Traffic chaos looming for Galway and Mayo fans bound for Limerick

LIMERICK of all places! We were packing our bags for Hyde Park after Monday’s football qualifier draw pitched mighty Connacht rivals Galway and Mayo together.

But the potential financial boom for Roscommon town proved short-lived. Health & Safety intervened. With only a 19,000 capacity at Hyde Park, GAA chiefs ruled it out on the basis that the fourth-round qualifier would attract a bigger crowd.

Instead, we all have to drag ourselves to the Gaelic Grounds on Saturday evening (7pm) – a venue not even inside the province and one which Mayo fans will have to drive through Galway to get to.

A fleet of cars all travelling on virtually the same road to see which of two injury-riddled teams can revive their championship season in a big way. Traffic chaos looms.

Mayo should be sharper after two qualifier tussles with Down and Armagh, but the Galway players have reputations to restore following their nightmare second-half against Roscommon.

If the men in maroon are up for the fight, Galway can overcome Mayo for the fourth consecutive summer. If they are not, the critics will destroy them.