A Timeline Of Our Clubs History

This timeline, while not exhaustive, provides a glimpse of important events in our clubs history to the present day. If you believe you may have some history that may be relevant to the timeline, please feel free to get in touch with us.


1885 - Castlebar GAA is formed on December 11th 1885 following a meeting in the Reading Room (above the Town Hall) and shortly after adopted the name of Castlebar Mitchels. The original colours were Green & Yellow and initial games were played at Pigeon Park (also known as the Fair Green). Youth involvement begins at an early stage as only four months on from the founding of the club, a Juvenile team (Under 15) plays its first match.

1888 - Mitchels wins the first Mayo County Championship on May 6th 1888, defeating Ballina Commercials on a scoreline of 1-07 to 0-01 at Swinford.

1903 - Mitchels win their second County Title on July 25th at Bohola, defeating Ballina Stephenites on a scoreline of 1-04 to 0-01.

1910 - Mitchels win its first County Hurling title. (Other Castlebar teams had previously won hurling championships).

1922/23 - After a lean period, the Mitchels (now registered in Claret & Amber) win their first and second County Junior titles, providing the club with the stimulus to reenter the Senior Championship the following year.

1929 - In an effort to continue to encourage players, a 7-a-side town league is organized, with six teams drawn from town locations. Shortly after a similar league for Minors is established, with four teams competing.

1930-32 - After 27 years and of ups and downs, success returns as Mitchels win their third County title in 1930 to end Ballina’s reign. This success is backed up as a further two county titles are won in successive years to complete our first ever 3-in-a-row.

1930/31 - Following many years of playing at different venues around the town, a home was finally acquired. Land, that had been known as the Racecourse, was bought for the sum of £650 on April 3rd 1930. At the suggestion of Club Chairman Fr. Dan Corcoran, the newly acquired land was named MacHale Park. It was officially opened on the May 24th 1931 with Mayo taking on Kildare.

1933 - The first Mitchels player to win an All-Ireland medal was Jimmy Deffely in 1933 when Mayo won the All-Ireland Junior Final.

1930’s - A highly successful period for our Minor team as they win their first County title in 1930 and follow up with titles in ’31, ’33, ’34 and ’39 for a total of five titles in the decade.

1936 - Mitchels players provide the backbone to the Mayo team that won it’s first All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, in addition to securing a sixth successive National League title. Involved with that famous team were Tom Burke, Paddy Quinn, Patsy Flannelly, Jim 'Tot' McGowan, Paddy Moclair, Henry Kenny and Josie Munnelly.

1937 - Our Juvenile [Under 16] team captures it first County Championship.

1940’s - A dominant decade for the Mitchels, securing six Senior County Championships including a back-to-back and a three-in-a-row (1941, 1942, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1948).

1940’s - Further underage success with two Minor County Titles (1941, 1947) and two Juvenile [Under 16 Titles] (1940, 1949).

1950’s - A glorious decade for the Club as our Senior team start the decade with five-in-a-row County Championships (1950-1954) followed by two further Championships in 1956 and 1959 for a total of seven County Championships.

1950/51 - Four Mitchels players; Tommy Byrne, Eamon Mongey, Mick Flanagan and Peter Solan played pivotal roles as Mayo won back to back All-Ireland senior football titles in 1950 and 1951.

1956 - A true great of the club, Josie Munnelly collects his twelfth Senior Football County Championship medal, having captained Mitchels to six of these titles. A feat surely never to be equaled in Mayo! Josie retired in 1958 after 28 years of football that included an All-Ireland Senior medal in 1936 and All-Ireland Junior medal in 1957 for Mayo and is one of two players (along with Mick Flynn) to have played in all five of the five-in-a-row team.

1950's - Two County Minor Titles in 1954 & 1955 and one County Juvenile [Under 16] title in 1957.

1960 - Upon the invitation of the St. Pat’s Club of Chicago, Castlebar Mitchels became the first club in Ireland to fly to America for a match. The occasion garnered national media attention and a party of 92 people took a 22-hour flight to Chicago from Shannon Airport.

1960’s - After two dominant decades, the 60’s proves more challenging, with a County Title in 1962 not followed until 1969.

1963 - Another Juvenile County Title, defeating Ballina Stephenites in the final.

1969 - Another bit of history as the Mitchels win their first Connacht Club Senior Championship, beating Dunmore McHales of Galway 2-10 to 0-10.

1970 - A final back-to-back County Championship win for the next 46 years for Mitchels who beat Garrymore on August 23rd at Charlestown on a scoreline of 4-10 to 2-07.

1971 - Castlebar Mitchels Bord na nÓg is founded in January 1971.

1972 - Mitchels defeat Garrymore to win the Under 16 title while our Under 14 team captured its first County title, defeating Claremorris.

1978 - Following years of deliberations, a committee spearheaded by Gerry McDonald is set up to plan the project of building a sports complex. An Sportlann is officially opened by President of the G.A.A, Mr. Con Murphy, on June 24th 1978.

