Provincial Under 20 and Under 17 championship draws have been made

The draws for the Connacht Under 20 and Under 17 championships were made last night, with Mayo left facing big challenges in both age grades.

In the Under 20 championship, Mayo will take on fierce rivals Galway in the semi-final on April 10. Both teams go straight into the last four on one side of the draw, with Leitrim, Roscommon and Sligo on the other side of the draw.

In the other semi-final, also scheduled for April 10, Sligo await the winners of the Roscommon v Leitrim quarterfinal, due to be played on April 3.

The final is scheduled for the weekend of April 16/17. All dates are subject to change depending on restrictions. All games are fixed for the Connacht Centre of Excellence in Bekan and will have to be finished on the day.

Last year, Mayo faced Galway in the Connacht quarterfinal, with the Tribesmen winning 3-2 on penalties following a draw after extra time (Mayo 0-14, Galway 1-11).

Galway won their remaining two games in Connacht with ease, beating Leitrim in the semi-final and Roscommon in the final, and later in the year went on to win the All-Ireland title by accounting for Kerry in the last four and Dublin in the decider.

This year's game between the counties represents a first for Maurice Sheridan in charge of Mayo following his appointment last week. He replaces Mike Solan as manager.

Meanwhile, in the Connacht Under 17 championship, Mayo have been pitted against Roscommon in the quarterfinal on April 2. The winners of that game will face Galway in the semi-final on April 9.

The other semi-final is between Sligo and Leitrim, also on April 9, with the final to be played on April 13. Again, all games are to be played in the Connacht Centre of Excellence and to be finished on the day, and all dates are subject to change depending on restrictions.

Last year's Under 17 championship was played late in the year, with Mayo surprisingly defeated by Sligo at the semi-final stage. It proved to be the last game in charge for Mayo manager Tomás Morley, who led the county to a thrilling Connacht final win over Galway in 2019. The new Mayo manager is expected to be ratified at a county board meeting this Thursday.

Roscommon won the 2020 final against the Yeats County in a game that was played on St. Stephen's Day before more stringent restrictions kicked in. There was no All-Ireland series at Under 17 level last year.