This weekend sees both the Mayo senior ladies footballers and senior hurling teams get their league seasons under way. Both sides are under new management this year, with Peter Leahy taking up the top job with the ladies' football side from Frank Browne after the Wexford native stepped down from the role, following Mayo's loss in the All Ireland final to Dublin last year.
Leahy had come on board as a coach with the team midway through last year after Mayo's loss to Galway in the Connacht final and is well respected in the game, having guided his native county Westmeath to All Ireland intermediate glory in the past. He will face into a sort of homecoming this weekend when Mayo take on Westmeath in round one of the league in the Swinford Amenity Park at 12.30pm.
Later on that afternoon the Mayo hurlers will open their National Hurling League season with a home tie against Donegal in Division 2B of the competition. Former Mayo captain and selector for both the hurlers' and ladies footballers Derek Walsh has taken over the top job in the small ball game in the county from JP Coen this year. Coen stepped down after three years in charge of the team - which saw one of the best days for Mayo hurling when the county won a national title in Croke Park defeating Armagh to win the Nicky Rackard Cup in 2016.
