Liam MacHale, and his Mayo Senior Ladies Management team, has unearthed plenty of new talent in the county, as he announced details of the 2025 League Football Panel this week. There are 13 newcomers to the squad, including Claremorris’ Bree Hession and Kayla Doherty of MacHale Rovers, two of the most exciting prospects in the county at present. 

Knockmore’s Clodagh Keane, who has proved a head-ache for many club defenders in recent years, also makes her panel debut and is certain to be a key part of plans for the season ahead. There is an air of new about this season for Mayo ladies, but plenty of learning curves ahead for the former Mayo football legend and his talented squad. 

Westport’s notorious defender Sherin El Massry has been rewarded with a coveted place, following a phenomenal season which culminated in the club’s first ever senior county title success. Plenty of big names and talent provide the foundations for this year’s squad, with former two-time All-Star, Danielle Caldwell, and nominees, Saoirse Lally and Kathryn O’Sullivan, joined by rising stars of the game in the likes of Aoife Geragthy , Maria Cannon, Erin Murray and Sinead Walsh. 

In addition, a number of key figures have returned to the fold, such as Kilmoremoy’s Ciara Whyte, who took a break from duty last year. Whyte was an integral part of Michael Moyle’s outfit who lost out to Kerry in Croke Park in 2022, and is likely to once again be a key player, with her experience a valuable asset to the new-look side. Her club-mate, Mary McHale also makes a welcome return to the green and red jersey, and the 27-year-old will be eager to impress, while Charlestown’s Ella Brennan also returns to the fold following an ACL injury, and will certainly be vying for a starting 15 jersey in this season’s match-day panels. 

With a number of last year’s panel making themselves unavailable for selection in the 2025 squad, there is the notable absence of Mayo stalwarts, Lisa and Sinead Cafferky, in addition to Carnacon’s Fiona McHale and netminder, Laura Brennan. Some of Mayo’s brightest stars also continue to ply their trade in the Australian Football League, with Kelly sister’s Grace and Niamh re-uniting at the Adelaide Crows, while Dayna Finn, Rachel Kearns and Sarah Rowe have all resigned contracts for the season ahead, but none have ruled out a return in the future. 

Many other high-profile inter-county set ups have reported AFL signings and retirements ahead of the 2025 season, most notably Kerry’s Louise Ni Mhuircheartaigh and Kayleigh Cronin, with Ni Mhuircheartaigh exiting the stage following 17 years at the top level. Dublin have also lost Grace Kos to the ALF, while Donegal and Kildare are also reporting exits to the lure of the professional game, so as with Mayo, there will certainly be plenty of squad changes across the board. 

Looking ahead to the 2025 season, MacHale is upbeat about the potential of the squad.

“The talent of some of these young players is phenomenal,” said MacHale, who takes the reins of the county’s senior ladies for a second term.  

“We are really excited to see what the new season brings and training has been very competitive and positive over the past few weeks.”

With a tough league opener against the Dubs in Parnell Park to look forward to at the end of the month, the Mayo ladies league campaign will certainly be used to gauge where this new-look team is at. But, as the saying goes, a challenge only becomes an obstacle when one bows to it, and the ladies in green and red always relish a challenge.  

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MAYO SENIOR LADIES LEAGUE PANEL 2025