Mayo's (Where football is life) 3 greatest players

[rosnarun]

Why go looking for perceived victims of something or other?

We seem to prefer martyrs to winners.

Maybe because we dont have any winners Muppet in the last 50+ years. And some of us know it should nt have turned out this way.
Nobody else has mentioned victim or martyr. For years Mayo football has been about licking wounds and not daring to look back. Only winners write memoirs and we ll never really know what has been going through the minds of Mayo managers these last 25 years and why they made some of the decisions they did.  Personally I think it could have been all a lot better without an awful lot of rocket science needed. Likes of Ger Geraghty, McDonald, O Neill, Tiernan, Ray Connelly, Staunton, Butler, Aiden Higgins,  Brogan, Michael Collins, Willie Nally, Gary Ruane and Brian Heffernan did not wear the jersey as often as they should have.
Sure there were others who had it but could take it or leave it but the above and a few more were genuine players and just a bit of cop dealing with them have gone a long way.

great to see willie Nally get a mention. his performance in the 1981 connacht final was the best individual performance ive seen from any one in a Mayo jersey. he left every one in awe  that day.
Not sure it gets him into a top3 list but its a memory to treasure

[moysider]

Why go looking for perceived victims of something or other?

We seem to prefer martyrs to winners.

Maybe because we dont have any winners Muppet in the last 50+ years. And some of us know it should nt have turned out this way.
Nobody else has mentioned victim or martyr. For years Mayo football has been about licking wounds and not daring to look back. Only winners write memoirs and we ll never really know what has been going through the minds of Mayo managers these last 25 years and why they made some of the decisions they did.  Personally I think it could have been all a lot better without an awful lot of rocket science needed. Likes of Ger Geraghty, McDonald, O Neill, Tiernan, Ray Connelly, Staunton, Butler, Aiden Higgins,  Brogan, Michael Collins, Willie Nally, Gary Ruane and Brian Heffernan did not wear the jersey as often as they should have.
Sure there were others who had it but could take it or leave it but the above and a few more were genuine players and just a bit of cop dealing with them have gone a long way.

great to see willie Nally get a mention. his performance in the 1981 connacht final was the best individual performance ive seen from any one in a Mayo jersey. he left every one in awe  that day.
Not sure it gets him into a top3 list but its a memory to treasure

One of the best individual performances I ve seen. As you say that does nt get him a top 3 but it shows what he could have done.  Ever wonder why he hardly ever played after? He played Minor in 74 against Cork in an AI minor final and Micheál Ó Muirareachtaigh in his report  on radio earmarked him as outstanding. His fielding ability was beyond Willie Joe- he was about six three. He was no flash in the pan and another lost in this county.

[whitey]

Wow-willie nally-wonder if that game is online anywhere. That was unbelievable! 

In the flesh I'd say Brogan was the best player I ever saw playing. Gerry Geraghty always reminded me of a Dermot Earley SR type of player-I saw him playing for McBrides out in Chicago in the mid 90s and he was still class.

Mark Butler-what ever happened him? The oul fella gave him a lift (yeah people used to thumb lifts back in the 80s) and I think he regretted ever getting in the car with the grilling he got.

Peter Butler-great heart and strength, fantastic reader of the game-butslow as Christmas. I saw him playing a game out in Parke (probably the biggest pitch in Mayo) against a speed merchant and he got cleaned.

Ronan Golding-I thought they called him the goose.I think it was martin carney who stated he was the most talented minor he had aver seen play for Mayo. Had beers with him in Boston a few years ago-great craic altogether.

So heres my 3 (of the past 20years)

Willie Joe (for heart)

Macdonald (for brilliance)

Mchale (for athleticism)

[muppet]

Wow-willie nally-wonder if that game is online anywhere. That was unbelievable! 

In the flesh I'd say Brogan was the best player I ever saw playing. Gerry Geraghty always reminded me of a Dermot Earley SR type of player-I saw him playing for McBrides out in Chicago in the mid 90s and he was still class.

Mark Butler-what ever happened him? The oul fella gave him a lift (yeah people used to thumb lifts back in the 80s) and I think he regretted ever getting in the car with the grilling he got.

