We’re in an All-Ireland semi-final tomorrow so that means a bonus episode of the podcast is in order. And where better than Bowe’s pub on Fleet Street in the centre of Dublin to base ourselves for this extra episode? Sure, we’re still here now.
In this bonus preview episode of the podcast, Rob and I are joined in Bowe’s by former Mayo player Enda Varley and Ciaran Murphy of Second Captains. We talk about what an occasion tomorrow is likely to be, we discuss how well we’re set to take on Dublin, we consider the impact that Dublin’s drive for five may have and we look at likely match-ups at Croke Park tomorrow.
Bookending this free-ranging discussion in the pub there’s Seán Rice who looks back on a number of great Mayo victories at Croke Park and what it was like to be there to witness them.
We end the podcast back outside Bowe’s in the company of three good friends of the podcast and the blog. Tom McLoughlin, Darragh Berry and Fergal De Búrca all join Rob and me for a quick chat about our shared obsession in following Mayo and to give their predictions on how they think the game tomorrow will go.
Hannah Gallagher sings us in to underscore Seán’s trip down memory lane with her spine-tingling rendition of The Green and Red of Mayo which she performed at the live All-Ireland final preview event over at the Oxford Arms in London in 2017.
This special bonus episode of the podcast is now online and is available to listen to on iTunes, SoundCloud, Spotify and Podomatic. It’s also available on the Mayo News website as well as here on the blog using the SoundCloud player below or the one on the panel on the right.
The Mayo News football podcast’s championship coverage all summer long is proudly sponsored by J Streicher. “When it absolutely, positively has to be financed on Wall St.” Visit our website at www.jstreicher.eu.
I will listen to this podcast tomorrow in the car if I’m able to connect to it as it will put me in the mood as I head to the capital for a great weekend of sport. My niece has bagged me a ticket in some crows nest but I don’t care as I can’t wait to relish this great occasion as a neutral. My heart will not be thumping, I won’t be sweating and my hands and legs will not be shaking, Jesus when I think of big championship games I wonder if it’s worth the emotional skydive, I hope the parachute opens tomorrow for all the good people of mayo.
Some mention Fenton’s scoring threat in earlier posts but I have been keeping my eye on Him. While he is a gold plated player but he has built a great scoring record against very poor teams and drawing stats as actual markers from those hames might just flatter him on scoring prowess. If Ruane is fit I’d say inject him with some of Keegan’s blood and see what he can do, Ruane is a bloody handful and has a sneaky skill of winking at the bouncers and sipping the house champagne.
Youths unblemished skin does not have scars and a few of your newbies could have the silver bullet.
Saying that ye need mother luck and a pinch more. I’ll gladly cheer your team tomorrow and good luck to all
Still have a ticket for Nally stand if anyone looking
Start carefully, but aggressively. Give nothing away. Then, when adrenaline levels reach normal for such an occasion, address the match ups, strengths and weaknesses. Game not won in a frantic 20 minutes, but can be lost with catch up football.
Since 2013 we have easily been the equal, if not the better of an exceptional Dublin team. The semi-final replay excepted. Should we convert chances then, on previous experience, we should win.
Every good wish to the team.
Great yer heading up for both matches Gamechanger. What a weekend as you say. If Mayo somehow manage to swing this one, then I’d be interested to hear from you after to see if that ticker of yours thumped at all during the match. Or did yer palms pull a Padre Pio sweat stigmata job on you, or did the knees feel like buckling at any point. Methinks Paddy Power would be giving large odds against a negative answer. I might be wrong.
Actually my sister in law hails from the Cork/Kerry border. No interest in sport generally. Through no fault of her own she ended up sitting behind me in Limerick at the Galway game (possibly first game she was ever at if I’m not mistaken). The poor woman was a bundle of nerves throughout the game. She roared louder than most Mayo supporters. She could barely talk by the the final whistle. She didn’t know what possessed her. She said that was the most fantastic piece of entertainment she had witnessed in a long long time and she had no idea that the football was like that (despite years of my brother trying to convince her otherwise). Couldn’t believe it myself and wouldn’t have only that I bore witness myself.
It’s strange what we can turn into at a game, but I feel when yer rooting for Mayo, that strangeness can reach other levels cause that’s what this lot do to/for you.
Hon ta •••k Mayo!!!
A few houses here in Dublin have put up the bunting today, they normally do this for the final.
Expect pure dirt tomorrow from the following
Michael innocent face Fitzsimons
Michael elbows high McCauley
Philly Saint McMahon
John hand tripper Small
Johnny studs showing Cooper.
James boots McCarthy.
Dean the pusher after he scores a free Rock
I watched the full 2016 drawn final this week.
In the one game McCauley got away with the following.
Hand trip on a Mayo attacker in 1st half
Tried to decapitate Cillian Ó Connor in the 2nd half with outrageous tackle around the neck, Martin Carney quick brought it to his attention bur Ger Canning quickly changed the subject. No black card shown, only 1 yellow for the terrible tackle on Cillian.
The Mayo young guys are a good bit harder now than in 2016 and 17, the referee will have a part to play also.
Watch for the skullduggery tomorrow from some of the so called stewards.
One big push from Mayo tomorrow and I will remove the Dublin buntings on Sunday and stick it up their holes.
Remember, I had a vision at the start of this year ( upgrading it from a dream), looking forward to a big session after Mayo win.
I write this again, let’s not forget the site of the fuckin Dubs deliberately fouling in injury time in 2017.
Any spare tickets
Well said Mayo88, i fucking hate when Rock does that, and he’s doing it a long time now. Hope Barrett or Boyle flattens him when he does it.
No team announced…
Rock has done a lot of damage to us and not just from frees. Coen will be detailed to man mark him tomorrow and unsettle him. Agee he needs to be put on his arse tomorrow!
