A few days before the 2012 All-Ireland final, I was at a breakfast event in Croke Park where the two star turns were Donegal’s Kevin Cassidy and our own Conor Mortimer. Both had departed their respective county panels inside the previous twelve months – the former turfed out by Jim McGuinness, the latter of his own volition – and both were asked the obvious question as to whether or not they’d have liked to be involved in the upcoming final between the two counties.
I can’t recall Cassidy’s reply to this question but Conor’s response was immediate and without artifice. He freely admitted that he’d love to be involved and it appeared obvious that his absence from the squad was something that pained him considerably.
Although Conor’s book, One Sunday, has as its centrepiece an earlier All-Ireland final – the 2006 decider – involving the county, it’s the fracturing of his relationship with James Horan and his decision to leave the county panel a few days before the 2012 Connacht final that will, I suspect, be of greater interest to those who read this title. This isn’t because what Conor has to say about the 2006 final isn’t of interest – it is, not least in its searing honesty about all that went awry for us that day – but rather due to the fact that that particular ground has already been well trodden (notably in Keith Duggan’s The House of Pain) and also because we’ve had two more recent final disappointments to deal with in the meantime.
In that sense, the decision to make the All-Ireland final from eight years ago the dominant centrepiece of the memoirs of a footballer whose inter-county career spanned the period from 2002 to 2012 is a bit questionable and, for me at any rate, it didn’t really work. This is all the more so given that he has little or nothing to say about his first appearance, two years prior to this, in another All-Ireland final. Who ever said the first cut was the deepest?
Structurally, this main section of the book – where a succession of short chapters are named for members of the Mayo team of 2006 as well as a few others – is a bit of a mess. The parts about the individual players has the appearance of padding and there’s no clear narrative running through this section of the book. Most readers will, I reckon, be tempted to speed-read through much of this.
The real meat, of course, is in the final section where Conor deals with events subsequent to the 2006 final, encompassing the managerial eras of John O’Mahony, who Conor clearly thought highly of and with whom he obviously clicked, and James Horan, who Conor transparently had little time for and where the feeling appeared pretty much mutual.
Somewhat bafflingly, Conor has nothing but good to say about O’Mahony’s disastrous 2007-2010 reign and little positive to say about Horan’s far more successful tenure in the four years that followed it. He says he felt “crushed” when Johnno stepped down after the calamitous Longford defeat, when, in truth, this was the only honourable route for the manager to take after four years of pretty epic underachievement.
His issues with Horan are front and centre right from the start but the most emphasis he places is on the way that James failed to keep him close to the panel when he was recuperating from his cruciate operation in 2011. He probably has a point in this respect but the flip-side is that the timing of this operation (which Conor reveals was delayed for a whole decade – I still can’t fully get my head around that one, I must confess) meant that he wasn’t an option for James in 2011 and so, quite simply, wasn’t really treated as a panel member then.
That said, Conor obviously was a player Horan would want involved when he was fit again, which was why, I guess, he gave him game time off the bench in our first FBD match at the start of 2012. Could James have been a bit more generous in the TLC stakes when Conor was recuperating? Probably. Is Conor being a tad precious about all this? Almost certainly.
The reasons why the ultimate falling-out happened later that same year are there for all to see. Mort reckons that Horan never rated him as a player but he freely admits that for his part he never bought into the manager’s game plan, in particular the bit about forwards having to work hard high up the field, especially what was expected of them in the area of tackling.
It was, ultimately, this difference of opinion which had a bearing on the decision not to start him in the Connacht final against Sligo. It needs, though, to be recalled that it would, in truth, have been a bit of a surprise had Conor got the nod to line out that day. He’d only come on in the semi-final when James was emptying the bench with the rout of Leitrim all but complete and nothing he did in that cameo appearance made his selection for the final any kind of imperative.
Conor’s inability to acknowledge this transparent fact undermines the credibility of what he has to say about all that followed. His protests about his claims for a starting place in the final ring a bit hollow and do nothing to undermine the fairly well established viewpoint that his withdrawal from the panel represented a stupid and selfish betrayal.
