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Twelve months ago, the blue devils from Tooreen ended a 10 year famine, with an unexpected and devastating victory over Ballyhaunis in the Mayo Senior Hurling Championship final. Their 4-10 to 1-6 win over their near rivals ended a decade of hurt, where for eight of the previous nine years the TJ Tyrrell Cup spent the winter with their near neighbours. It was an emotional victory for the men from Tooreen, with Kenny Feeney leading the way scoring 3-6 over the 60 minutes, with man-of-the-match, Cathal Freeman, chipping in with three points from midfield.

Twelve months ago, the blue devils from Tooreen ended a 10 year famine, with an unexpected and devastating victory over Ballyhaunis in the Mayo Senior Hurling Championship final. Their 4-10 to 1-6 win over their near rivals ended a decade of hurt, where for eight of the previous nine years the TJ Tyrrell Cup spent the winter with their near neighbours. It was an emotional victory for the men from Tooreen, with Kenny Feeney leading the way scoring 3-6 over the 60 minutes, with man-of-the-match, Cathal Freeman, chipping in with three points from midfield.

Mayo head into Sunday's Connacht final looking to win four Connacht titles in a row for the first time since 1951.

After the breakneck start to the year with five games in 31 days, the past fortnight would have come as a welcome respite for James Horan and his management team as they had two weeks to work with their panel without having to prepare for a game at the same time.

Although it is only round three of the National league on Sunday when Mayo take on Kerry, it literally is a league defining match (There will be more on rounds of a different kind later on). The winners of the game have a chance of making the semi-finals; the losers are staring relegation in the face. Mayo have had some good results against Kerry in the league in the last number of years and no question they will not fear them particularly with Colm ‘Gooch’ Cooper sidelined for the year . It is sad for us as footballing fans that we will not see the eight-time All-Star in action this year however I am sure there are many a manager and defender quietly delighted they will not have to endure the full wrath of his skills in the summer of 2014. Cooper’s last championship game, last year’s All-Ireland semifinal against the Dubs, was arguably one of his best in a Kerry jersey. I was secretly hoping Kerry would win that game as I felt Mayo would have had a better chance against them in the final. Kerry are under transition at the moment and very regularly line out with players we have not really heard of just yet, so now is a good time to play them.

The success of the Mayo minor hurlers in winning the All Ireland Minor C Championship was the major bright spot in the year for all involved with hurling in the county. The team led by manager Brian Finn and Johnny Regan defeated Monaghan in Ballinamore, Leitrim at the beginning of September. En route to the final, they saw off the challenge of Sligo and Cavan. It was a double minor celebration for Tooreen’s David Kenny who also picked up an All Ireland minor football winners medal a few weeks later.

One was once the name to beat in hurling for years and the other has taken up that mantle and is going in search of its sixth Mayo senior championship in a row. The TJ Tyrell cup has wintered in Tooreen 26 times in the past, but it has been ten years since it last headed in that direction and since 2008 he has made his home in Ballyhaunis. On Sunday in Ballyhaunis at 2pm both sides will meet once again in the Mayo senior hurling championship final.

1.Aidan O'Shea is playing the football of his life:

Two weeks before their senior football colleagues open their championship campaign, the Mayo senior hurling team will travel to Newbridge to take on Kildare in the first round of the Christy Ring Cup tomorrow afternoon. The Lillywhites are 11/2 third favourites to follow in the footsteps of the likes of London, Carlow, and Westmeath in lifting the trophy, while Mayo are currently priced at 16/1, second last favourites according to one major bookmaker.

Last year’s Christy Ring Cup winners will be calling into McHale Park for a visit on Sunday afternoon as Christy Phillips’ Mayo senior hurling side look to put together back to back wins. Mayo will go into Sunday’s game boosted on the back of impressive scoring haul of 4-16 in last weekend’s victory against Armagh in the same venue.