2 x Tickets for match. One is upper hogan section 728 row y and One is lower cusack section 301 row ss. Anyone interested, give a text between now and 30 mins before minor game . 087-7704537
Yeah, a massive match for Stephen Coen. Nows the time to do it lad, you have what it takes.
Best of luck to all the Mayo lads tomorrow.
Ya can tell it’s Mayo v Dublin. Nothing announced to the media. Seems like a lock down. Haha. Mind games. If that’s the 26 for Dublin, Costello is a danger. Holger unknown at this level. The other few are big names but have shown nothing to show they can make a difference. First time I’ve looked at a Dublin bench against Mayo and felt they are weaker.
I just listened to the podcast. Very well done and again, credit to you WJ for what you have achieved here. You generously say that this blog is not a solo enterprise but it 99% is, so hats off to you and your commitment.
Whatever happens tomorrow (later today!), I have derived great enjoyment from the blog and the community comments over the recent years of Dublin/Mayo rivalry in particular and have nothing but warm wishes for everyone here.
Enjoy the game!
Thanks Loreto Road, much appreciated. I really do believe this place is what we all make it, in our own different ways. That’ll continue to be the case come 7pm or so tomorrow.
Great Podcast Willie Joe. Confirms match is still on as thought media must have cancelled it! Dubs must be really worried so let’s take our chance and end the fairy tale. Oh The Green And Red Of Mayo!!!
Near impossible for our lads to have energy for last twenty mins today , we would have to be 7|8 points up going into last quarter . But they won’t be found wanting for effort that’s for sure. They have had a brilliant year no matter what happens today .
looking for 1 adult ticket for cusack or davin stands.
Two tickets available for Davin Stand upper section 719. Tel 086 8129052.
Bear have 2 lower hogan section 335
086/2461809
I think Jim Gavin has selected Connolly so that if the dubs are losing with 10 mins to go , he brings him in and the Dublin crowd go mad. He is a talented footballer , no doubt, but played pretty awful imo in “the coma in Omagh “. BB deserves to be in before Connolly and hopefully this causes a little disharmony within the Dublin squad . I think we need every edge we can get .
BSS
Another observation is that this was one of the greatest PR exercises by Croke Park in a long time. Stadium sold out but mayo and dub fans and clubs left with a rake of unsellable tickets . They even managed to panic us all into buying the traditionally less favourable tickets such as the nally or the lower corners!
Any amount of tickets available yesterday and today .
Sneaky Croke Park …. sneaky .
I think we are going to do it……… all the talk about our squad over the past few years but that Dublin squad (especially bench ) has fair mileage on it . I dare say we have better options off ours ! I’ve a feeling Darren Coen will catch fire today . His long range shooting could be key
Can’t wait to see Boyler flying into tackles again. When things were not going so good this year he was the inspiration
Good man Gamechanger. As always your comments are measured insightful and most welcome. Good luck tomorrow. If we get over this obstacle I would like nothing more than to beat you in the final. Come On Mayo!!!
Up mayo 4 nally stand ticket looking for a home 0879182128
I have 1 spare ticket for Upper Hogan if anybody is interested – 0861428311
BredaF have ticket for cusack lower. 0879182128
Been checking the weather forecast on Yr.no the last day or so. Yesterday It was predicting an absolute deluge during the minor game. It’s adjusted considerably and it looks as if any increase in rainfall will arrive towards the end of the senior match, but not anywhere near the levels it was showing yesterday. Still expected to be a fairly wet day.
Fbd
Don’t know what forecast your looking at. Loads of rain forecast for Dublin City. from 3pm today to 3am tomorrow.
Should make it an absolute slog with loads of mistakes from both sides, spilled ball all over the place and scoring rates taking a plunge. Hopefully playing in similar conditions last week will stand to our lads.
3 Nallys for sale 0861740922
Podcasts lined up to stream through the speakers of the car.. enough rain gear in the boot to get us through any conditions.. a fiver for the match programme and 5 sets of lungs to roar non stop from 3pm onwards. Sure what more could you want. Up Mayo wherever you go.
2 lower Cusack section 313, covered from the rain and seated together available
Bernard brogan must be spitting blood, i dont care what anyone says, cant be good for morale seeing a lad parachuted back into team now after the years work is done.
That would be akin to horan dropping andy from the squad because dillon suddenly comes back
I was talking to to Dinny Lavin awhile back ago,. He likes to be called Din for short. He doesn’t like to called a “Shafty” under any circumstance, on account he walks like he has a broom handle stuck up in his hole and all.
Anyway when we finally got around the by roads to talk about the Mayo Dublin match, Din didn’t have a lot to say.
He started going on like this for what seemed like an eternity. His lips pursed together and his eyes seemed to smile like a Guru of Guru’s tripping on LSD. He wafted out an existential breath before rambling out some meaningless word sounds. The word sounds were beautiful and magical.
Din started with a Yeaaaaaaaaaaaah Mayoooooooooooo word sound that was simultaeneously reverential and disparaging. Don’t know. Don’t ask.”
They’re a very good side . Haven’t had much of a chance to take a look at them this year. Our focus has been on West Meath and beyond that is Meath. Waterford is a lovely county too. We respect Waterford, they have lovely glass and we respect the glass up here in Dublin. We love glass. Mayo is a lovely county too. I don’t think they do glass down there but if they did they would do great glass. We could three planes over and maybe partner Con up front alongside a fighter jet. Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaah. Mayo are a very good side and we will have to play to our best to play them at their best. I love glass. I like planes. I’m not high. I love shafties I have wires in my head, I have wires moving inside my head. Great song. Mayo are good. Waterford are fighter planes………………”blahblahblahblahdeblah