In the build-up to the All-Ireland last weekend we heard the familiar story of Mayo’s many attempts to lift the Sam Maguire Cup and bring it home to the West. There was talk of the curse, the near misses and the expectation of a dominant Kerry team, and the likelihood of history being repeated, with another defeat for the men in green and red. There was the usual frantic search for tickets, stories of arduous trips home from far flung places and a mass movement of fans towards Dublin, Croke Park and a place in the stadium, at the very least Mayo would have fervent vocal support.
The Kerry people came too, with a calm confidence, no swagger or posturing, just an awareness of the talent in their team’s ability and a proven track record of making the big day count. The script played out in the first quarter exactly as expected, Kerry established a lead, and even with new rules, and 2 pointers, they were close to pulling away, invincible. What happened next is the magic and the mystery of sport, team cohesion, individual talent, hunger and self-belief were all ingredients of Mayo’s ascendency in the game, point by point, the crucial goal, the relentless marking, the skill in gathering the kick outs, the cohesion in attack, all contributed to momentum that took them into a lead, and ultimately carried them to an historic victory. As the camera panned around the players I was struck by just how young many of them are, really just lads, triumphant, excited and yet strangely humble. The match was without rancour, few cards, no nasty edge, tough tackles but sporting and fair. In the endless commentary and analysis that followed the experts, fans and followers tried to get to the nub of what made this team different, what was it that propelled them forward to victory.
It seems that coaching and leadership encouraged freedom of expression, moved away from the negativity of endlessly dwelling on the past defeats, and created a positive culture of hard work, self-belief and confidence that there was hope. The triumphant journey home was a return to the small parishes and local communities where these players grew up. There was a warmth to the embrace of the fans, their joy unbridled, their pride pumped up and all an expression of how magnificent sport can be. Knock basilica had been lit up with the Mayo colours on the eve of the match, and all week we saw how happy people are when their prayers are answered.
Well done Mayo.