Once he’d flounced off, there was simply no earthly way that Horan would ever have him back, a point that James confirmed in his recent in-depth interview with Keith Duggan in the Irish Times. Conor’s story about meeting up with Noel Howley to talk about a possible way back some months later has, then, a bit of a comical air about it, as this was something that simply wasn’t ever going to happen, no matter how well the wine might have been flowing in the Shelbourne.
Could he play a part for the county now, in this post-Horan era we now find ourselves in? Well, if he’s prepared to see that his part would only be a bit one, if he’s prepared to buy fully and completely into the management’s playing philosophy and he’s up for doing all he can to execute these plans on the pitch, then maybe. On balance, though, you’d have to think that this is unlikely, even if Kieran Donaghy demonstrated forcefully this year that a player considered well over the hill can come back and make a telling contribution at the business end of the championship season.
As I guess is fairly clear at this stage, Conor’s book didn’t really rock my boat. Part of this is down to me – ghostwritten bios of ex-players tend to conform to the same annoying style, one that’s almost beyond parody at this stage, and Conor’s is no different. A few things really irked me, issues that I’d lay at the door of Conor’s ghostwriter Jackie Cahill. One was the rather prudish way that profanities were dealt with – if you’re going to say fuck, you may as well come straight out with it, I reckon, and avoid all this f*** and s*** nonsense that really started to give me a pain in the b**** after a while. Another was the rather alarming appearance in print of that modern way of talking which sees every sentence ending in a question? This is just plain bad grammar and it should have been edited out well before the final version went to press.
For all these failings. I’d still say that followers of Mayo GAA will find enough of interest in the book to merit getting their hands on it. And despite the many bits that grate in it, I’d argue that it’s a brave book in that, as is the case in so many areas in life, sporting history tends to get written by the winners. In this sense, Conor deserves credit for putting out there an unvarnished picture of the pain that players endure when All-Ireland final day doesn’t go to plan. For that and the insight it provides into one of the more controversial and colourful characters to wear the Mayo jersey in recent years, One Sunday is a book that hard-core followers of the county and others will relate to.
One Sunday: A Day in the Life of the Mayo Football Team by Conor Mortimer is published by Hero Books and is available to order here.
I found the book interesting in places, but overall, very disappointing.
I still don’t understand why he made the 2006 final the centrepiece. As WJ points out, the 2004 is nearly totally bypassed. What I found totally bemusing was his decision to gloss over interesting points of his career – throwing off the jersey, missing free kicks against Galway, not being picked for the minors etc. etc. They get lip service which is truly baffling, as they made him the controversial figure he is.
Some things I did find amusing. The MJ story, the bit about him driving cars at speed the Saturday before the 2004 final, his over riding love for BJ Padden (bar McDonald, the best passer of ball he ever played with) etc.
But two things stood out. His attitude. His defeatist attitude. He speaks about Kerry players as if they are Gods, describing looking at them in the parade, thinking about how good they were. How are you supposed to beat them with an attitude like that?! That is exactly what Horan has being trying to get rid of.
His ego was the second one. It shines throughout. In the 2006 final, he talks only about him thinking about getting a score, never the team. He plays throughout the league in 2012, doesn’t start the Connacht final against Sligo and says that was enough, he wasn’t going to slum it as a sub. He then has a go about Horan and co. never really giving him the opportunity to come back (with that meeting with Howley). It just seemed to come at me from the pages, which is probably no great surprise, to be honest.
Otherwise, the book didn’t really appeal to me in terms of style or content. it didn’t help that I had read Anthony Daly’s book the week before, which is superb in terms of its detail and honesty. I wouldn’t be blown away by the somewhat cavalier style of Moran and Morrison based on Conor’s insights – players being expected to do the fitness work themselves, not travel as a squad the day before matches etc. Also, I’d love to know what John Maughan was doing ringing him after being dropped for the Leitrim match. Is that not politics through and through, was there a genuine interest?!
It’s interesting in that it’s a book about Mayo but it won’t be winning any William Hill books of the year just yet.
Agree with summary. Poor enough book. Glossed over a lot of interesting bits. Wont be recommending.
