Mayo Football and Hurling - Discussion pages

[stephenite]

Keeping to the theme of the Dublin game, great article from the Examiner below. All the best for '07 one and all, keep her lit lads and lassies

How mighty Mayo conquered the Hill

By Brendan O'Brien
THE events three weeks later stripped this game of most of its sheen but, ignore that and judge this game on its own rights, and the All-Ireland football semi-final between Mayo and Dublin was my sporting highlight of the year.


Okay, a multitude of other events has it whipped in terms of sheer emotion — Munster's quest for the Heineken Cup and Darren Clarke's heroic role in Europe's Ryder Cup success to name but two.

In terms of the action itself on the field of play though, Mayo-Dublin has them licked. The Ryder Cup, after all, was over on the Saturday afternoon while the game in Cardiff was gripping without ever threatening to be a classic.

The World Cup became dull and uninspiring after the group stages, the hurling championship never really took off and even Ireland's victories over South Africa and Australia was tempered by the paucity of the visitors' challenges.

Contrast all that with Sunday, August 27 in Croke Park, a day that had everything — hype, controversy, 70 minutes of sheer excitement and, crucially, a pulsating victory that could have fallen either way on the day.

The most important ingredient in any sporting event is arguably the unexpected and the meeting of the Leinster and Connacht champions produced plenty of that.

Ten minutes or so before the throw-in is a time when most journalists are usually congregating inside the press room, sipping on a last-minute cup of tea or coffee before the action starts. This day was no different.

Suddenly, one writer roared out something along the lines of 'Jaysus, Mayo are warming up in front of the Hill', chucked his coffee to one side and made a beeline for the press box.

The exodus that followed was like a scene from the Battle of Britain where the squadron of lounging RAF pilots get the signal to scramble and confront the approaching Luftwaffe.

To the Dubs, it was akin to a stranger walking into their house unannounced, emptying the fridge and taking a kip in the master bedroom. They couldn't let the slight pass.

Away they duly ran for the Hill and, in the ensuing confusion, Paul Caffrey gave John Morrison a shunt in the back while Mayo dietician Mary McNicholas got decked by a stray ball.

The wonder of it all was that a fully fledged barney didn't ensue.

"Dublin don't own the Hill end and we don't own it, either," said Mayo's David Brady afterwards. "No one owns Croke Park. What we did was wrong, it shouldn't have happened, but once we were there, there was no way we were going to back down."

For Mayo, who had pulled into Croker that day as unfancied as any Connacht team since the black days of the '70s, '80s and early '90s, it was a bold statement of intent.

The weeks leading up to the semi-final had been dominated by talk of the first possible Dublin-Kerry final in 21 years.

Even after Mayo's Hill "invasion", few felt that the sun was about to go down on Dublin's summer but, whatever would subsequently happen, we decided up on the Hogan Stand that this was already a day that would remain etched in our memories long after the season had ended.

Luckily, it was just a particularly tasty appetiser for what would be a sumptuous banquet. As for the game itself? Phew, where to start. In many ways, it defies description.

How could Dublin have guessed that a score of 2-12 would not be enough to win them a place in their first All-Ireland final in 11 years? How could they have known that they would be seven points up with 22 minutes to play and lose by one, having scored only one more point themselves from there until the last, cruel whistle? They couldn't.

There is so much more to mention. Mayo's electric start that saw them go four points ahead. Dublin's initial comeback. Conal Keaney climbing the crossbar after scoring their first goal. Keaney missing an easy free and Mayo scoring twice to grab the lead and psychological advantage at the break.

Dublin's blistering retort after the break and, finally, Mayo's incredible comeback.

So then, just how good a game was it? One commentator said it was the best he had ever seen and Colm O'Rourke was adamant he would never see it bettered should he live to be a hundred.

Both men were merely voicing what most people were thinking in the days after the game but wasn't it just 12 months since people were saying the very same thing about that epic All-Ireland semi-final between Tyrone and Armagh? True, but statistics — that most calculating of methods in what is a romantic debate — tells us that Mayo-Dublin served up far more scores and far fewer frees. Only four of the 31 scores came from dead balls as opposed to 10 in the all-Ulster clash.

