McStay deserved more than a heartless send-off

There’s the right way to do things and then there’s the Mayo GAA way. What other county could overshadow the biggest and best football weekend of the year with off-field drama?

The curtness and insensitivity of the Mayo County Board’s statement dismissing Kevin McStay and his management team sent shockwaves across the country.

“Relieved of their duties” is not GAA speak; it’s clearly borrowed from across the channel, where football managers on multi-million-pound contracts – and who receive huge payoffs – are dismissed with some regularity.

The phrase in the statement that really grated with me, though, was “with immediate effect” — as if this issue were of the utmost urgency, caused by gross incompetence or misconduct. It showed a lack of sensitivity and kindness towards a great Mayo man who has faced serious health issues in recent times.

Ironically, the hastiness of the statement sharply contrasted with last autumn’s drawn-out review, which also sullied McStay’s name and set the tone for a disappointing season.

There’s a well-known philosophical principle called “Hanlon’s Razor” which advises: “Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.” I believe this rule of thumb perfectly fits the situation.

I don’t believe the Mayo GAA executive are a malevolent force filled with evil and nasty people. I just think they made a ham-fisted job of executing this big call. In trying to come across as professional and decisive, they only ended up looking cold and heartless.

It is inexplicable that this statement – having been scrutinised and stress-tested by multiple sets of eyes – was deemed acceptable for public release.

I feel really sorry for Kevin McStay, but I also – though this may not be a popular view – feel sorry for the members of the Mayo GAA top table. They are not high-powered, well-remunerated executives who can ride out the storm in a luxurious Alpine or Caribbean bolthole; they are normal, amateur volunteers who have to live with their decisions among their people and clubs.

They messed up big time and have rightly taken it in the neck, but after the week they’ve had, they must be feeling awful too, surely wondering if the role is worth the hassle. It’s a sorry affair for all parties involved.

A friend WhatsApped me after the news broke, saying, “Such an amateur setup.” But that’s exactly what the executive are – amateurs. Nobody is compensated for their time and effort.

Is it time we made these decision-making roles paid positions, so they come with the professional standards and accountability such responsibility demands? At the end of the day, despite the awful delivery, the right decision was probably made. This management team’s tenure had run its course. Progress had stalled and the vibes just weren’t great.

Napoleon preferred lucky generals over good ones, and despite his military background, McStay was definitely not a lucky one for Mayo. His greatest misfortune likely dates back to September 2014, when he was overlooked for the Mayo manager’s job despite being the clear favourite.

At that time, McStay was at the peak of his powers as a manager, having guided St Brigid’s to a club title the previous season. More importantly, Mayo were in the midst of their golden decade, firmly established as one of the main All-Ireland contenders.

He finally got his dream job eight years later, but by then his energy levels – and the depth and quality of Mayo’s playing roster – had probably diminished.

When he finally landed the gig, his in-tray was filled with bad news. Lee Keegan, one of Mayo’s greats, decided to exit the inter-county scene and Oisín Mullin, a future Mayo star, chose to leave the country.

Things didn’t improve much in season two, as Paddy Durcan, another totemic presence, ruptured his cruciate and missed most of this and last season. Cillian O’Connor’s sabbatical and Tommy Conroy’s injuries meant McStay never really had the team or firepower he would have envisioned upon securing the job.

You’d have to think that having even a couple of those stellar names available would have helped Mayo eke out more wins in tight games – victories that would almost certainly cast a different light on his spell in charge.

Sure, there was an encouraging NFL title in his maiden season, but that glow barely lasted six days, as his former side Roscommon stormed to a stunning Connacht quarter-final victory at MacHale Park.

His teams lost the 2024 and 2025 Connacht finals to Galway, both by a single score, turning his quest for a provincial crown into a hard-luck story. Both matches were eminently winnable, and to add insult to injury, David Gough later admitted that the winning free he awarded to Galway in 2024 was a mistake.

When your luck’s not in… Results weren’t always ideal, but McStay always carried himself with class on the sideline and in his dealings with the media. He is a good and honest man who has been a fantastic ambassador for the county – from his playing days, to his media career, right up to the end, when his frustration and disappointment with how things were going were etched on his face.

His autobiography, The Pressure Game, offers an in-depth look at what it’s like to manage at county level in Gaelic football, detailing his time on the sideline in Roscommon. From reading it, it’s clear how much of a pressure-cooker intercounty management is, how all-consuming it can be and the toll it takes on family life and health.

And yet, knowing all that, he was still willing to put his name forward to answer his home county’s call in 2022. It would have been far easier to remain in his ivory tower, seated on RTÉ’s comfy Sunday Game sofas. He put his money where his mouth was and gave it his all.

When you compare Mayo’s brutal, cruel statement to Roscommon’s fawning, 497-word tribute announcing Davy Burke’s departure, it’s clear that Kevin McStay was treated poorly and deserved a better send-off. Burke, a blow-in to the county with a middling enough record, was afforded the respect every intercounty manager deserves for dedicating their life to their team’s cause. After the torrents of flak they’ve received online this week, you’d like to think that the Mayo County Board now realise they should have done better by Kevin.

Just please don’t make a mess of the next appointment process. For everyone’s sake.