After the conclusion of the intercounty season, eyes now turn to the club championship which begins on the weekend of August 17-19.
Corofin will start off as favourites after Kevin Johnston’s side regained the Frank Fox cup in 2023 following a three year gap. With Maigh Cuilinn and Salthill/Knocknacarra sweating over the fitness of their inter county stars Seán Kelly and Rob Finnerty, the front runners to challenge for the title may suffer somewhat early on. Having won the intermediate championship in 2023, Monivea/Abbey have returned to senior football for 2024, with Francis ‘Bunty’ Roche remaining at the helm.
The format of this year’s championship has changed once more, as the competition has been reduced to 16 teams. Similarly to the intercounty group stage, there will be four groups of four teams. The top team in each group will qualify automatically for the quarter final. The teams that finish second in their group will play a team that finished third in another group. Unlike the county competition there will be relegation trouble for the teams that finish bottom of their group. These teams will enter a round robin competition with the bottom two teams to be relegated to intermediate for 2025.
Interestingly, the Galway county board have elected to alter the format of how the games will be played. The winners from each group on the opening weekend will play each other in the second round to ensure there is something to play for in every game. With the county semi-finalists from 2023 being kept apart for the group stage, the groups are as follows:
Group 1: Mountbellew/Moylough, Salthill/Knocknacarra, Caherlistrane, Naomh Anna Leitir Mór.
Group 2: Maigh Cuilinn, Dunmore MacHales, St. James’, Monivea Abbey.
Group 3: Corofin, Oughterard, Tuam Stars, Claregalway.
Group 4: Milltown, Killannin, Annaghdown, Barna.
Intermediate football will also begin on the same weekend, and having already had 16 teams in the competition for the last number of years, they will adapt the same format as the senior championship. St. Michael’s and An Spidéal have joined the intermediate ranks after being relegated from senior in 2023. The junior champions from last year, Menlough have returned to intermediate football after two years in the third tier. Having lost the final in 2022 and 2023, Kilconly will hope to go one better and return to senior football for the first time since 2018. The intermediate groups are as follows:
Group 1: Kilconly, Oileann Árann, St. Brendan’s, Clifden.
Group 2: An Spidéal, St. Gabriels, Corofin, Williamstown.
Group 3: Menlough, Oranmore/Maree, Glenamaddy, St. Michael’s.
Group 4: Cortoon Shamrocks, Kilkerrin/Clonberne, Caltra, Michael Breathnachs.