I actually enjoyed the section on the 2006 final. While Conor may not be everyone’s cup of tea it is a brave thing to write so candidly about the different players and managers he soldiered with through the years. It is obvious in the book that james Horan did not want Conor in his squad and ultimately james Horan knew how to push Conor’s buttons.
Look at Andy Moran, Alan Dillons or the great Marc o Se’s attitude to bn dropped. They rolled up their sleeves, came on when needed (Ross game) and worked their asses off….
Team players, something Conor never bought into. Reading Ronan o Gara at the minute and the man who secured the Grand Slam still only spoke about THE TEAM & his opposite number, Stephen Jones, klass is permanent as they say..
Read that book Conor or Dalo’s book before you release another one, good man.
Have to agree with WJ and especially Connelly’s brigade.His attitude is the problem.Defeatist and self absorbed.Fact is if he hung on he could have made team.
what surprises me is how poorly the book is written.Perhaps his attitude carried over into writing as I cant see any journalist standing over that tbh.
Well said james murphy. You have got to be a team player. Andy Moran keeps mouth shut and gets on with it, Conor Mortimer would not be able to do that. James Horan was the manager, and thats that.
I’m afraid I don’t have enough respect for mort as a player to read his book. From the extracts I’ve read and having watched him play he is a prime example of where coaching in this county was all wrong – a talented player who was only thinking of his own score instead of how he will benefit the team. Mort’s play was always about himself and his scores. Hence he didn’t fit into the Horan ethos…..
The thing that stood out to me the most about Mort’s book was the fact that it was different to any GAA book I’ve ever read before. Now, while I don’t think it’s the greatest GAA book ever written – far from it – I found myself liking it because it was unashamedly different. A bit like the man himself, I suppose. The structure was unusual – I know I had to put it down for a couple of days before I could bring myself to read the 2006 part. Reading it made me break out in a cold sweat, if I’m honest. And if nothing else, it’s one hell of an insight into the magnitude of an occasion like an All-Ireland final and the effect it has on a bunch of players. Terrifying stuff. So while it didn’t make for comfortable reading I thought it was fascinating nonetheless. The chapters devoted to individuals lost me a bit, because they were a bit all over the place, and he tended to go off on unrelated tangents in the middle of them.
One of the things that stood out to me throughout was the insecurities that were evident throughout his playing career. From the outside Conor Mortimer always seemed like a cocky wee fecker and like many, the perception I had of him didn’t particularly endear him to me. It seems a lot of that was driven by insecurity, which did come as a bit of a surprise to me, though I suppose it makes sense. But it did seem at the same time like he had a bit of a ‘persecuted victim’ complex in parts.
Reading the Horan chapter, what really stood out was the fact that neither man appeared to understand – or want to understand – the other. Two very different men, two very different modi operandi. It’s pretty evident Conor in general wasn’t your typical intercounty player, and maybe his attitude did get people’s backs up a bit, but more than anything it made me feel sad that neither man could empathise with the other’s way of working, ultimately at a cost to the county of our best scoring forward of all time. Every player is different, but Conor was just extra different. Like that or not (and I know I didn’t particularly like it) his record speaks for itself and I still think he could have produced the goods. And I know he does too. So in that light, I can’t help thinking that in the interests of the bigger Mayo picture, a bit of man management from the Horan side of the fence from the outset might have avoided things ever getting to the point they did. Similarly, it would have been good if Mort could have put his ego aside for a while and focused a bit more on the bigger picture. It actually reminded me of the way Ciaran McDonald was lost from the county scene – another frustratingly needless premature end to a wonderful career.