Another all-northern affair of a similar pedigree was the Derry-Down clash in 1994, while the last game of the four it took to separate Dublin and Meath in 1991 and the revered meeting of Kerry and Dublin in the 1997 All-Ireland semi-final also compare favourably.

Mikey Sheehy played in that last match which saw Dublin squeeze through by just two points and he had little hesitation in saying this year's drama was one of the best — if not THE best — 70 minutes of football he was ever privy to.

"I was watching on TV and my only regret was I wasn't there," said Sheehy. "You miss a lot of stuff on TV that you would see in the ground but it was an epic. It had everything, a full house and a fantastic atmosphere."

Three weeks later came the capitulation. For one day though, they were truly great.

[ildanach]

i would think top four is a realistic goal. Kerry, Tyrone, Mayo and Dublin - no particular order 

[mannix]

I would like to see jom playing dave brady at fullforward for a league game or two.

[Cllr Willie Power]

O'Neill back in Mayo jersey despite rumours


VETERAN attacker Kevin O'Neill looks set to continue with Mayo for another season after lining out with the county team in a challenge game at the weekend.

There was widespread speculation that the 33-year-old - scorer of two goals the All-Ireland final loss to Kerry - would retire, but he played for Mayo against Connacht club champions St Brigid's on Sunday.

New Mayo manager John O'Mahony also gave run-outs to 2006 All-Ireland U21 medallists Mark Ronaldson and Ger Cafferkey.

O'Neill's veteran colleagues James Nallen, David Heaney and David Brady have also remained on board for the season as Mayo bid to land their first All-Ireland since 1951.

The majority of last year's Mayo squad were unavailable for the challenge match as they are on a team cruise in the Carribbean.

[rosnarun]

the 33-year-old - scorer of two goals

IS kevin getting younger he was quited as much as 35 last year noe back to 33. wasnt he 2 years ahead of Mcdonald underage which would leave him 35 now . It would be like knockmore to be messing with Birth certs

[Tubberman]

McDonald isn't 33 rosnarun. I think he's 31, which would make 33 O'Neill's correct age.
I read that both he and Conor Mort were playing at the weekend. Why aren't they gone on the cruise I wonder?
Anyone know what team was put out?

[Mayo4Sam]

I doubt if chuckie, turning 34 this year, has the time to be headin off on a cruise.
There was never any doubt that he'd stay on another year

I take it we're out this weekend in the FBD, haven't seen the western yet, anyone got the venue, time and opposition?

And ros u should know that living beside lough conn, sure tis like drinking from the fountain of youth every day 

[AbbeySider]

I take it we're out this weekend in the FBD, haven't seen the western yet, anyone got the venue, time and opposition?

From the Mayo News:http://www.mayonews.ie/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=826&Itemid=39

....
Mayo's first competitive outing of the season comes in the FBD Connacht League next Wednesday, January 17, away to IT Sligo at 7.30pm in Ballinode. On Sunday, January 21 they face John Maughan's Roscommon in Ballyhaunis before concluding their group games against NUI, Galway at Flanagan Park, Ballinrobe on Wednesday, January 24.
....

[Mayo4Sam]

Did i see on some other thread where ballinode is?
Anyone with directions? Might head along to this one, anyone else heading along?

[Tubberman]

Ballinode is Sligo IT's pitch, think it's on their campus.
I'm in Dublin so won't be going, but will prob be in Ballyhaunis the following weekend for the Rossie game

[Mayo4Sam]

The IT is out the enniskeillen road isn't it?

[highorlow]

Anyone hear how that challenge match went at the week end?

Who were the new faces that lined out?

[Mayo4Sam]

Lads for any of you who knew him John O'Hara of Foxford has passed away, his son John was goalkeeper for the Mayo Minors in the 90's.
RIP

[mannix]

Sorry to hear about Mr O Hara, never a good time to go and never easy for those left behind, sincere condolences.

Mayo played 2 challenge games at the weekend,they won both and I heard nothing about performances and even if I did a grain of salt is the best thing to have with it.I hope to get a peek at them against sligo it.

[ildanach]

the only thing i saw about the challenges was that Heaney, O Neill and Nallen all played