1978 - A 24th County title for Mitchels, defeating Claremorris by 0-08 to 0-07 at MacHale Park on September 9th

1980’s - Senior successes in 1986 (defeating Crossmolina) & 1988 (defeating Crossmolina again following a replay) ensures another two titles in the decade.

1983 - Clubmen Mickie Feeney and Brian Kilkenny win an All-Ireland Under 21 Championship with Mayo.

1985 - Clubman Henry Gavin captains Mayo to the Connacht Senior Football Championship

1980’s - The decade sees numerous underage County titles with victories at Under 21 (our clubs first in 1982, followed by 1983, 1989), Minor (1982, 1986), Under 16 (1985, 1986) & Under 14 (1983, 1987).

1993 - A glorious year for our Senior Team who secure our 27th Senior Championship, defeating Balla in the final before defeating Clann na Gael of Roscommon in a replay to claim our second Connacht Club Senior Championship.

1994 - A first All-Ireland Senior Club final appearance on St. Patrick’s Day 1994. Having defeated Eire Óg of Carlow after two titanic tussles in Longford, we fall to a strong Nemo Rangers team from Cork at Croke Park.

1996 - National glory for the Mitchels as our Under 10 team win the All-Ireland Community Games title in Mosney.

1990’s - Another period of great work sees further improvements to MacHale Park.

1999 - A second All-Ireland title for Mitchels as the win the Under 14 Feile title defeating Stradbally of Laois at Cusack Park in Ennis.

1990’s - Further county titles are secured at Under 21 (1996), Minor (1994), Under 16 (1992) and Under 14 (1999).

2005 - Having spent a few years relegated from Senior, Mitchels secure its first County Intermediate Title, defeating Burrishoole on a scoreline of 0-13 to 1-06 at MacHale Park and in doing so gained promotion back to Senior.

2006 - Seven Mitchels men (Richard Byrne, Tom Cunniffe, Alan Joyce, Alan Feeney, Sean Ryder, Barry Moran & John Conlon) are on the Mayo panel that wins the All Ireland Under 21 Championship against Cork at Cusack Park in Ennis.

2000’s - Underage success continues throughout the decade with County Titles at Under 21 (2005, 2007), Minor (2002, 2007, 2009), Under 16 (2000, 2003) and a 3-in-a-row for Under 14 (2001, 2002, 2003).

2013 - A twenty year wait for a Senior County Title comes to an end as Mitchels defeat Breaffy on a scoreline of 1-11 to 0-08. This is followed with victories over Corofin (Galway) and reigning All-Ireland Club Champions St. Brigids (Roscommon) to claim a third Connacht Club Senior Championship.

2013 -  Clubman Sean Conlon wins an All-Ireland Minor Championship as he stars on a strong Mayo team that beat Tyrone in the final at Croke Park.

2014 - Following victory over Dr. Crokes Killarney (Kerry) in the All-Ireland Club Semi-Final, Mitchels return to Croke Park to take on St. Vincent’s (Dublin) in the All Ireland Senior Club final where they fought until the end before succumbing to defeat.

2014 - For the first time in 81 years, Mitchels capture the Mayo Junior A Football Championship, defeating Achill on a scoreline of 1-10 to 3-3. A major success for our second team.

2015 - Mitchels return to the summit of Mayo and Connaught Club football, again defeating Breaffy (4-10 to 0-09) in the County final before defeating reigning All-Ireland Club Champions Corofin (Galway) on a scoreline of 2-10 to 0-11 in Tuam.

2016 - More heartbreak in Croke Park. After beating Ulster kingpins Crossmaglen (Armagh) in a war at Breffni Park, Cavan in the All-Ireland Club Semi Final, we fall to Ballyboden St. Endas (Dublin) in the All-Ireland Club Final.

2016 - Clubman Sean Conlon is on the Mayo panel that wins the All-Ireland Under 21 Championship, defeating Cork at Cusack Park in Ennis.

2016 - A third All Ireland Underage title as our Under 14 team win Feile by defeating Killeavy St Moninna (Armagh) in the final at Fitzgerald Stadium in Killarney.

2016-17 - Two further Senior County Titles, defeating Knockmore in 2016 (3-13 to 0-10) and Ballintubber in 2017 (0-15 to 0-13) sees a first 3-in-a-row for the club since the 5-in-a-row of the early 50’s. In doing so, captain Rory Byrne becomes only the second player in club history to captain a team to three consecutive championships (following John Egan from 1930-1932).

2010’s - The decade sees further underage successes with County Titles coming from a 3-in-a-row winning Under 21 team (2010, 2011, 2012), Minor (2012, 2016), Under 16 (2017, 2018) and Under 14 (2012, 2015, 2017).

2019 - A second County Junior A title in 5 years as we overcome Kilmaine 0-14 to 0-11 at MacHale Park. A huge achievement for our second year to bounce straight back to Intermediate.

2019 - Senior player Patrick Durcan becomes the first Mitchels player to win a GAA All-Star award, following on from another heroic year in the Green & Red of Mayo.

2020 - The new decade starts off with County 'A' Title victories for our Minors (defeating Ballina Stephenites at MacHale Park) and Under 16's (again defeating Ballina Stephenites in Foxford).