Another thing that struck me when reading the part about the 2006 final was the sense of fear and nervousness among the team. I’m nearly finished Paul Galvin’s book, and the contrast couldn’t be more striking. Fear is the furthest thing from the minds of the Kerry setup. It’s expectation, defiance. The way they relished appearing in those finals. It’s a completely different mindset. I’d like to think in Mayo that mindset is now very different, but we’ve a while to go yet before we approach games like Kerry, I think. But then again, I reckon most counties probably do 🙂
I have not read the book yet, but mort would not be my idea of someone for the hard yards, I remember a mayo forward been guided out to the sideline by the neck by a kerry back and not reacting from that era, that was something jh got rid of so we should be very greatful for that .the difference with ciaran mac he was very very strong and never got knocked off the ball, in my opinion the best player to play for mayo, with strength and skill
Maybe màyo shou bring back McDonald wonder how he would got on against kerry I know his too old but will be interesting
Have not read Mort’s book yet, maybe at Christmas, but any individual’s autobiography will tend to be self justifying so I would like to have other insider views on the case. Regards Ciaran Mac, and I am a huge admirer of his skills, but I thought that by 2006 he was tending to dominate the team too much. In particular in that final he came back into defence too much seeking possession which I thought put the team under more pressure. I also think that O’Mahony tried to change that, perhaps by moving him up to full forward, and that Mac did not accept that.
In the end of the day managers are there to manage and have to put their own stamp on a team. Individual players cannot expect to dominate or dictate their own role. If they do so the result is chaos.
Why oh why will the lad not just go away? When he choose to retire himself I imagine he was disappointed that there wasn’t public outrage in support of his actions. I seem to remember it passing off fairly quitely, even when his family attempted to re-ignite things withe their “statement”. A former player telling dressing-room tales about Mayo football from 8 years ago? I think Mayo football has moved on from those bad days and it’s probably time Conor did as well.
I have not read his book, have no intention of doing so and I hope that Santa doesn’t arrive with it either. Neither do I give a toss about his status as our record scorer, the phrase “flat track bully” comes to mind. Any member of a team that is not prepared to “suck up” the bad times, fight for the jersey, prove to the manager, through dedication, commitment and hard work, that you deserve that jersey and play FOR the team, does not warrant a thought when it comes to selecting a starting 15, or even a squad, in my book.
Now if either of his 2 older brothers were ever to write a book about their playing days I would be interested. They both were 2 top, top players. Men you would want on your side when the shit hits the fan and when bodies have to be put on the line. Men that would do all in the power FOR THE TEAM. Conor should have seen the example of his 2 siblings and followed suit. Maybe then he would have have started that Connacht final and done his talking on the pitch.
Nothing to see here, move on.
Roll on 2015.
Well said pebblesmeller, especially about his brothers very very good players, who never gave less than their best for mayo, we had to many like conor over the years they were never any good for mayo so I hope he leaves it alone now so we can look forward
I think the book , like his career was all about himself. I particularly didn’t like his naming of and snide remarks about other Mayo players. His team mates. The players thought Andy was a lick, he was better than Jason Doc and Enda Varley and a few little digs at Aidan Higgins and he thinks he could still return after that. I swore I wouldn’t read it , but my nose got the better of me.It may be a case of ( as Con Houlihan remarked on seeing the return of an Irish Press reporter, three weeks after taking up a new post in London ) forgotten but not gone.
I quite enjoyed it for the most part. Didn’t exactly love it but it had enough to keep me interested mainly throughout- though some of the short quick-fire chapters in the middle began to grate after a while
Nephin, I think you’re being a bit harsh there. I don’t think he was having a go at Doc or Varley at all. He said he felt he was the best option to Mayo at Corner Forward in 2012, it was pretty obvious who exactly he felt he was better than so he may aswell name-check them.
Didn’t he mention he sent a text to Varley wishing him luck or whatever? Thought that was a sound enough gesture in fairness. I don’t want to have my own dig at Enda here but I can easily see why Mort felt he was the better 13 at the time in all fairness.
I dunno what “digs” you’re referring to with regard to Aiden Higgins, all I can recall is him criticising him for giving away a stupid free or something like that though I’m open to correction
The “lick” comment- at least he was honest (Moran apparently not texting Conor back after he wished him luck with the cruciate was actually bad form I thought, though we only got one side of that tale to be fair).
And that’s why I enjoyed it, he’s very honest. You get someone like Brian O’Driscoll who is too aware of his public standing and media image to say anything borderline controversial in his own book, but with Mort what you see is what you get
I’m not particularly a fan of him as a person, he’s a little immature and quite flawed, but I do find him intriguing. You can’t fault his desire to represent his county and I think he has been a great servant. I do look back with regret at what could have been had he and James not had a “falling out”. I fully believe Conor should have been our number 13 in the last 3 campaigns. Alas it wasn’t to be.
