From 1951 to 2026 - a Mayo fan's journey

When retired Kiltimagh garage proprietor Mike Keane joined the thousands gathered in Canon Gibbons Park, Claremorris, to welcome home Mayo's 2026 All-Ireland champions last week, the occasion carried a significance few around him could match.

In 1951, Mike travelled to Croke Park in a 'Baby' Ford with two friends to watch Mayo defeat Meath and win Sam Maguire. Last week, he joined the large gathering to welcome the cup home once again.

The scenes in Claremorris were unlike anything he had witnessed before.

“It was unbelievable,” Mike said. “I've never seen anything like it. The whole pitch was covered with people.” Estimating the attendance was impossible. Thousands packed the Claremorris GAA grounds, as Mayo's players and management arrived with the Sam Maguire Cup following the county's historic victory. The atmosphere was more like an outdoor concert than a civic reception, with supporters of every generation sharing in a celebration most waited a lifetime to experience.

For Mike, the day stirred memories of another Mayo team that captured the imagination of the county.

He recalled setting off for Dublin in September 1951 with two Claremorris men, Christy Swannick and Christy Foster, in a car that was only roadworthy thanks to some last-minute mechanical work.

“I put an engine into it the evening before the match,” he told Western People. “We hit off in it the next morning.” At the time, Mike was serving his apprenticeship with Griffith's Garage in Claremorris, while Christy Swannick worked for the local bacon factory and also carried out part-time electrical work as rural electrification spread across the country.

The engine replacement took place on the roadside outside Swannick's house at the back of the Square in Claremorris.

“I don’t remember how long it took to change the engine. I kept going anyway until the engine was in. I was living in Murneen then, but I stayed with Christy that night after we finished the job. We hit off early on the Sunday morning. Cars were a lot simpler in those days.” The journey to Dublin was an adventure in itself.

“There were no bypasses or motorways. You went through every town and village. It took us five or six hours to get there.” The little Ford had its own peculiarities.

“The doors opened from the front and if you went over about thirty miles an hour they could fly open,” Mike recalled.

Even the windscreen wipers required careful planning.

“They worked off the engine vacuum. If you wanted the wipers to clean the windscreen, you had to take your foot off the accelerator to build up enough vacuum for them to work.” There were no heaters either, while the side windows simply slid open.

“We got there anyway,” he said.

Mike admits that the match itself has faded somewhat from memory over the years, but one moment remains as vivid as ever.

“I remember coming out afterwards. Nearly everybody was rushing to get trains home and there was such a crush coming out the gate of Croke Park that my feet weren't touching the ground at all. The crowd was carrying me along.” The experience left a lasting impression.

“If you fell, you'd have been trampled on. There was no talk of health and safety back then.” Despite the long journey, the trio successfully travelled back to Mayo in the car after the game.

Mike's travelling companions were both well-known Claremorris men. Christy Foster later became one of the town's best-known personalities through his involvement in athletics, GAA, greyhound racing and his years delivering post around the town, where many remembered him constantly on the move. Christy Swannick wired houses all over the west of Ireland in advance of connection by the ESB.

Mike hopes to see Sam remain in Mayo now that we have finally bridged the 75-year gap.

“Let’s make it a habit now,” he said.