With the extremely long lead-in to this year’s All-Ireland final, Mayo have the luxury of getting a close-up view of the delayed semi-final between Kerry and Tyrone, the winners of which will meet James Horan’s team in the Sam Maguire decider on 11th September.
In this episode of the Mayo News football podcast, we preview Saturday’s game, from a Mayo angle. Rob Murphy hosts the show and he’s joined by two guests with deep knowledge of the respective teams – Tralee-based Ballinrobe native Maurice Horan, who once managed the Limerick footballers and who has his finger on the pulse of Kerry GAA, and GAA journalist and writer Declan Bogue, who has followed closely the fortunes of Tyrone GAA for several years.
Covid provides an all-pervasive backdrop to Saturday’s semi-final and Declan shines a light on what’s been a crazy few weeks for the O’Neill County as they’ve grappled with a serious outbreak of the infection within their ranks. Maurice, meanwhile, fills us in on the cautious optimism he has detected among the Kingdom faithful in recent weeks.
The lads look back at the great Tyrone/Kerry rivalry of the Noughties and how it largely fizzled out over the following decade, as Kerry asserted their dominance and memories of those landmark All-Ireland wins by Tyrone began to fade. Declan and Maurice then provide their thoughts on Mayo’s win over Dublin and they assess the county’s potential for going one step further in next month’s decider.
In a wide-ranging chat featuring plenty of anecdotes, we also hear a story about the hidden link between Fermanagh and Mayo, one that not many people would know about.
This episode of the Mayo News football podcast is now online and is available to listen to on iTunes, SoundCloud, Podomatic and Spotify. You can also listen to it directly 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 has its own Twitter presence, @MayoPodcast, so if you’re a Twitter user you should follow us there to make sure you get the latest podcast-related updates, including new episodes.
You can also subscribe to the podcast on your platform of choice and can do that here.
The Mayo News football podcast is produced and edited by Ger Duffy Media. The show is sponsored by Ceramic City and Swinford Motors, two fine Mayo businesses with whom we’re proud to be associated this year, all the way to the All-Ireland final.
DavyJ………thank you for your additional St Jarlaths comments on the previous ‘podcast for the final’ thread……I wasnt aware of that ‘Best of’ team selection by Ollie and Dermot and very interesting names there. Tomas Tierney was a class mate of mine and played senior both for Galway and Mayo……..Jimmy Lyons was a couple of years older than me but there in my time too…..class footballer……Many thanks for that.
Great podcast………
Pick 3, James,Ryan, Tommy, Aidan for 3 starting positions for the final.
Pick 3, Paddy, Lee, Stephen, Oisin & Enda.,..
Can sit back in comfort on Saturday, Kerry or Tyrone…..
The last dance is getting close.
Draw done for tickets in our club tonight. The very large majority of people who came out have only paid club membership alone. There are many people who have paid club membership and have been season ticket holders for years who have not received a ticket. I would love to know the number of season ticket holders who also pay membership in their club, surely these people should have been taken care of given the significant amount of money invested each year. In my case I am a season ticket holder, club member, club lotto member, and county board draw ticket holder. I wont be buying all them next year or thereafter thats for sure!
Looking forward to sitting back and watching the semi. Would be awesome to have oisin back pushing for place. Competition for places is the key to getting us over the line. Darren coen and james carr also pushing hard for inclusion. 2 match winners on their day.
Declan Bogue was a breath of fresh air, not afraid to call it how it is and not afraid to speak his mind. What is it with Mayo/ west of Ireland pundits/ journalists that don’t like upsetting anyone? Great stuff!
That was a brilliant pod
Great podcast. Declan Bogue is some character. Very entertaining to listen to.
One thing this week that irked me a bit. How did JP McManus get on the Croke Park pitch with the Limerick hurling team after the final. We have the GAA proceeding like everything as normal distributing tickets nationally, many of which likely won’t get taken up and returned, it was that pot of tickets could have provided tickets for season ticket holders.
Meanwhile for a final where Limerick barely got to hold the cup JP McManus gets to walk on the hallowed turf? The money he provides the GAA is pocket change for him and less than the season ticket holders nationally for whom their contribution is harder found.
The idea of sending tickets to every club nationally in a reduced attendance Covid year was wrong.
JP – to be fair to your namesake he did donate 3.2 Million to the GAA a few years back which was to be distributed evenly to each county, and each club in Mayo benefitted to the tune of 2000 euro (and that wasn’t without a controversy of our own making either in how it was distributed by our County Board).