I commend Horan for taking a stand and enforcing the stance that no man is bigger than the team, in 2012. I do wonder, however, could Horan have dealt with Conor better in the first place, and whether he could have given him a fresh chance in 2013. I get the air Horan was never gone in working with someone like Conor at all. Whether Horan comes out of this looking well or not, is probably a matter of opinion really
It was interesting to get an insight into 2006 and what goes on in the dressing room, preparation etc. It’s amazing to see how much has changed even in that relatively short period of time
I would recommend the book myself to anyone with an interest in Mayo football
I won’t read that rubbish. I never rated him as a player, I believe he held the team back for years. Never delivered against a big team. Went hiding on the big day. Afraid of the opposition – such nonsense.
Kick a few scores against New York or London. Never got into the big games never mind influence them.
I disagree with you Anne-Marie. Horan handled the Mort perfectly. He knew (as did I and a lot of others) that he was no use, no bottle and certainly not up for the fight. and he let him have his flap and it didn’t knock a stir out of Horan or the team. As evidenced by the way there was nothing said after.
Mort knew he was nowhere near the likes of Moran, O’Connor, Conroy, Sweeney, Freeman, Varley, Dillion, O’Shea – all real players and all of whom are able to put the ball in the net. Its good riddance Mort. I’m glad to see the back of ya
Forget about the mort time to move on I think. I would prefer Mac over the mort anyday.
I must write a book myself about the time I was dropped from the Club’s junior B team. I’m sure people would be very interested.
Hoofit, we could say the same about Alan Dillon, who didn’t do much on the ‘big days’ either.
”Kick a few scores against New York or London. Never got into the big games never mind influence them.”
Sorry mate but thats just not true . Galway, Dublin Tyrone etc.
There are a few stout mayomen who just don’t like a Conoreen type buck . He didnt have the big arms/legs , he wasnt fit to throw in a dig or a big shoulder but he could play silky football at times that doesnt sit well with the agricultural type buckos .
Don’t get me wrong he vexed me at times as a supporter too , i also believe his personality was his downfall in some ways. Personally i wish he had of stuck it out after getting dropped in 12.
I seem to remember a very important 14 yard free missed against galway, he was to lightweight, name a silky footballer who could change a game if he could mix it forget him he was always pushed out of the way in big games
Id love to see mcdonald back. But its a dream. Way past inter county level now. However no other player before or since was as enjoyable to watch. Great footballer. Great mix of power and natural ability. I couldnt see him writing a book either!!!!!!!!!
Wonder could you put him in full forward along side cillian and andy wonder how that would work out
Ah its just a pity really, for whatever reasons down through the years, certain players have not been playing or been in favour with the manager of the day. Be that Ciaran Mac, Padraig Brogan, Kevin O’Neill, David Brady, Conor Mort, Richie Feeney, Evan Rgan etc. We have a long history of this. All talented players with a lot to offer. They probably all have something in common too, being different from the rest, individuals. Every team needs to have a bit of flair. Getting the best, out of the players at the manager’s disposal is a key element in successful teams. Hopefully in 2015 the slate will be wiped clean and the best players will be representing their county. We’ll need all hands on deck to make that final push to get over the line. Everyone rowing in the one direction…
Jeez Cait, sthop ffs
Never been a big fan of Mortimer and have no intention of reading his book. However good luck to him if he makes a few quid out of it.
References have been made to him not turning up on the big day which I agree with. However that has been a problem with quite a few Mayo footballers over the years. We have appeared in eight finals since we last won one. Statistics alone would demand success in at least one. Without getting into what footballers were in the county and should have been on the panel or players on the panel that should not have been on the panel or a million other discussions, and just looking at these games in isolation on the day. then I would opinion that we should have definitely won two and possibly two more. The reason that did not happen was a lack of leadership on the pitch and on the sideline. People going missing on the day. Mortimer would definitely be an example of this, but unfortunately not the only one.
