Mayo’s most deserving win ends 75 year wait
MAYO’S All-Ireland football final victory is a moment in Irish history.
Tears of joy and utter euphoria engulfed Croke Park on Sunday evening as 75 years of waiting were ended by an outstanding performance of full-throttle football from Andy Moran’s Mayo team on a scoreline of 1-20 to 1-17 against the defending champions Kerry. It was one of the most impressive All-Ireland final wins in some years.
If the stadium shook to the tune of Darragh Beirne’s second half goal, its foundations took a greater dent with the sounding of referee Martin McNally’s final whistle through the joyous scenes that unfolded from the Mayo players on the pitch and their fans in the stands and on Hill 16. One last blow arrived when captain Jack Coyne from Ballyhaunis hold the Sam Maguire Cup aloft.
Almost 1million viewers (944,000 to be exact) on average are said to have tuned into RTÉ’s coverage of the All-Ireland final, with that figure peaking at 1.1million viewers at 5.11pm as the final drew to a riveting crescendo.
Sam Maguire made its way west of the Shannon for the first time in 25 years on Monday since Ballaghderreen’s John O’Mahony managed Galway to a second All-Ireland success.
It was fitting that it was another Ballaghderreen man, Andy Moran, led Mayo to victory on Sunday on the day when O’Mahony and that Galway side were honoured as the 25-year Jubilee team. Moran referenced his mentor O’Mahony, who also managed Mayo across two stints, in his post-match interview with RTÉ’s Damian Lawlor.
Castlebar was thronged with thousands upon thousands of people for Monday evening’s homecoming in MacHale Park.
There are Mayo people living across County Galway. Many Mayo people work in Galway, many are joined in holy matrimony to Galway folk, and many are parents to children being brought up in Galway. Mayo people living in Galway are coaches at underage level in their adopted clubs.
A shout of ‘Up Mayo’ could be heard shortly before midday on Monday on the Dublin Road in Tuam, outside this newspaper’s offices. A few Mayo jerseys were dotted around the town’s streets during the day.
The Tuam Herald would like to congratulate the Mayo football team and management, and the many Mayo people living in the county, on their tremendous All-Ireland tirumph.