I’d agree that it’s one rule for some but Limerick have benefitted hugely from the money this man has put in. Whether it’s of consequence or pocket change to him or not, it’s still money he didn’t have to put in. Limerick have certainly benefitted from the funds he’s provided and if only we had an individual with similar amounts, generosity and temperament, we might be in a better position than we are. Sin scéal eile.
Should he have been on the pitch?. Probably not, but with the GAA, money talks.
The distribution of tickets thing is always an issue. Clubs in the competing counties will always have preference and then clubs around the county will get an allocation, and all will use these tickets to do what they can be it to distribute to members or raffle them for fund raising. This was how it was done prior to the season ticket scheme so it would seem to be the fairest way now in a year when there was no season ticket.
That was a really enjoyable podcast and after just the one appearance, Declan Bogue has leapfrogged his way to the top of my Favourite Friends of the Podcast list, not least for his calling out of Kerry’s sanctimony and Tyrone’s vaccine stance. I’ve always liked him but I particularly enjoyed this! The part about the green and red Fermanagh jersey was priceless too. Well done all.
@FDB, yes acknowledge all that. But the national season ticket holders over the last 10 years is multiples of his 3.2 million.
Ya, money talks as you said.
The Limerick project is interesting. There’s more to it than the JP money.
Hurling nurseries went from 8 clubs to 22 clubs in 10 years.
Limerick city kids GAA participation went from 8% to 55%.
A lot of it was traditional coach, kids, sliotars and hurleys in a field.
Obviously it gets topped off at senior level with the elite setup.
Completely agree re. Declan Bogue. Very refreshing and I hope it’s not the last time we hear from him on the pod.
On the topic of new voices, Oisín McConville appears to be one of Mayo’s few advocates in the GAA punditry circus – it would be interesting to hear from him on a pod sometime too (or maybe he was on before and I missed him)? Maybe Billie Joe could work the Armagh connections? ;o)
MartyK – you’re very welcome – it’s nice to reminisce in odd time. My guess is that Fr. Hughes might have voted Mark Butler as his best Jarlath’s player of them all based on his monster winning point in the ’84 Hogan Cup final vs St Pat’s Maghera – go to 57:50 in this clip to judge for yourself: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxRe4l9D2q0
Goodman DavyJ. I was at that match and a worthy score for sure to win a final.
I’d second any calls to have Oisin Mcconville on the pod. A very fair minded analyst.
does anyone have an email address for the county board?
Several hundred tickets available online right now for the Tyrone Kerry game…
Cute kerry hoors must be waiting for the final. Maybe demand from either county isnt as fervent as our good selves. Or perhaps the GAA are printing more tickets on the sly….
@Its Too Hot
Mayo County Board email: administrator.mayo@gaa.ie
It’s to hot ask them what they are doing with the 5000 or so tickets that are left over when clubs and players have received their allocations.
Just one note on the season ticket issue. Cork county board were able to issue their 500 season tickets holders with a ticket by reducing the club allocation by 2 tickets per club. Mayo has 3500 season ticket holders which would have resulted in clubs allocations being reduced by 70 tickets each. Given the reduced allocation this year that would have resulted in junior clubs effectively not receiving any tickets. Does anyone think that would be fair or genuinely entertained. Can people stop comparing us to Cork as it’s not a realistic comparison. The ire should be directed towards Croke Park for issuing non competing counties with tickets.
Thanks Crete Boom. Evidently Binghamstown, the issue I have is not over clubs receiving tickets over season ticket holders. My problem is that a few people who have spent 200 annually on season tickets in addition to club membership (300 in my case as I also subscribe to the county board draw) have not received tickets from the club, yet people who only paid 50/80 euro basic membership in their clubs have come out of the draw and got a ticket. People who have paid both club and season ticket membership in 2020/2021 should be catered for as they are club members who spend more than anybody else, and do so because they support their county team as well as their club!
In my case I would not join my home club for 2 reasons.
Firstly I moved away from mayo years ago for work so do not have the opportunity to be active club member.
Secondly there has never been a raffle at the club for tickets. The chairman , his wife , the local politician etc etc are now guaranteed there ticket. Only 2 tickets being raffled separately at 5 euro a entry.
