Dare I say it? Up Mayo once again at Croke Park today

by Johnny Mee

ANOTHER trip to Dublin, another effort by our Mayo heroes to bring Sam back to Mayo. What a gutsy bunch of footballers we have, superb ambassadors for Gaelic football.

We all thought Mayo would be playing Kerry in the final but Tyrone, brave and gallant, put the lads from the Kingdom in their box.

Ulster football is tough and Tyrone are as hard as nails. They play with intensity and took their goals when beating Kerry.

I have a soft spot for Tyrone. I trained as a linotype operator (typesetter) in The Connaught Telegraph under the guidance of Jack Farnan, a master craftsman who came from Omagh, married a Castlebar girl named Ryder and lived most of his life in the county town, next door to the old Tech .

Hughie McGartland, known to generations of Castlebar people as 'Mr. Soccer', also came from Omagh, as did Dan McCaffrey, a bombshell of a centre-forward who played with Castlebar Celtic for a number of seasons. Dan also played Gaelic football for Tyrone.

One woman who will certainly be cheering for Tyrone is Mary McGrath, Chestnut Grove, wife of my great friend, the late Vincent McGrath, a native of Turlough. Mary comes from Plumbridge, Co. Tyrone, which has the best pipe band in Ulster.

I will be cheering like mad from the throw-in to the last kick of the game. An incurable optimist, I expect Mayo to beat Tyrone. There is a touch of magic about this team - their speed, passing and tremendous spirit.

I was in Croke Park when Mayo beat Louth in the 1950 All-Ireland football final. Along with Frank, Peter and John Scully, Paddy Basquill, Tommy Horkan and Harry Jennings from Rocklands, we travelled to Dublin in an old steam train driven by Mick Maher from Westport.

I have vivid memories of the darting runs of Mick Flanagan, Peter Solan and Tom Langan, and the high catching of Paddy Prendergast, Éamonn Mongey, John Forde and Peter Quinn.

The homecoming of the Mayo team to Castlebar on the Monday after winning the final is still firmly etched in my memory. When the buses carrying the team crossed into the county, bonfires were lit all along the route until they reached Castlebar. A huge platform was built close to the old County Home.

Fr. Philip Moclair, brother of Paddy Moclair, a member of Mayo’s 1936 All-Ireland winning team, was the first speaker and he opened with the words "Up Mayo." The cheers which followed could be heard from Staball to Swinford.

When Mayo captain Seán Flanagan was handed the microphone, the huge crowd swarmed around the platform. Seán thanked the team, selectors, people of Mayo and all associated with the memorable win.

"This great moment will firmly remain in our minds for the rest of our lives," he told the cheering crowd.

It is difficult to put on paper the sheer joy, happiness and elation that welled up in the hearts and minds of Mayo people the world over on that glorious weekend.

This time round I believe Mayo can win. They certainly deserve to bring Sam to Mayo for the first time in 70 years.

Cometh the hour, cometh the men.

Dare I say it? Up Mayo!