scoresheet for Mark Concannon's side were Mayo All-Ireland winner Fenton Kelly and the talismanic Colm Boyle, a key component of Andy Moran's management, who was introduced off the bench.

Meanwhile, Galway Primary Junior champions Headford will enter the provincial fray against Owenmore Gaels of Sligo in a semi-final fixed for Markievicz Park on Saturday, November 21 (1pm). Ardagh from Mayo got the better o Roscommon's St. Aidan's to set up a last four clash with Aughnasheelin of Leitrim. The final will be played on December 5 or 6.