I have often wondered have we not not given enough consideration to the character of the player. I am sure there have been very good footballers in Kerry down through the years who never got a run with the county team for the very reason that they would not deliver when the that great white line is in sight. Getting over that line is a skill also. Kicking great scores in a Connaught final or a QF is one thing, stepping up in the white heat of the last twenty minutes of a tight AI and doing it is another thing. That demands real character.
No offence to Mortimer, who I think was a great Mayo servant, but there are more important things this week than this book. The County convention is on and there is no discussion of appointments or motions. If this forum is to be anyway serious then these issues need to be discussed.If the issues are not discussed here then they will never be debated. The board itself is like the earth itself. It just keeps running. For change to happen the clubs have to change it. The only way to get the clubs to change is for supporters of this and other forums to lobby their own clubs. I have already lobbied my club’s top table and I would suggest other clubs do the same. It is essential that the Diskin-Monaghan duo get elected. The alternative does not bear thinking about. No personal issues with the other people seeking election its just time for a change – a drastic change – a change in thinking. Sorry for positing on this topic but I dont see this being discussed anywhere else. Get real lads – talk is cheap we need action.
Corick Bridge for that 14 yard free he missed he kicked one out near the sideline to win the 2006 Connacht final. Works both ways my friend 😉
Some of these comments are ridiculous, “didn’t turn up on the big day” yeah like every other player did. Very easy to blame the corner forward who doesn’t see much ball
Mort doesn’t get near enough credit, he was our top scorer of all time ffs. I’ve seen him take some scores during his career plenty of our forwards over the past 3 years wouldn’t get in a million years. Yes he had a few off days, like anyone, and he was frustrating to watch on plenty of occasions, and he could do with showing for the ball better at times, but anyone who can honestly say we didn’t miss him on the pitch over the past 3 years is having a laugh
Mort was definetly missed since he left, on the scoreboard where it counted. During those 2 lost finals some of our shooting was very questionable, it’s water under the bridge now, but in the Dublin final he would have made a difference.
All we can do is move on to 2015 and hope that Keegan Boyle oconnor and co are still there with a major chip on their shoulder.
Damn straight Ciaran – regardless of your opinion on the behaviour or attitude of the man I can’t get my head around some of the disdain and vitriol for (and let me say it again) our all-time top scorer. Hoofit, if you never rated him at least as a player, you must have very, very high standards indeed.
Sinabhuil,
If Diskin has sat tight during the Mcstaygate debacle, both he and Mr Monaghan would be running uncontested for the positons, they would not be an alternative.
Instead he opted to “take the moral high ground” and played to the gallery as oposd to looking at the bigger picture and longer term.
Good luck to the duo, but in times of strife one needs to knuckle down and take it on the chin if ultimate success if the goal
Don’t agree Ann Marie, didn’t rate him either. His selfishness and/or inability to give the obvious pass drove me mad. He always demanded the ball, regardless of who was on top of him and invariably let fly at the posts from sometimes crazy angles. This attitude wasn’t a problem against weak teams but once the good teams applied the pressure he was a dead duck. If you don’t have the head for making the right decisions against weak teams you certainly won’t do it against strong teams in Croker. The top scorer thing is a bit of nonsense too. He was free taker for years and as stated above he shot on sight. But he rarely took the right option and top defenders knew what he was about. Cillian is the polar opposite and will hopefully be top scorer soon!
I think its time to call a halt to this nonsense, I have nothing against him, he was to light and to easy to push off the ball , you will never win an all ireland with players like that, and if we are to go forward , we need a team not one man.we have tried over the last few years and been slightly short, so we need a few more, as I have said before I dont see them but talking about players from a few years ago is not going to help
Moving off topic, but what are the motions that are due in? I can’t believe there’s a Division 1C game going ahead this Saturday to see if there should be another one going ahead at another date. Surely to God there has to be a motion for fixtures, i.e. sticking to original county masterplan regardless of how far Mayo go in the championship.
