Like most Mayo people this week I’m probably feeling different emotions about our neighbours contesting this year’s All-Ireland final.
The reality is this Galway team are where they deserve to be. Their run to the final in 2022 came from nowhere, but two finals in three years is no fluke and it shows they are now the team from the west, ‘knocking on the door’.
As Clare’s Tony Kelly said last Sunday, they will now be looking to ‘kick down that door’. They have also shown consistency in Connacht, winning three titles in a row.
Their opponents, Armagh, have also shown consistency over the last three years. They have suffered two penalty shoot-out defeats in Ulster finals and, incredibly, two penalty shoot-out defeats in All-Ireland quarter-finals.
Mayo’s record in the last three years is miserable in comparison to both; one Connacht final appearance, two All-Ireland quarter-final hammerings, and an exit in the last 12 this year.
Our early exit this year wasn’t a missed opportunity in my eyes. The reality is we haven’t had the sort of body of work over the last few years, compared to other teams, to be considered serious contenders.
The build-up to an All-Ireland final for a player is both horrible and exciting all in one.
It was normally either three or four weeks between the semi-final and final.
That’s a long time to try and avoid the hype and football chat.
For my first final in 2012 I had a nightmare preparation. I fell ill the morning of the semi-final which led me to having to drop out of the starting team. I managed to get 20 minutes out of myself at the end of the game but paid the price.
The next day I ended up in hospital and spent seven nights in there recovering from a virus. The only football chat I was having was with the doctors and nurses.
When I got out of hospital, I was still too weak to train so it was just light jogging and building myself back up for the next 7-10 days after losing 5-6kgs in hospital.
My first full session back was the Wednesday night before the game.
To top it off I slipped a disc in my back on the Friday before the final doing some light exercises in the gym. Exercises that I had probably done a thousand times during the year.
An emergency trip to our physio at the time, Liam Moffat in Ballina, to get some relief quickly followed.
I took different approaches over the years to try and get the maximum out of my preparation. In January 2016 I pre-empted our return to our first final in three years and booked the four weeks off work from the date of the first semi-final to the final. As it worked it, we played Tipperary four weeks out from the final and my time off started the following day.
That four weeks was all about trying to maximise everything for my body from a physical, sleep nutrition and recovery point of view. Did it make any difference to my performance?
It’s very hard to measure, although I probably did play better in other finals that I worked right up the Thursday/Friday of the game.
The science behind it all would make you wonder at times.
Meeting up at the team bus on the Saturday before a final was always a great relief.
The big day was nearly here, and you were now comfortable in an environment where everyone around you was going through the same thing as you.
No need to avoid people anymore.
All-Ireland final day is magical for any player, and I will say that despite not winning one. Everything from the bus into Croker, with Garda sirens blaring out, and watching thousands of Mayo supporters line the streets as you go by.
Once I was off the bus I had the same routine, go to the place where my jersey was hanging up and line out my gear underneath in the order I would need it.
The same as I would for any other game.
The wait to get out for the warm-up can feel like a lifetime. Once you do get out your legs feel like jelly. That doesn’t go until the first couple of runs in the game itself are done.
Meeting the President is always a part I didn’t like, too much standing and hanging around. “Come on Michael D! let’s get this over with!” would be the thoughts going through your head. The parade was always a chance to gather your thoughts, and it was a part of it I really enjoyed.
Whilst watching around and feeling the energy and noise from 80,000 people, the hairs stand on the back of your neck. During the walk around a few simple basics would go through my head, ‘Win the first ball’, ‘Make an early tackle’, ‘Move the ball forward’.
Nothing changes from any other game.
Once the game starts instinct takes over and it becomes an out-of-body experience.
For the footballers of Armagh and Galway one group will have the elation of winning, the other despair of losing. In the words of John O’Mahony, ‘they are worlds apart’.
For what it’s worth, I think Galway will just do enough to get the job done and fair play to them if they do.
A long winter in Mayo awaits.
Pat G says:
July 28, 2024 at 11:25 am
Anybody that watched the hurling final will have to agree that there is only one game under the remit of Gaelic Games. What a game!
The bore fest that has been created by mickey hart and jim mc guinness has set gaelic football back so much that I'm not sure if will ever recover as a spectacle. I'd call it anti football. It's as boring ad watching a poor league of Ireland soccer match. I'm not sure if it will ever recover no matter what rule changes are applied.
It Means Nothing to Me says:
July 28, 2024 at 2:34 pm
@Pat G: I love to watch/play a good game of handball myself, although it’s a minority pursuit within the GAA family.
The blanket defence has made football hard to watch at times, right enough, but it is unlikely to change as delegates tend to protect their own interests at Congress. IMO you’d need either to go to 13 a side or limit the amount of players in the defensive part of the field, but it would be a tough one to ref.
Young Fella says:
July 28, 2024 at 5:09 pm
Delighted with the result. What will PJ use as his excuse this time?
Bogman says:
July 28, 2024 at 5:11 pm
Phew!!
evergreenandred says:
July 28, 2024 at 5:12 pm
Well done to the Armagh lads. Could`nt deny it. `Don`t spoil it now` !
Gizmobobs says:
July 28, 2024 at 5:13 pm
Shows ya what a well coached and structured team can do, even if operating in and failing to win division 2.
