Moran: Let the Mayo fans dream of Sam
Mayo supporters celebrate Darragh Beirne’s first-half goal in last Saturday's victory over Louth in Croke Park which secured the Green and Red a seventh All-Ireland SFC Final appearance since 2012. Picture: INPHO/Laszlo Geczo
A little over three weeks ago the Mayo footballers trailed Meath by 10 points after 25 minutes in Castlebar and looked doomed to exiting the championship with a third defeat in four games. They were still nine points behind Meath with a little over 25 minutes of the match left to play.
This week, however, the county is in the grip of All-Ireland fever after Mayo booked their ticket to this year’s All-Ireland SFC final with a stunning 17 points demolition of Louth at Croke Park last Saturday.
Less than 24 hours later, old foes Kerry were confirmed as their final opponents after the defending champions overcame Dublin in the second of the weekend’s semi-finals.
Mayo’s progress to this year’s showpiece has been nothing short of sensational.
From a sobering Connacht SFC home defeat to Roscommon and that remarkable comeback against the Royals in which they outscored Meath by 0-19 to 0-6 from the 30th minute, Andy Moran’s men have since taken out a Cork side who themselves had toppled a highly-fancied Donegal, while on Saturday they not only defied almost every prediction of the national media by beating Louth, but did so by one of the biggest margins in semi-final history.
“We had an aim at the start of the year, can we get Mayo people back supporting the team? And I think that was answered today,” said manager Andy Moran after the 3-23 to 0-15 win.
“It’s great to see the Mayo crowd back in Croke Park supporting the team. That’s just the most important thing. They give you a chance to go and win the big prize in any competition, Connacht championships and All-Ireland championships.”
Moran also defended Mayo’s fans vociferously when it was put to him about the prospect of the county “going crazy” in the build up to the final.
“You laugh at that, lads. I don’t laugh at that. I find it actually very dismissive, if I’m being honest. I think it’s a bullshit question… I think it’s a disrespectful question.
“Our county have been starved the last four or five years. If they go a bit nuts, let them,” said Moran, arguing that none of the press corps is going to tip Mayo to become All-Ireland champions anyway.
There is no doubt that the scale of the challenge before Mayo is considerable. Never before has a team lost twice in championship and recovered to lift the Sam Maguire Cup. And on Mayo’s upcoming opponents specifically, Kerry inflicted a 16 points defeat upon them as recently as March in their Division 1 clash. 10 players on each side started both that match in Tralee and their respective semi-finals last weekend.
Mayo’s last two All-Ireland Final appearances against Kerry in 2004 and 2006 both ended in defeat, with current boss Andy Moran a used substitute on both occasions. The 2026 decider will be Mayo's twelfth since last crowned All-Ireland champions in 1951.