Peter Butler-great heart and strength, fantastic reader of the game-butslow as Christmas. I saw him playing a game out in Parke (probably the biggest pitch in Mayo) against a speed merchant and he got cleaned.

Ronan Golding-I thought they called him the goose.I think it was martin carney who stated he was the most talented minor he had aver seen play for Mayo. Had beers with him in Boston a few years ago-great craic altogether.

So heres my 3 (of the past 20years)

Willie Joe (for heart)

Macdonald (for brilliance)

Mchale (for athleticism)

A Castlebar corner forward took him for 2-4 in a county U-21 semi-final in Parke in 1990.

[saffronandblue]

I would have Peter Butler on my team any day.....a class act who developed a bit later than others but was the heart and soul of the Knockmore team of the ninetys.....what happened to the corner forward from Castlebar in his later career

My Top 3

1. The Bomber Brogan
2. Ciaran Mc Donald
3. Kevin O' Neill

If I had to pick one it would be Brogan, at his best he was toatally untouchable and had it all, strength, speed, scoring ability......a pity he never managed to keep on the level when he was younger. A nice guy as well, who when young, trained harder than anyone.

[whitey]

If its the corner forward I'm thinking of he developed a serious back injury and only played for a couple more seasons-is there more to the story?

[Lar Naparka]

Wow-willie nally-wonder if that game is online anywhere. That was unbelievable! 

In the flesh I'd say Brogan was the best player I ever saw playing. Gerry Geraghty always reminded me of a Dermot Earley SR type of player-I saw him playing for McBrides out in Chicago in the mid 90s and he was still class.

Mark Butler-what ever happened him? The oul fella gave him a lift (yeah people used to thumb lifts back in the 80s) and I think he regretted ever getting in the car with the grilling he got.

Peter Butler-great heart and strength, fantastic reader of the game-butslow as Christmas. I saw him playing a game out in Parke (probably the biggest pitch in Mayo) against a speed merchant and he got cleaned.

Ronan Golding-I thought they called him the goose.I think it was martin carney who stated he was the most talented minor he had aver seen play for Mayo. Had beers with him in Boston a few years ago-great craic altogether.

So heres my 3 (of the past 20years)

Willie Joe (for heart)

Macdonald (for brilliance)

Mchale (for athleticism)

You’ve come up with a fine three alright and given good reasons for so doing. I see you are a relative newcomer to our chats and I think you will be a fine addition. Failte isteach!
It just isn’t possible to get broad agreement on any three players I know. There are far too many variables involved and the further back one goes, the greater the probabilities of memories playing tricks.
However, your three would all have to be close to the top for all whom have seen them at their best.
With Willie Nally, I’d go with rosnarun’s assessment.
I’d definitely agree with your other two.
I know I left McHale out when I made my initial choice but having considered what others have had to say, I think he is indeed worthy of inclusion. He had one quality along with Ciaran Mac that set them apart from all around them and most who played against them.
Both were extremely strong and athletic with perfect balance and timing.
How often did you see both of them come out with the ball from a huddle of players and somehow make space to look around for a colleague to deliver a perfectly weighted pass to? I never recall either giving just an aimless hoof to pass the buck on to someone else. Both also had enough confidence in their ball control to look around them when in possession and never appeared rushed or panicky.
Conor Mortimer won a deserved All Star in 2006 because he alone showed for McD’s inch perfect passes during the 2006 campaign. It must have been heartbreaking for the pair of Macs as they toe tapped and fostered, waiting for some ejjit colleague inside to wake up and run into position.
I’m reluctant to leave out John Morley from my revised top three but Willie Joe has to be given the nod, since he seldom if ever had colleagues of the calibre John Morley had around him. 

[Farrandeelin]

Hmmm I'll have to find out who saffron and blue is!

[muppet]

I would have Peter Butler on my team any day.....a class act who developed a bit later than others but was the heart and soul of the Knockmore team of the ninetys.....what happened to the corner forward from Castlebar in his later career

My Top 3

1. The Bomber Brogan
2. Ciaran Mc Donald
3. Kevin O' Neill

If I had to pick one it would be Brogan, at his best he was toatally untouchable and had it all, strength, speed, scoring ability......a pity he never managed to keep on the level when he was younger. A nice guy as well, who when young, trained harder than anyone.

