In today’s Hospital Pass, we lament the potential retirement of a true character of the game and discuss a novel way Roscommon might give Mayo the boot.
It was with a heavy heart that we learned of the news this morning that Owen Mulligan may be about to call it a day with Tyrone.
Taken off against Donegal in the Ulster semi-final, given only a sniff of the grass in the victory over Longford, Mugsy decided that there were better things to do than go training this week if he was only going to make up the numbers while young tyros like Peter Harte and Kyle Coney drove Tyrone into a new generation.
And when you take into account that Mulligan turned 30 earlier in the year, he might just decide that the time is right to draw the curtain on what has been a glittering inter-county career. If that is the case, he’ll be sadly missed.
Bar a few odd exceptions, Gaelic footballers have become something of a robotic bunch these days. Well-oiled, mint-condition machines that roll off assembly lines straight into an impeccably-organised blanket defensive system.
Brilliant at following orders to the letter, sure, but a bit lacking when it comes to providing the little bits of spontaneous inspiration that really make the difference. A tad harsh, perhaps, to tar everyone with the same brush, but we’re just going on what we’ve seen in the championship thus far.
Mugsy is one of the exceptions to the rule. The peroxide blonde hair, the tattoos and the cocky attitude led many a corner back to pull out all the usual tricks (stand on the toes, dig in the ribs, pinch the ear, pull the hair, insult the mother) in an effort to limit his impact and although he did erupt at times, for the most part, he rose above the grief, and gloriously so on occasion.
The points off both feet, the devastating short bursts of pace when required, the telepathic understanding with Peter the Great and of course, the trademark show and go hand-pass dummy that was most brilliantly illustrated with THAT goal against Dublin in 2005.
Indeed, so adept was Mulligan at coaxing defenders into buying those dummies that if he translated that ability into the real world, it would be no surprise to see him entering an igloo with a suitcase full of ice and emerging empty-handed, beaming with pleasure having closed the deal.
We’re not giving up on Mugsy yet though and are convinced that his ultra-persuasive manager hasn’t either. You know what to do Mickey.
Doherty to put the boot in
Away from Ulster, where Tyrone will be conspicuous by their absence from the final at Clones, the big show this weekend is west of the Shannon in Connacht where Roscommon will be looking to seal back-to-back provincial titles for the first time since the heady days of the early 90s.
Attempting to prevent them from doing so will be Mayo corner forward Jason Doherty, something of a goal machine for club, college and county this season, particularly during a remarkably prolific National League campaign.
Worried Roscommon fans prepared to do whatever it takes for a victory on their home patch should consider sabotaging the Burrishoole man’s gear bag on the way to the Hyde on Sunday, because, as he admitted to JOE in an interview earlier this week, it’s all in the boots.
“I’d like to stick with the same boots” he said.
“I wouldn’t like to change them at this stage. They’re the ones I wore throughout the league and if they were ever taken on me I wouldn’t be best pleased.”
