Connacht FA step into Mayo breach after entire committee steps down

Differences have arisen over the cost of renting a venue to Mayo FC for training and matches.

Mayo FC crest. Picture: Ryan Gallagher

The Connacht Football Association is taking over the administration of football in Mayo after the current committee stepped aside amid a row over rent charged to the county’s new League of Ireland squad.

Mayo FC was announced in December as one of the 15 initial entrants to the third tier of senior men’s football, due to kick off later in 2026, but differences have arisen over the cost of renting the Milebush Park venue for training and matches.

Hostilities spiking at committee level, where some members are also associated with Mayo FC, led to the Connacht FA intervening in an attempt to broker a peace settlement.

This effort entailed meeting with the committee in Westport on Tuesday night, after which all eight members of the league resigned.

It is now planned that the Connacht FA will assume temporary charge of league affairs until an emergency general meeting is convened within the month for clubs to elect a new committee.

As a summer league yet to start, there are no fears of the dispute causing disruption to fixtures.

“Despite over two hours of talks, it very regrettably became clear that there was no resolution to be found to the current difficulties and at that stage each member voluntarily agreed to step aside from their positions to facilitate the convening of an EGM,” the Connacht FA said in a circular to clubs on Wednesday, seen by the Irish Examiner.

“I want to put on the record that there was no involvement from the FAI and nobody was stood down.

“Each member agreed to stand aside in the best interests of the Mayo League.”