2015 Connacht Senior Championship.

[Shrewdness]

Just a few weeks until Galway hit the Big Apple. This has the potential to be a very Competitive Connacht Championship. Only time will tell whether it turns out that way. Can Mayo make it 5 in a row, or will emerging Roscommon and Galway teams restore the glory teams. Presuming Galway and Ros beat New York and London respectively, will Leitrim and Sligo have a surprise up their sleeve? Putting my head on the block, i fear that Mayo will make it 5 in a row.

[GalwayBayBoy]

 The All Ireland Championship officially starts this weekend with its annual exhibition game when New York are served up as an apéritif for one of the five Connacht sides. This year it's the turn of Galway to try and match Mayo's 22 point victory last year.
Galway are priced up at 1/66 to win the match with New York at 25/1 to win their first ever championship match.

John Mulholland has set Galway a handicap line of 13 points. Its Galway -13 at Evs, New York +13 10/11.

Match Betting
New York 25/1
Draw 50/1
Galway 1/6

Handicap Betting
New York +13 10/11
H'cap Tie 8/1
Galway -13 Evs

After Dublin's win in the league final, John Mulholland has cut them into 11/8 from 13/8. Kerry are next in the betting at 3/1.

All Ireland Football Outright Betting
Dublin 11-8
Kerry 3-1
Mayo 7-1
Cork 8-1
Donegal 12-1
Tyrone 22-1
Monaghan 25-1
Galway 25-1
Armagh 25-1
Roscommon 40-1
Derry 50-1
Meath 66-1
Kildare 80-1
Down 80-1
Cavan 125-1
Tipperary 150-1
Westmeath 200-1
Laois 200-1
Clare 200-1
Wexford 300-1
Sligo 400-1
Louth 500-1
Antrim 500-1
Longford 500-1
Fermanagh 500-1
Limerick 750-1
Wicklow 1000-1
Leitrim 1000-1
Waterford 1000-1
Offaly 1000-1
Carlow 1000-1

Connacht SFC
Mayo 5-6
Galway 11-4
Roscommon 10-3
Sligo 16-1
London 150-1
Leitrim 150-1
New York 750-1 


Leinster SFC
Dublin 1-7
Meath 7-1
Kildare 16-1
Laois 33-1
Westmeath 66-1
Wexford 80-1
Longford 200-1
Louth 200-1
Offaly 250-1
Wicklow 250-1
Carlow 750-1

Munster SFC
Kerry 8-15
Cork 15-8
Tipperary 22-1
Clare 33-1
Limerick 150-1
Waterford 250-1 

Ulster SFC
Monaghan 5-2
Donegal 7-2
Armagh 5-1
Derry 8-1
Cavan 8-1
Down 9-1
Tyrone 9-1
Fermanagh 25-1
Antrim 40-1

[Shrewdness]

Didn't realise that New York/Galway was on as soon as next weekend. Those odds on Mayo of 5/6 to win Connacht are very short imo.

[From the Bunker]

Didn't realise that New York/Galway was on as soon as next weekend. Those odds on Mayo of 5/6 to win Connacht are very short imo.

And probably about right. Roscommon and Galway have not had a big scalp in the Championship in years. They both have great players coming through, but they have yet to cross that line.

[macdanger2]

With both Sligo and Leitrim playing away from home and both having had so-so leagues, it's hard to see either beating Roscommon / Galway.

Where would a Galway / Mayo v Roscommon final be played?

[Rossie11]

With both Sligo and Leitrim playing away from home and both having had so-so leagues, it's hard to see either beating Roscommon / Galway.

Where would a Galway / Mayo v Roscommon final be played?

Salthill or Cbar

In order for Ross to win Connacht they need to win 3 away games.

[Shrewdness]

The Sligo/ Ros game is in Sligo. A real potential banana skin if ever i saw one. That is assuming, of course, that we haven't come a cropper in Ruislip!!

[macdanger2]

The Sligo/ Ros game is in Sligo. A real potential banana skin if ever i saw one. That is assuming, of course, that we haven't come a cropper in Ruislip!!

Didn't realise that - Sligo finished the league reaonably well so could be in with a shout of beating an over-confident Roscommon team in Markievicz.

[muppet]

With both Sligo and Leitrim playing away from home and both having had so-so leagues, it's hard to see either beating Roscommon / Galway.

Where would a Galway / Mayo v Roscommon final be played?

Leitrim will play Galway on 17th May, at Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada according to GAA.ie

[moysider]

The biggest worry I d have from a Mayo point of view is all the negative stuff coming out of the camp. If even some of it is true we could be in bother.

[Shrewdness]

Where i see Mayo having an edge is in experience. A lot of their panel have at least 4 Connacht medals. They have the know how and ability to win close games in Connacht when they mightn't have played all that well. The Roscommon game in Hyde Park last year ir a classic example. However, having said that, who knows what could happen on any given day.

[larryin89]

I'm not being funny , I think we will walk it.  We didn't go full tilt in Connacht last year because of 13 where it was said we peaked  too early in Connacht and Q/f v Donegal running out of steam in the second half of final and a bit rusty v Tyrone in semi too. This year will be different IMO ,the all Ireland dream is over but Connacht will be gone at hammer and tongs and both Galway and Ros won't live with that sort of robust energy Mayo are capable of.

[Farrandeelin]

I'm not being funny , I think we will walk it.  We didn't go full tilt in Connacht last year because of 13 where it was said we peaked  too early in Connacht and Q/f v Donegal running out of steam in the second half of final and a bit rusty v Tyrone in semi too. This year will be different IMO ,the all Ireland dream is over but Connacht will be gone at hammer and tongs and both Galway and Ros won't live with that sort of robust energy Mayo are capable of.

I hope you're right...but the fact that there seemed to be no real plan once the ball reached the 40 metre line except shoot wides doesn't bode well. I think Galway could turn us over to be honest.

[Shrewdness]

larryin, do you not think that Mayo were at full tilt against Roscommon last year, when they came from 3 points down to win by a point?

[giveballaghback]

Mayo may be fav to win Connacht but either Galway or Roscommon are well capable of beating them, Galway are as good as anything out there from no 8 to 15, if they can sort out the defence they have massive potential, Rossies are making progress all the time, another gem in Cian Connolly made his senior debut in Croker yesterday and what a game he had, those of us who have seen him in action at club level were not one bit surprised and heres the thing, there are several more players to be introduced over the next couple of years, even at this stage Ros on their day can compete with anyone, the day is not far away when we will be able to compete consistently with the top teams. Mayos days of cruising to a Connacht have gone and will not return with this generation of players, their race is run and maybe their experience will carry them to five in a row but Galway will want to protect their record and the last thing the Rossies would want to see is Mayo doing five in a row, so a lot to play for, I think the guard will change this year, who will achieve that I just can not call, I just hope its us Rossies, best of luck to all teams and heres hoping there are no serious injuries to the players who give so much for their counties.