Season tickets took that kind of worries out for me but now I have no hope for getting to final. I’m sure that is not an isolated incident throughout mayo so I think it is fair game for people to complain about an old fashioned system of distribution
@It’s too hot, As was mentioned, the issue is the ridiculous notion of continuing to allocate to non competing counties in a reduced capacity Covid year. That’s effectively where the tickets capable of covering season tickets is being lost to.
JP, I understand what you are saying but the point I am making is that people who are paying both club membership AND season tickets should have been catered for within the first allocation of tickets to the clubs. I know a lot of people who are season ticket holders and living in mayo but do not have club membership, so fair enough if they cant be catered for after the club allocation. But people who are paying both memberships should be catered for as they are club people as well as being season ticket holders, ultimately ending the club v season ticket debate for this cohort. I know there is no figure out there on how many people pay both but I have a feeling it may not be that high (email addresses and names are required for both so the county board could potentially organize this if the will is there). Unfortunately if many of these people miss out this year, the county board/clubs in mayo will lose funding going forward!
@It’s too hot, Understand your logic, but a Club would probably tear itself apart with any other method than a random draw.
Yes, there would be maybe 1/3 of very obvious merited cases like yourself. What when we start to get into dies person merit 30 outrank person 31? It’s the gray areas where it’s very hard to decide who ranks on merit.
@It’s too hot, You do have a point though that it’s probably no more than 7-800 people have club and season and want to go. Just guestimating. In that logic, ya, could organise they are the first served. But there’s an issue in getting all club secretaries in sync on that point and that data.
The club would not have to do anything other than send a list of names + email addresses of their members to the county board (many clubs will have this on hand due to the website/software used for registration). The county board would use this to reconcile to their (and croke parks) records of season ticket holders. Any person who has both is then allocated a ticket directly from the county board rather than the club having to handle it. For example if an intermediate club has 100 tickets and has 15 members who pay both club membership and season ticket, then this club would receive 85 tickets along with a list of 15 members who are to be excluded from their draws as they will have received their ticket directly from county board. They have the people capable of organizing this I have no doubt!
@It’s too hot, They probably did, but in Covid have decided to spend zero euro administrating season tickets holders.
@It’s too hot, Ya, overall it stinks.
Does anybody know if the hill is open for the final now that the Dubs are not going to be there?
I see tickets still available for Tyrone / Kerry. Kerry usually arent great for semi-finals but Tyrone are. Capacity is at 24,000 so surprised still availability. I’m sure whoever wins wont mind travelling for the final!
Wonderful podcast. Great to hear from Declan Bogue. Liked his dig at a certain Sindo columnist. With regard to the match I have to say I believe Kerry will win this by at least 10 points. I can’t see Tyrone with their interrupted preparation living with them over 70 minutes plus.
I might go to the Kerry v Tyrone game, are the tickets on ticketmaster site ?
Upper Davin and one section in Upper Cusack available, I would take one for the Hill as Saturday should be good here in Dublin.
I take it, James Horan & Co will try to be in attendance for the Kerry Tyrone game on Saturday, for a closer look at the opposition?.
A “sensible” Covid rule for the football final would be for the government to place restrictions on persons from non-competing counties from attending. I am defining “sensible” on a very low scale of how “sensible” some of the Covid rules have been to date.
Impractical to police I know but, ..
this then would force Central GAA’s hand to distribute tickets to competing counties only. Season ticket / Cairde / clubs could all be taken care of.
The key point here is start with a government decision, we are not asking to raise the 40k limit but make better use if it.
Mayo would get close to its normal All-Ireland final allocation in this case, as the competing counties only ever get less than half of total tickets in normal times. Therefore half capacity has simply got rid of the neutrals.
It is not too late to get onto our TDs and make this “sensible?” suggestion and they in turn get onto Jack Chambers. Our “only” concern as true citizens of this state, is to reduce Covid from spreading across counties.
Yes I know many supporters live outside the county, but imagine most have relatives within county or are season ticket or Cairde holders.
As the paymaster on 5 season tickets, shelling out serious money over past ten years, it is more than annoying to see neutrals or fair weather supporters get tickets instead.
Fully agree with the comments posted by “its too hot”.
As Bill Clinton once said in a political rally to laid-off coal miners “I feel your pain”.
I agree wholeheartedly with the comments about Declan Bogue on the podcast, he’s a real tonic alright. He was, of course, also the journalist that Jim McGuinness took exception to in 2012, disgracefully insisting that Declan Bogue had to leave the press room before he’d speak to reporters after that year’s final. Details on that here.