If Diskin and PJ get elected, we will have a Galway man and a man living outside running the finances. Not ideal
well said Dave and Anne Marie! 🙂
He was a bit light in the early days Corick but credit to him he’s definitely filled out in recent years. I played against him in a training match 5/6 years ago and to be fair he was fairly hard push off the ball, and he looks stockier since
I know he’s genuinely not the most aggressive but in the last few years I think we’d have seen a much stronger Mort than before if he was still in the panel. He’s started hitting the gym a lot more in recent years- the fact he runs one in Parnells means he obviously gets to use one more!
Puckout don’t underestimate his importance with frees. We haven’t had a consistent left-footed free taker since he left. McLoughlin has never been a natural free-taker in all fairness to him, Mort was much more accomplished
Enough about mort, can I say congrats to pj hughes from crossmolina, for getting club man of the year from the mayo news, I belive he never seen a bad mayo player, one of natures gentlemen, long may he continue
The original post is about Mort forfecksake, so could ye all cease and desist with the “stop talking about Mort” posts and let us get on with raking up the past! 😀
I never thought I would see the day I would be here defending Mort but life takes strange turns sometimes 😉
Puckout, Cillian is well on the way to claiming that honour alright, all going well, and there’s not a person in Mayo who would begrudge it to him. Our lean mean goal machine!
Some positive words from Cillian O’Connor:
http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/oconnor-itching-for-mayo-to-build-on-horan-legacy-30789749.html
Hoofit I d say you would be a great manager. Pick 15 hoofits and we d have won the AI years ago. Reckon its time you published your own autobiography. Christmas is coming and all that. Obviously we played London and New York every second week. That’s why Mort is our all time top scorer. Pity he didn’t play v Galway in Connact final in 2006. Might have kicked the winner in last minute. Come to think of it where was he v Dubs the same year in AI Semi. Surely he didn’t contribute to that win. I know he played in final that year v Kerry when he let us down while other 14 players were outstanding. Typical Mort alright. At least YOU spotted it
I wouldn’t mistake a total lack of self-awareness for honesty in this book.
He absolutely reeks of self-interest and pure self-indulgence. The contrast between him and the likes of O’Connor could not be more stark. Should be about the TEAM first and foremost and that was never the case for Mortimer.
One particular trait about him used to drive me nuts – I don’t know how many times I witnessed him played through on goal (one on one with the keeper) and he’d punch it over for a single. It just showed such a lack of conviction, no ruthless streak. Contrast that with the current lads – each and every one of them is looking to go for the throat.
He was a decent player (flat track bully is pretty apt) but I wouldn’t have him next nor near the panel. His attitude is appalling and character are suspect and that should be a given at that level.
Conor Mortimer is Mayo’s highest scoring player – a man apart, and a wonderful achievement which stands on its own merits. Conor Mortimer, thank you for giving my friends and I such moments of joy and satisfaction. In the meantime your detractors can do what detractors always do – they merely talk while others go out and do it..
[Deleted].
Juan – I’ve deleted that comment. I know you’re not the first to have a pop at Mort arising from the book review I did but what you said was particularly nasty and unnecessary.
Pat Murtagh. Diskin has given more to Mayo football than any Mayo man I know bar none. So he was not born in the county. How does this stop him doing a good job? He has proven ability with the County Board and with his club.. As regards Monaghan at least he has the balls to stand up and say what is obvious to everyone but who are afraid to stand out from the crowd. Afraid to offend. More inward thinking – Pat!
Mort was not missed last year. A good corner back and full back was missing. And a mdfielder
Apologies WJ, I should have known better, just couldnt hold it in. But i will abide by the rules in future.
That’s fine, Juan, no worries. Thanks for responding in the way that you’ve done.
Enough said about Mort’s book, I think.
More important now is whither there will be any changes for the better at Convention next Sunday or any real acknowledgement of the errors made to date.
Good luck to PJ in the vote. Unfortunately I’m far too long out of the county to have any influence in the matter.
I just read an article about Conor, if he’s not in the mayo panel it won’t be because they didn’t know he was available. He wants to play for Mayo, simple as that. Whether he should be brought in or not is the big question but he would add to the panel even now in my opinion.