Sam og says:
July 28, 2024 at 5:14 pm
Never let a Galway man say bottlers to Mayo again, as there 2 star men bottled that big time.
No doubt says:
July 28, 2024 at 5:18 pm
That's what I meant during the week by giving armagh the respect they deserve when most were drooling over joyce and Galway. I'm delighted and make no apologies for it. Walk in my shoes as the saying goes.
Young Fella says:
July 28, 2024 at 5:22 pm
So true Sam Og, so true.
Way Out West. says:
July 28, 2024 at 5:25 pm
Bottlers, Galway kicked that away in the 2nd. Let them never speak about us bottling finals again. Poor game, gaelic football is in a poor state. Well done to Armagh. Hard luck to Galway and their genuine fans.
Oilean acla says:
July 28, 2024 at 5:31 pm
Galway were wasteful. Like Mayo in so many finals. So we should not throw the 1st stone.
Comhghairdeas to Armagh wish them well!
Sorry for the Galway supporters and feel for them
opt2misteek says:
July 28, 2024 at 5:37 pm
Oilean Acla-in fairness a torrent of rocks have been slung in our direction for years-try fuppin living up here,thank you!
1985 says:
July 28, 2024 at 5:46 pm
I wonder is Sean Burke still out walking
Sean Burke says:
July 28, 2024 at 5:51 pm
No back in now 1985 , just reminiscing on the signage of “no all Ireland’s “. “ 67 years “. .
What’s good for the goose and all that jazz , so absolutely zero empathy for Galway here .
John+McHale says:
July 28, 2024 at 5:51 pm
Galway only themselves to blame...3 wides and a turnover from their last 4 attacks will never get it done!
No doubt says:
July 28, 2024 at 5:51 pm
I think he has climbed the reek 3 times at this stage
Sticks for the Reek says:
July 28, 2024 at 5:55 pm
I wanted Galway to win but I turned it on and off as it was a borefest except for the last 10. I can't believe any Galway team with such good footballers would play such horrible football. Joyce and Co are an absolute disgrace. Great footballer but a puke manager. What was he at. Comer playing on the wing and him meant to be a FF. Hardly ever gave a kick pass inside. Armagh played all the football and that was down to Donaghy and not Geezer. Geezer was getting the sack until someone brought Donaghy on board. I'm sure plenty of neutrals are saying bring on Mayo and Dublin and we'll see a proper game.
My Ball says:
July 28, 2024 at 6:02 pm
I'm thinking whatever Sean Burke is thinking!!!!!
Armagh deserved the win .
All the talk about Comer ,Walsh .
If Aiden O Shea played half as bad as them he would be ridiculed.
Galway management out thought on the line too.
Green&Red says:
July 28, 2024 at 6:03 pm
McGeaney with the best quote of the night “you often have people who know very little making very big calls” in relation to the club vote on him last year. It’s an applicable quote to more then just those outside Armagh.
Fair play to him, him management team, players and the rest of the county. I didn’t see them winning it today but they proved me wrong, and not for the first time this year.
Green&Red says:
July 28, 2024 at 6:05 pm
@sticks if reek - I think you will find the addition of Caolaith Gallain to the backroom team this year was more important then Star. He seems to be very good. Was Micky Morans right hand man when he won the All Ireland with Kilcoo.
Leantimes says:
July 28, 2024 at 6:08 pm
Commiserations to Galway ..No group of fans knows the feeling of All Ireland defeat better than Mayo fans, I think Galway will have their regrets after this match. Had the chances. Ive seen the same thing with Mayo in recent years , oceans of possession in the right area of the field and constantly spurning the very good chance to score trying to create the 90% + chance . I feel that over the 70+ minutes of a game it has a negative effect on forwards who need to be able to pull the trigger in the moment. Galway are in my opinion the best team in Ireland at winning primary contested possession so maybe the cost of wide for Galway is not as bad as for other teams because of the high percentage of restarts Galway can win and certainly did win today when they fully pushed up . Hindsight is a wonderful thing .
Ahh not again says:
July 28, 2024 at 6:10 pm
Galway needed walsh and. Comer to turn up but neither did.
Normal service resumed, great opportunity for a lot of teams, Mayo could get one, very close, let's win it then I can shout for Galway Rosscommon, hell id even shout for England
Hard to understand why they didn't do something about the free taken
Gizmobobs says:
July 28, 2024 at 6:12 pm
Very true Green&Red
mayo 67 says:
July 29, 2024 at 3:36 pm
Galway had their chances with the number of wides but remember Armagh made Kerry do the same towards the end of that game, huge pressure from the Armagh defense forced pressure shots. The frees missed was another story.
Management failed to recognize that Walshe was off, and not the first time in his career, and give the longer frees to Gleeson as they did against Mayo. There was one free around the 45, a scoreable opportunity, and after some hesitation as to who would take it, Walshe did and opted to pass backwards. In their last 2 games Galway apparently told Comer to stay inside at all times and essentially took him out of the game since very few balls were kicked inside and we in Mayo have seen the havoc he can cause when allowed to come out. Galway backs moving into the center left the wings open and this was really exploited by Conaghty esp. in the first half.
Norm says:
July 29, 2024 at 4:03 pm
"Galway out thought on the line"? It just came down to poor execution of kicks that's all... Walsh, mchugh mcdaid all missed poorly.. Nothing to do with Joyce