Joe mason Piece

 

Joe Mason embracing new chapter with Ballinacor while keeping Cill Chomáin  close

Joe Mason never imagined the day would come when he would transfer away from his home club 

For a player who had spent his entire football life with the North Mayo club, lining out elsewhere was difficult to contemplate. But life, work and travelling brought him to a crossroads, and now the Mayo native  is making the most of a new chapter with Ballinacor in Wicklow.

Mason began working in Wicklow in 2023 and, initially, there was no question of leaving home. He continued to make the long journey home to train and play, while during the week he trained with Ballinacor alongside fellow teachers in his school.

“I never thought I would ever transfer away from north Mayo  when I was playing there,” he says. “Then life gets in the way and you have to work and sometimes you have to travel a bit for work.”

Those early sessions were simply about keeping fit, but gradually Ballinacor became much more than somewhere to train. Mason made friends and saw similarities with Kilcommon.

Still, his focus remained firmly on Mayo. In 2024, he helped Kilcommon win the junior championship, a success that meant an enormous amount after years of trying.

Ballinacor players then asked if he might consider making Wicklow his footballing home. Mason was tempted, but there was unfinished business in Mayo. He wanted the chance to play intermediate football with his home club , having not done so since they were relegated 11 years previously.

So he stayed for another season, but the commute increasingly became difficult to sustain. Mason felt he was no longer able to give the commitment  or what  the club deserved. Despite reaching the intermediate quarter-final, he knew the time had come to make a change.

Ballinacor had also been relegated to junior football in 2025, and Mason saw an opportunity to help the club climb back up the grades.

“When I transferred up you could see the goals at the start of the year were to get back up and play in intermediate again,” he says.

“I could see with the management and the team and everything the huge intentions they had for the year,” he says.

Any doubts about feeling at home in Wicklow have now disappeared. Mason has embraced life with Ballinacor, while the club has embraced him. Their opening championship two weeks ago  over Avoca, in which Mason scored 1-1, strengthened belief in promotion.

Yet there is no sense that Joe’s  move represents a break with Cill Chomáin  His brothers and best friends remain involved, and he continues to follow their progress.

“I still talk to all the lads at home again like they're still my best friends,” he says. “I hope to play for them again when the time allows it. It's always my intention.”

For now, his focus is on Ballinacor, but his affection for the black and white of Kilcommon has not changed.

“It's the club I've played for all my life. I have brothers on the team and I still follow every game that they play.”

Speaking after Saturday's second-round championship game against Rathnew, Mason reflected on another hard-fought victory.

He said Rathnew's B team was packed with experienced footballers, including senior title winners, and Ballinacor knew it would be “a very, very physical battle.”

Ballinacor struggled in the first half, with balls inside not sticking and chances going astray. They went into the break a point ahead, but Mason felt they were fortunate to have that lead, with their goalkeeper making several important saves.

A half-time chat demanded more from the players and they responded after the restart.  Ballinacor then pushed six points clear with one of those scores coming from the Mayo man , although Rathnew refused to go away.

Mason singled out John Toomey, who came on despite carrying an injury in recent days, for making a “massive difference” to the contest.

Rathnew pressed late on, sending high balls into the danger area and kicking a number of scores, but Ballinacor's defence held firm.

“It was a hard, hard battle,” Mason said, and predicted they would go far in the championship.

For Ballinacor, the win provides another important step forward. With two weeks before their next outing, Mason and his new team can look ahead with confidence to the promotion challenge.