In today’s Hospital Pass, we argue that although Mayo have fallen victim to the hype machine in the past, it won’t happen on James Horan’s watch.
Seven years ago next month, Mayo were gearing up for an All-Ireland Final against Kerry and the county was awash with expectation that John Maughan’s men could end a famine in the county that dated back to close to the time of the actual famine itself.
With a seven year gap since their loss to the same opposition in the ’97 final and eight years since THAT bust-up with Meath in ‘96, the pain of defeat was not fresh enough in their minds to prevent them from getting giddy about the possibility of Sam Maguire being paraded from Ballindine in the south to Belmullet in the far north of the county.
Idle slatted houses and random sheep were coloured green and red, banged up cars were given 04-MO-SAM number plates, while the players themselves spoke confidently but not arrogantly about their prospects of doing the business against the kingpins from the Kingdom.
The Mayo team travelled in style to Dublin that year, and posed for a photo (which if I remember correctly, featured then selector Liam McHale in a Hawaiian shirt) before boarding a flight from Knock Airport the day before and waving their goodbyes to the assembled masses.
Razzamatazz
There was a whiff of razzamatazz about the whole build up, but behind it all, you could just sense that Kerry, whose preparation was typically self-deprecating and low key, were rubbing their hands at the prospect of putting paid to Mayo hopes and showing them who the real boss was, which they duly did in the final.
Something similar happened two years later in 2006. After Mayo triumphed over Dublin in what many called the game of the decade in the semi-final, Kerry players told whoever they could about how great Mayo were and how they would struggle to deal with the threat posed by the two blonde bombshells, namely Ciaran McDonald and Conor Mortimer.
In his autobiography, Keys to the Kingdom, the rogue Jack O’Connor admitted telling his players to do so and indeed, did plenty of it himself.
When the final arrived, the Star and the Gooch wreaked havoc, McDonald and Mortimer were wrapped up by Aidan O’Mahony and Tom O’Sullivan and Mayo were left to pore over the ruins of a 13-point defeat.
This time around, however, it’s different. While Mayo flew to Dublin in 2004, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the current crop were smuggled into Croke Park under cover of darkness. In ’06, the buzz around Mayo centred on the flair of McDonald, Dillon, Mortimer et al, whereas now, it’s all about hard work, intensity and the sheer will to win that the Westerners bring to the table.
The ‘meeja’ will continue to sell the hype before Sunday, but Mayo ain’t buying. Whether they have what it takes to topple the Kingdom on Sunday remains to be seen, but if they go down, they’ll go down fighting.
What was that, Roddy?
While Mayo and Kerry take centre stage this Sunday, excitement around the capital will reach fever pitch next weekend when the Dubs attempt to seal their first All-Ireland final appearance in 16 years.
One man who won’t be part of Pat Gilroy’s set-up is Paddy Andrews, who rumour had it, was turning his thoughts to the foreign game and throwing his lot in with Roddy Collins and Monaghan United in the Airtricity League.
Roddy was certainly excited about the prospect and waxed lyrical on Newstalk’s Off the Ball on Wednesday night about Andrews’ fitness levels, his strength and his ability to ‘do a job’ on any opposition danger men.
Pity then for Roddy, that Andrews has absolutely no intention of switching codes and wants to be back in the sky blue jersey as soon as possible.
“My only focus is playing for St. Brigid’s – Gaelic football is my number one priority and always will be,” he said in the Irish Independent.
“Hopefully if that goes well, I can get back into the reckoning with the Dublin panel for the 2012 season.”
Better luck next time, Roddy.
