Recalling great Mayo Day of 50 years ago

I got a letter the other day. A real letter, delivered by a real postman. Thank God for An Post. It came from the famous John Kenny, Moy Heights, Ballina. John, for donkey’s years, was secretary of the Mayo GAA’s Under 21 Board and enjoyed considerable success for his efforts. He was there in 1967 when Mayo, after a replay against Kerry, brought the first ever Under 21 title to the county. That was the year of 4-goal McGee.

And he was there, seven years later, in 1974 when another Mayo team brought the second Under 21 title to the county. And strange enough, though stranger things were to happen later, the win was brought about after a replay, this time against Antrim.

The captain of the team was Johnny Culkin of Ardnaree. On the 8th September 1974 the teams played a draw in Croke Park. There was no nonsense in those days about extra-time and penalties. The game went to a replay. The reason for John Kenny’s letter was to bring to mind the fact that Sept 29, 2024 is the 50th anniversary of that famous Mayo win.

The letter was of course a timely reminder. My memory is a bit of a blank at the best of times and certainly any occasion more than 10 years in the past has long since been erased from the memory. But John Kenny wasn’t a long time secretary of the Under 21 Board for no reason. He anticipated my memory lapse (“the enclosed will refresh your memory”) and included, along with his letter, a copy of a report on the game in the Mayo News.

Your scribe was a reporter with the Mayo News at the time and had covered the game. I’m going to include here a number of excerpts from the game (in italics), not so much to highlight my wonderful command of the English language (joke) but to suggest that the game, as played 50 years ago, provided entertainment for onlookers that is not available in the modern game of back passing and buck passing.

Any notion that football in Mayo is at a low ebb was well and truly dispelled at Croke Park on Sunday last when the county Under 21 team turned on a scintillating display of football at its best to pip a fine Antrim side in the final of the competition.

The game was an exhibition of the arts, skills and manliness of gaelic football that even the most ardent purist would find difficult to fault and even had Mayo been at the wrong end of the decision at the end of a thoroughly exciting and close fought game they would still have done their county proud. For, as Dr Donal Keenan (Uachtaráin) said, when presenting the trophy to Johnny Culkin, Antrim had lost nothing. Mayo had won the cup, the honours and Mayo’s name goes down in the record books but the real winner today was Gaelic football.

The Mayo News report is straightforward even if, understandably, a bit biased towards Mayo. There’s no need for hyperbole or the criticism that arises when, in modern times, the blanket defence (what nonsense!) is deployed. Man to man marking requires creativity on the part of the marker as well as the marked and both Mayo and Antrim were committed to the task of entertaining as well as seeking victory.

Both teams placed the emphasis on the ball rather than the man and while physical contact was not shunned – indeed there was plenty of it, given and taken without any malice – courage and skill replaced boot and brawn in an encounter that reflected credit equally on both teams.

The tone and pace of the game was set early on by the northern contenders who, throwing caution to the wind (imagine that in today’s game), chased the ball with ferocious intensity and had a goal and a point after one minute of play.

The whirlwind start by Antrim did not cause any panic in the Mayo ranks and while their approach was less dramatic than Antrim’s, their design was no less purposeful as they set about reeling Antrim in.

The game turned in the twinkling of an eye. The Mayo News tells the story:

At a time when a steadying influence was needed, JP Kean came to the rescue with two fine points to let Antrim know that a cakewalk was not on the cards. After twelve minutes Pat Armstrong had an Antrim point but then came Mayo’s first major score, a brilliant goal which was literally blasted to the net by Ted Webb after Michael Flannery and Richie Bell had done the approach work.

This goal, so brilliantly taken by Webb, caused momentary panic in the Antrim defence and, from the kickout, Mayo capitalised on the Northerners’ indecision. This time Ger Farragher fielded the ball on the left wing and passed through to “Tick” Higgins. The Claremorris man quickly parted to Webb who came thundering in for the pass and flicked to McGrath who wrong-footed his opposite number before shooting left-footed to the roof of the net.

All of this action took place in 30 minutes of football. Can you imagine such all action thrills and spills in the yo-yo approach that has infected today’s game. An Antrim goal from a (dubious!) penalty raised northern spirits and left Mayo striving for an appropriate answer. Two points down and scores hard to come by. Cometh the hour, cometh the men.

Richie Bell recharged his batteries and regained the initiative in the middle of the field. “Tick” Higgins and Kean were wide of the mark before the industrious Michael Flannery showed the way with a well taken point from forty yards. Kean had a further point to leave the sides level with eight minutes remaining.

Ger Feeney collected a clearance from deep in Mayo’s defence, carried the ball beyond midfield and passed ahead to Higgins. “Tick” collected the ball on the right wing and passed to the incoming Kean who sidefooted the ball over the bar for the lead.

The tension was electric in those closing stages as Antrim sought the equaliser. They found the Mayo rear-guard in unrelenting mood with Moynihan and O’Mahony making timely clearances and it was Mayo who had the last word with a disputed point by Richie Bell.

Mayo scorers: J P Kean (0-8, six frees), T Webb (1-0), D McGrath (1-0), M Flannery, R Bell (0-1 each).

The team on that memorable day was: Ivan Heffernan (Ballina Stephenites); Adrian Durkin (Aughamore), Seamus Reilly (Lacken), John O’Mahony (Ballaghaderreen); Ger Feeney (Ballintubber), Con Moynihan (Ballaghaderreen), Johnny Culkin (Ardnaree, Capt); Richie Bell (St Coman’s), Ger Farragher (Garrymore); Ted Webb (Ballyhaunis), JP Kean (Claremorris), Michael Flannery (Ballinrobe); Mick Moloney (Claremorris), Des McGrath (Kilmaine), Michael “Tick” Higgins (Claremorris). Subs used: Mick O’Malley (for Durkin), Jimmy Burke (for Moloney). Subs: (16) Mick Webb (Ballyhaunis); (17) M. O’Malley (Crossmolina); (18) Billy Diskin (Ballinrobe); (19) Jimmy Burke (Aghamore); (20) M. O’Brien (Claremorris); (21) Tom Heneghan (Tourmakeady).

50 years on the members of the squad will most likely recall the day. The memories may be somewhat hazy and thoughts of what was achieved may well be secondary to thoughts of absent colleagues. An inordinate number of the panel died before their time. Seamus Reilly, Richie Bell, Ted Webb, Ger Feeney, Michael Moloney, Billy Diskin and, more recently, John O’Mahony, will be remembered fondly by family, colleagues and friends and by the wider GAA community. Go ndéana Dia trócaire orthu.

Thought for the day:

Confucius says: Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart.