Heroes, hamstrings, Hallgrímsson and hope

2025, the year marking the conclusion of the first quarter of the 21st century. It’s been an interesting 12 months to say the least, with some learnings: Mayo intercounty football can be the most poisonous of chalices, Ireland still produces some of the top boxers around, the entire country’s mood can change thanks to a young man named after a colourful bird, and hamstring injuries are undeniably frustrating (personal one, oops)!

The Mayo GAA football merry-go-round is in full swing again; of the managers that started out in charge of the senior men’s, U20, minor and senior ladies sides, none will not be at the helm for the forthcoming season. Kevin McStay was ‘relieved of his duties’ in the summer and my word, did that leave a bitter taste in the mouth of most. The fact that Kevin had stepped back from his role for health reasons in the weeks prior only added to the upset.

It's important to look back at this with open eyes, no matter what we thought of all that transpired on the field (to which we’ll come to): this could – and should – have been dealt with better. It was pleasing then to hear at the Mayo GAA convention earlier this month chairman Seamus Tuohy, who himself was absent for health reasons at the time, speak about his disappointment in how the matter was dealt with at the time. But to the on-field fun we go!

Mayo made it to a National League final but quite how we got there I don't think anyone was able to figure it out. Kerry awaited and as they showed again later in the season, once they hit Croke Park, form horse or not, they're not to be backed against.

Mayo sleepwalked into a Connacht final with wins over Sligo and Leitrim that were far from spectacular, but a first provincial final in Castlebar since 2014 awaited, against Galway. The colour and the buzz around the town was spectacular, all that was missing was the result. For the second season in-a-row, coming down the stretch, it was our neighbours in maroon who got the job done. On what was a blustery day, it was a result that took the wind from the Mayo sails. Two weeks later and after a horror show against Cavan, the writing was on the wall for 2025.

Our U20 side this season bridged a seven-year gap in reclaiming a Connacht title and a special victory in Tuam over Roscommon was a well-needed shot in the arm for the county. Two weeks later the team was desperately unlucky to lose out by a point late on to Louth in the All-Ireland semi-final, but keep your eyes peeled for lots of faces from this side going forward.

David Heaney and Tom Reilly's minor side got to another provincial final but this time it was the Rossies who picked up the silverware, however, a very memorable All-Ireland quarter-final victory over Offaly rose the spirits once again only for the Green and Red to fall in the last four, just like U20s, in stoppage time – this time to Kerry. Overall our two underage sides had strong years.

As for the ladies, all just didn’t seem smooth at any point this season. Liam McHale was at a disadvantage from the word go when upward on a dozen players opted out of the panel for 2025 so add in those already plying their trade in the land down under, and it was inevitable there were going to be some tricky outings. Relegation in the league and survival in the championship via the relegation playoffs is not the senior ladies team we've come to know, Sinead Walsh, a starring light despite all of this, was richly deserving of her All-Star award nomination. And if you wanted to be optimistic, Meath, Kerry and Armagh have all used Division 2 in the recent past as a seismic launchpad so one can only hope for something similar for Mayo who take to 2026 with Diane O’Hora at the helm.

Due to the fact that it happened on January 3, it's perhaps been pushed under the radar ever so slightly, but that was the day that Luke Littler became the World Darts champion, at 17 years at 347 days old – two weeks shy of adulthood. To reach the pinnacle in any sport, at any age, is something to be incredibly proud of, and a highpoint of one’s career. It’s scary though when it’s been done before an 18th birthday. To back it up, throughout 2025 Littler won all but three of the TV majors up for grabs, including the World Matchplay title in the summer, darts’ second biggest prize, and he capped it all off last month by becoming the youngest ever World No.1. In this, one of the best and most competitive eras of darts, he went into the ongoing World Championship as odds-on favourite; only prime Phil Taylor and Michael Van Gerwen have done the same. And still only 18!

As mentioned, I had some run ins with my hamstrings throughout the year – turning the ripe old age of 26 clearly has its side effects – so it limited my time on the field for Ballycroy in the summer. Thankfully my teammates didn't miss me all that much and by the time I made a return for our final championship group game, we got the win to send us into a first knockout county junior ‘A’ championship game for 38 years, making those rehab sessions all worthwhile!

On that same topic, I watched on my phone in the waiting room of a physio’s office the final few moments of Ireland's lacklustre 2-1 defeat to Armenia and spent most of my time on the table inside chatting to said physio about Heimir Hallgrímsson's successor with his position basically untenable. There's not a person in the land that saw what came next. Sometimes fate changes things. Were Evan Ferguson fit and available, he and not Troy Parrot would have started for Ireland, but that's not what fate allowed. Those two first-half goals against Portugal got the nation sitting up and taking note, goals that were scored at the same end of the stadium where Shane Long blasted home past world champions Germany 10 years earlier to help propel Ireland to the 2016 Euros. Long was assisted by the display of Darren Randolph who had stepped into goal in the opening half that night for an injured Shay Given, just as fate would have it! Fate too brought Parrott into the Irish team.

Three days after Ronaldo had applauded the Irish fans in disgust following his red card at the Aviva, all eyes were on Budapest, from all different places. My vantage point was the press box in Ballyforan where there was the not so small matter of the Connacht junior football semi-final between Kiltimagh and St Croan's, with drama aplenty and a penalty shootout win for the Mayo champions. The mood was good and then came the realisation that Troy Parrott had just got his second goal of the game to put Ireland within reach of a World Cup playoff.

Stuart Tynan, of this parish, and I watched along in amazement at what went down next, a moment that united the country and has us dreaming of a potential trip to the Americas next summer.

That wasn't the only time Stuart and I were dispatched to the same far flung location during the year. Back in March we were both on hand to witness Mayo's hurlers claim the National League Division 3 title in Hawkfield, Newbridge. Considering what went down during the Nicky Rackard Cup final later in the year, this day was an important one to saviour, adding to the fact that Mayo will play Division 2 hurling in 2026.

On that very same March afternoon, Mayo was once again the showcase but this time for the oval ball. The historical (and wet) afternoon when Connacht and Munster played the first ever pro rugby game in the county. MacHale Park was a spectacle that afternoon and one can only hope it's a sign of things to come. The day showcased another string to the bow of what Co. Mayo has to offer.

Stephen Grealis is a presenter and sports commentator with Midwest Radio.