Stopped playing completely at 20 on medical advice.

[RedandGreenSniper]

I would have Peter Butler on my team any day.....a class act who developed a bit later than others but was the heart and soul of the Knockmore team of the ninetys.....what happened to the corner forward from Castlebar in his later career

My Top 3

1. The Bomber Brogan
2. Ciaran Mc Donald
3. Kevin O' Neill

If I had to pick one it would be Brogan, at his best he was toatally untouchable and had it all, strength, speed, scoring ability......a pity he never managed to keep on the level when he was younger. A nice guy as well, who when young, trained harder than anyone.

Stopped playing completely at 20 on medical advice.

Not you by any chance Muppet?!

[muppet]

I would have Peter Butler on my team any day.....a class act who developed a bit later than others but was the heart and soul of the Knockmore team of the ninetys.....what happened to the corner forward from Castlebar in his later career

My Top 3

1. The Bomber Brogan
2. Ciaran Mc Donald
3. Kevin O' Neill

If I had to pick one it would be Brogan, at his best he was toatally untouchable and had it all, strength, speed, scoring ability......a pity he never managed to keep on the level when he was younger. A nice guy as well, who when young, trained harder than anyone.

Stopped playing completely at 20 on medical advice.

Not you by any chance Muppet?!

Sadly I never scored 2-4 even in training.

[blast05]

Offbeat questions ...... what Mayo midfielder kicked most scores from play in a league or championship game in the last 15 years (maybe more, i can't recall beyond that) ?

Back to this question ...... Answer: Colm McMenamon no less - 7 pts from play

Name the year, place and opponents ?? ?? ??  Yes, it is either NFL or championship

[RedandGreenSniper]

Offbeat questions ...... what Mayo midfielder kicked most scores from play in a league or championship game in the last 15 years (maybe more, i can't recall beyond that) ?

Back to this question ...... Answer: Colm McMenamon no less - 7 pts from play

Name the year, place and opponents ?? ?? ??  Yes, it is either NFL or championship

As it is extremely unlike that Colm Mc scored seven points in one game and six in another, I take it you are referring to the six he scored against Kilkenny in 1997? According to the bould Willie Joe he did so from centre-half forward (still incredible given his shooting problems). I reckon Brady's three points in 04 aren't far off. From championship at least.

Link here - last listing at bottom of page

http://mayogaablog.com/?page_id=490

[An Gaeilgoir]

I probaly am a bit older that some of the posters on here, but back in the day that dinosaurs roamed the plans of Mayo, i would have to say two of the best i ever saw was the late John Morley (RIP), Martin Carney was always a top level player, the late Ted Webb could have been one of the greatest, he had the talent no doubt, Ciaran Mc Donald as well, the winning point against Dublin a few years ago, and the last minute goal against ballagh in the county final to draw the game.

1. John Morley
2. Ciaran Mc Donald
3. Martin Carney
Going further back paddy prendergast, Sean Flanagan and my father always talks about the tussels between Padraig Carney and Sean Purcell from Galway. Remember when Galway won the 3 in a row in the 60's mayo were always with in a point of them. We were the number 2 team of that era, sums up Mayo football really.

[muppet]

Offbeat questions ...... what Mayo midfielder kicked most scores from play in a league or championship game in the last 15 years (maybe more, i can't recall beyond that) ?

Back to this question ...... Answer: Colm McMenamon no less - 7 pts from play

Name the year, place and opponents ?? ?? ??  Yes, it is either NFL or championship

As it is extremely unlike that Colm Mc scored seven points in one game and six in another, I take it you are referring to the six he scored against Kilkenny in 1997? According to the bould Willie Joe he did so from centre-half forward (still incredible given his shooting problems). I reckon Brady's three points in 04 aren't far off. From championship at least.

Link here - last listing at bottom of page

http://mayogaablog.com/?page_id=490

That team has an M. McNicholas Midfield with David Brady, surely that wasn't Marty wearing 9?