Tooreen agonisingly close to their fulfilment

American football coach Vince Lombardi was a quote and motivation machine.

Considered one of the greatest coaches in American sports, his legend lives on.

His quote on fulfilment is one that often strikes me when watching the exploits of sportspeople, particularly in this county.

You know the huge effort they put in. How, while sometimes it might be ‘only a game’, but a damn important one at that.

You know from talking to players of yesteryear who still reflect with pride on their glory days and regrets about the ones that got away.

Sports stars may have important jobs, raise families but often it is their on-pitch exploits that define them, certainly to people outside their immediate circle.

And while some sports stars take it all in their stride, others see it as a huge part of who they are.

And there is little to compare with the joy, the satisfaction of achieving a glorious aim. It might be a club winning a long-sought after county title, a national title or any team making a big breakthrough.

Lombardi put it very well.

“I firmly believe that any man’s finest hour, the greatest fulfilment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle – victorious.” 

Of course, that quote is every bit as applicable to sportswomen but it conveys the deep personal satisfaction that comes from your dedication, discipline, teamwork and striving for high standards, the foundation pillars for your win, your day of glory, your finest hour.

It is never just about the destination but the journey to that point.

The tragedy of sport, though, is that you can do all of those things and still fall short.

I couldn’t but think of Lombardi’s quote when watching Tooreen in their heartbreaking All-Ireland Intermediate club hurling final on Saturday week last.

They were within touching distance of the greatest day their club could ever imagine, arguably the greatest moment in Mayo hurling history (I’d elevate it beyond Mayo beating Waterford in the league in 1986) and, I think it is fair to say, one of the greatest ever achievements in Mayo GAA history full stop.

When you consider their starting point, a community of 300 souls in a football obsessed county competing against clubs from hurling heartlands, winning an All-Ireland Intermediate title should have been an impossible dream.

But they are a club who have consistently defied logic and expectation over decades. A club whose culture is based on high standards, passing on the tradition from generation to generation and the constant striving to be the best possible version of themselves.

That’s what brought them to Croke Park and within touching distance of a day of days.

They worked their hearts out not merely on the Croke Park sod but in the weeks, months and years before, they allied to that considerable talent and flair, and lay exhausted from their effort but, cruelly, were not victorious despite, in this writer’s eye, being the better team.

It was one of the most heartbreaking Mayo GAA losses and let’s face it, that is not a short list.

Tooreen were heroic. They represented their club and community, Mayo hurling and all of Mayo superbly.

At 0-9 to 0-2 down after 27 minutes, the game was in danger of getting away from them. To the neutral observer watching on TG4 they looked like a team out of their depth – sure what business have a Mayo hurling team in an All-Ireland final in Croke Park?

But anyone who has seen Tooreen over the years knew they were better than that. They just needed a settler. Goalkeeper Bobby Douglas gave them that with a superbly struck long-range free and Tooreen were suddenly liberated.

They outscored Upperchurch-Drombane 0-8 to 0-1 in the six minutes before half-time. They had arrived and the champions of Tipp, the home of hurling, were stunned.

They took up where they left off in the second-half. Joe Boyle, Fergal Boland, Eoin Delaney, Brian Morley and co showed just how good Tooreen are.

All over the field players were standing up and Tooreen looked poised to make a glorious breakthrough.

Tooreen led by three points at the three-quarter mark, outscoring their opponents either side of half-time by 0-16 to 1-3 and the unthinkable was on.

But Upperchurch-Drombane were always going to throw everything at them and the sides were level going into injury time. Then the big moments seemed to be coming from Tooreen. A remarkable Fergal Boland turnover, Liam Lavin seeing his shot for a lead score agonisingly come off the post. The Tipp men were hanging on.

A moment of sheer genius from young Fionn Delaney along the Hogan Stand sideline, when he sold his man, saw him set up Brian Morley for the lead score. It would have been an incredible and most fitting way to win it.

But a one point lead with a minute to go in hurling is wafer-thin. The Tipp’ men hit a ball wide and Tooreen had a puck out.

Douglas hit it long into the Tipp’ half. It broke, and a Tipp man got possession, Tooreen fouled. Gavin Ryan belted over an incredible free closer to his own 45 metre line than his 65. It is easy for armchair critics to posit what Tooreen should have done in those moments but it’s altogether fairer to acknowledge an astonishing equaliser, the best score of Ryan’s life.

It was struck from a similar Eircode as Joe Canning’s effort at an equaliser against Limerick in the 2018 All-Ireland final. Canning’s shot, though further out on the wing, fell well short. Ryan’s effort cleared the bar with a bit to spare.

In extra-time it was getting away from them. Tooreen conceded three goals and were ten points down. Still no white flag was waved by them. From somewhere they nearly conjured up the most incredible comeback. Two goals and a point had them within a goal and they nearly found a third but, alas, the hill was too steep. Another point wasn’t enough.

Tooreen had done so many of the things a team needs to in order to triumph on the biggest day.

The tragedy of sport is that, sometimes, that is not enough.

They were within touching distance of the fulfilment of all they hold dear. So close and yet so far.

Ever since they will have heard how proud people are of them. How they should hold their heads high. Of what a great hurling enclave, in East Mayo, Tooreen are.

And all of those things are true but none of it is what Tooreen wanted to hear after this game. They are way past moral victories. They wanted to be champions and set about doing so. They played like champions but they did not get their heart’s desire. If there is justice in sport, we will see Tooreen back at Croke Park and this time they will triumph.

But tomorrow, in every sense, is never guaranteed to anyone.

The restructuring in the Galway club hurling championship means the next intermediate champs there – who will compete with the Mayo senior champs in the Connacht intermediate championship – will be stronger. This year, there were 24 senior teams in Galway, so the intermediate champs were the de-facto 25th best team. Next year there will be 16 senior clubs so the intermediate winners will be the de-facto 17th best team.

That makes the climb back to Croker harder for Tooreen as does the fact the most competitive game they had all season before the All-Ireland final was the Mayo final against Ballyhaunis, who will be lining them up again.

But don’t doubt this group of men and that club. Few thought they would be back after losing in 2023 yet back they came.

They are a special group. Hopefully their day will come and their fulfilment.