Tickets tickets tickets
I’m a season ticket holder, I pay club membership and I pay club lotto
Do I deserve a ticket ? I’d like to think so BUT only after the countless volunteers that are involved week in week out in my club are sorted first
My season ticket should have secured me a ticket from Croker and should have had no impact on what the county board received
Unfortunately that’s not the case so I don’t for one second blame the county board and most certainly don’t blame my club
A thankless task which they can never win awaits them
All I can do is cross my fingers and wait in hope
Cmon Mayo
Another group of people who get tickets are county councillors, that really rattles my cage. Why should they get them ahead of anyone
Bogue and McConville are both plain speaking guys who call it as it is. Well worth listening to.Horan very thoughtful funny and insightful also. These podcasts are brilliant.
It will be impossible to please everyone as regards tickets for the final.. But Mayo County Board should account for every single ticket issued,.. has that ever happened in the past, even with Croke Park at full capacity? I’m far from convinced it ever has… People are saying on this Blog that they are ‘season ticket holders’.. That’s not entirely 100% accurate, they were ‘season ticket’ holders, I had a season ticket for 2020, and indeed every year for the previous 10 year’s, and received €40 rebate last year for not being able to attend any games after lockdown, there are no current season ticket holders.. In that previous decade, I only missed one championship game played in Ireland and one league game that was played in Castlebar, and would have missed less than 10 Mayo league games played away from home in the entire decade.. Obsiously I’ve been to every All Ireland senior final Mayo played in, in my time on this Earth, bar 2020, and I’ve been to every, Minor Final, U21, Ladies, and Every Mayo Club that made it to Croke Park on St Patrick’s day.. Genuinely I don’t expect to get a ticket for the final this time around.. At every All Ireland final, there are the ‘Johnny come lately’ people who matter in Society, would will be accomadated, it drives me bizerk.. I have absolutely no problem with Club volunteers, who might not be able to boast my particular CV at loyally following Mayo all over Ireland getting a ticket before me.. But I fully expect the Politicans and Elites of Mayo Society to be accomadated before the loyal Club volunteers and the most loyal fans, next September, it certainly was a bone of contention before every one of our All Ireland appearances, (and it has to noted Mayo had thousands of absolutely outstanding loyal fans, and most of them never had a season ticket either, but are most likely on the waiting list )… Regardless, if Mayo win I will celebrate wholeheartedly, probably shouting at the TV, .. and more importantly, hopefully 2022 things continue to improve as regards the Global Pandemic and I will be able to renew my season ticket membership.. Here’s hoping anyway.. Now, really looking forward to the second semifinal on Saturday!
Fair play to Bogue, some very interesting insights on Tyrone GAA in particular from someone in the vicinity. I agree that he was treated disgracefully by McGuinness in the aftermath of that All-Ireland final, whose real beef seemed to be with Kevin Cassidy for spilling the beans on their preparation.
Would definitely agree with Bogue that Kerry’s gesture in agreeing to reschedule their semi-final probably has a lot to do with “enlightened self-interest” than anything else. They realise that they don’t want to be going into a championship game against us undercooked.
Regarding Tyrone, if they were to prevail against Kerry, I wonder how the GAA would deal with their covid situation, in light of Fergal Logan’s remarks about delayed vaccination?
Wow @leantimes – Thats some attendance. I also had season ticket since the beginning (attendance 75%-85%). In fact, i applied on the day it started for all of the reasons you mentioned. I’ve friends who have no interest in Gaa attending All Ireland finals and not alone not being at a match that year, they were not at a match since last All-ireland!!
Its a privilege for our team to be in All-Ireland final, its a privilege to attend, leave that privilege to the people who matter most … Players and Supporters
Tyrone at 15/2 or with a 7 point start on the handicap is an interesting bet. Clearly there is uncertainty post COVID, but they have a strong squad with good forward options and came through 3 tough Ulster championship games. Kerry have had 3 walks in the park and can be got at in the backs and at midfield.
One of my favourite podcasts, Declan Bogue is top class, sign him up Willie Joe lol. Just has a great way of getting his story across. The part when on about Kerrys “pragmatism” is quality. Hope to hear more from him.
Seriously good podcast, listened on way home from work… Declan bogue is pure class.. ye have to get him back. Can’t wait for the match tomorrow.