THE senior football club championship is scheduled to get underway on the last weekend of July just before the Galway Summer Racing Festival kicks off at Ballybrit.

But the start of the domestic championship season will be pushed out if the Galway footballers qualify for the All-Ireland Final which is scheduled for Sunday, July 30.

That might look an unlikely scenario in the wake of Galway’s weekend loss to Armagh, but if they were to overcome Mayo in Sunday’s preliminary All-Ireland quarter-final at Pearse Stadium and their injury woes ease, who knows where Padraic Joyce’s squad might end up.

The draws for this year’s county senior, intermediate and junior championships took place in the Raidió na Gaeltachta studios in Casla on Monday evening and it marked the return of traditional powerhouse Dunmore MacHales to senior ranks for the first time in 16 years.

But last year’s Galway intermediate champions have been drawn in undoubtedly the toughest group of all which also features 2021 title holders Mountbellew-Moylough, the rising force of Claregalway, the most prolific winners of the Frank Fox Cup in Tuam Stars, and 2022 quarter-finalists St Michael’s.

That is the five team Group C Group, with the other two groups each consisting of six clubs as Galway continues the process of reducing the number of senior teams to 16 by next year. Like 2022, two clubs will be relegated, with only one team being promoted.

Group A will comprise of reigning champions Maigh Cuillin, who wheeled out some of their heavy artillery – including Dessie Conneely – for their big weekend win over An Cheathrú Rua to preserve the club’s top-flight league status, An Spidéal, Milltown, Naomh Anna Leitir Móir, Annaghdown and St James’.

Salthill/Knocknacarra made great progress under former Galway manager John O’Mahony and were unlucky final losers to Maigh Cuillin. The city club head Group B where they will be joined by former kingpins Corofin, Killannin, Bearna, Oughterard and Caherlistrane.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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