Mayo footballers head for Portugal training camp

Mayo manager Andy Moran. Pic ©INPHO/James Crombie

Mayo’s senior footballers are heading to Portugal for a warm weather training camp this weekend.

New manager Andy Moran and his charges will travel to Vilamoura in The Algarve on Sunday for pre-season preparations.

The group’s trip will last five days but they won’t be staying at one of the sports campuses that are regularly used by senior county squads.

It has been speculated Kobe McDonald will also be travelling with the group despite signing for AFL club St Kilda earlier this month. McDonald will complete his Leaving Certificate in June before heading to Australia.

There is hope the Crossmolina starlet, who is U20 in 2026, might also be available for some, if not all the seniors’ forthcoming season.

Mayo open their 2026 season in earnest away to Galway in their opening Division 1 game at the end of January. Prior to that, they are away to Sligo on January 3/4 and host Roscommon on January 9/10 in the FBD Connacht League.

Teams usually travel to the likes of Browns and Quinta da Lago in March and early April, but last December All-Ireland runners-up Donegal spent a week training in Abu Dhabi having prepared in Tenerife 12 months earlier.

Meanwhile, Louth are expected to announce their new hurling manager by the end of the week. Louth are the only inter-county team across the 32 counties as well as London and New York with a vacancy for 2026 after Trevor Hilliard stepped down last month.