As Mayo look forward, ace player Durcan relives the recent past

To coincide with the launch of Mayo's new home green and red jersey, in partnership with title sponsors Intersport Elverys and Portwest, Paddy Durcan has been reminiscing about this year's All-Ireland success, writes Patrick Hennelly.

Fresh off winning the Mayo club title with Castlebar Mitchels, Durcan is a good position to compare the two successes. While winning the Moclair Cup was indeed special, Paddy said capturing Sam Maguire was probably even better.

“It was hard to envisage what the reality of winning it would be like,” he continued. “Obviously none of us knew that as we had been waiting so long to get over the line, and it has surpassed all expectations.

“It is probably only looking back now that you begin to realise the magnitude of what it actually was. To see so many people at the homecoming in MacHale Park and passing through every club was unbelievably special.

“I have never seen such an amount of people in MacHale Park as there was on that Monday, and that tells you everything you need to know about the Mayo diaspora and the connection with the team. I don’t think that connection happens in very county. Please God if we do win the All-Ireland again, I don’t know if we will see such numbers at a homecoming like that occasion.”

The Mayo players are role models for the youth, and Durcan said that meeting supporters in various parts of the county was special.

“It has been unbelievable between all the visits that we had which is very important, between schools, clubs, nursing homes and hospitals. Those visits are of the utmost importance as this success is for everybody. We got to see at first hand what this senior team means to people across the county.”

The nursing home visits were particularly poignant as a lot of the residents witnessed Mayo’s previous success in 1951.

“It is very special. It was nice to meet people who had family connections with that team of 1951. You hear great unique stories from those people, and they have their own link and what this victory means to them. It was nice for those people to see the game and the victory, but then sadly there were other people who had family members who unfortunately were not there to celebrate the win.

“Everybody has their own story to tell, and I am just glad that we as a team could provide that for people. That is very important. It is what Mayo football is all about and the history and heritage behind it.”

Last July’s victory was achieved with players Durcan has soldiered with for years, and the dynamic wing-back also paid tribute to players who narrowly missed out on a Celtic Cross.

“It was special to win it with fellas who you have soldiered with for a number of years. I also thought of some fellas who just missed out over the last number of years, players who would have played in the 2016 and 2017 finals. A lot of those players who are no longer involved celebrated with us in the days after the win, and I thought that was a touch of class by them lads.

“I think those players deserve massive credit for what we have achieved, because they set a marker and bookmark for what Mayo football should be. It is really important to acknowledge that, especially over the past few months.”

What thoughts went through Durcan’s head during the final 30 seconds of the All-Ireland final? “I was late enough coming into the game, and it probably didn’t click into my focus what was happening until probably when Tommy Conroy put that ball over the crossbar.

“Then he ran out celebrating during the kick-out and I remember screaming at him trying to get him to focus and back into position! That was probably the first moment when I felt that this is actually going to happen. There were still a few seconds left, and that’s why I was shouting at Tommy to get set for the kick-out.”

LONG WAIT

Meanwhile, last Sunday back in Hastings Insurance MacHale Park, Paddy got his hands on the Moclair Cup for the fifth time in his club career with Mitchels. He had to wait nine years since the last success, however.

“It was such a long wait,” he said. “There is a mix of elation, relief and a bit of everything. It is class to have won, and it is special when it is the club. The victory meant a lot to everybody in the club, and it was great to see such a huge amount of people in the clubhouse afterwards, and it was very special walking in with the Paddy Moclair Cup.”

Durcan feels that no more than Mayo, the injection of youth has really helped Castlebar Mitchels this season.

“We are delighted to have gotten over the line. I was very lucky in my first couple of years coming onto the scene with Mitchels that we were competing in finals. We now have a great injection of youth. Over the course of the Mayo club competition, I felt that it was a very good championship, and there were a lot of young players making an impression.

“I think Andy Moran is going to be left with good options in terms of players being integrated into the panel for next year. Next season is going to come quickly into the horizon, and we need to get prepared for the new year. I think Andy would be fairly optimistic in terms of where the club scene is at the moment.”

The Connacht club championship is highly competitive, and Durcan mentioned previous campaigns.

“I was lucky to play have previously played in four provincial club championships and they are some of the best days you can experience in a club jersey, especially in the All-Ireland series. The club championships are a class competition, and we are definitely going to give it the best rattle that we can, and we are very much looking forward to it.

“We always try to put our best foot forward in that competition and we had relative success. Back then you were coming up against the likes of Corofin and they were one of the best club teams, and we had massive battles against them over the years. And we also faced St. Brigid’s during those years.

“You see the quality of teams that have come out from other counties this year and it will be a huge task for us, but we will tackle it head-on and give it our best shot.”

Durcan said that this his fifth county medals with Mitchels is probably the sweetest of all. “It was very special to win a county title with my brothers, James and Mark. That is what club football is all about. It was our first time winning a county medal on the same team, and my fifth medal is probably the sweetest one.”

Castlebar Mitchels will now face a tricky away assignment against London side Fulham Irish in Ruislip on November 14 in the Connacht semi-final. Durcan is hoping that his team can perform and qualify for the final.

“It will be a very unique experience. In any of our previous runs in the club championship we never encountered any of the London teams. It will also be a unique experience for the Irish and Mayo diaspora in London.

“After we won the Mayo championship, that night there were people booking flights and accommodation. Games like that can bind our club together and it will be a huge memory for people to have. For us as players, we want to put in a performance and hopefully get through to the next round.”