Official final-related events

Willie Joe

mayoflag

Photo: Joe.ie

I’ve mentioned in various posts over the last few days all of the different official, i.e. Cáirde Mhaigheo sponsored, events that are taking place in the run-up to the final. For the sake of clarity and to avoid your having to rummage around for them, here – in chronological order – they are again.

First on the list is a Night at the Dogs event, which is being held in conjunction with Cáirde Mhaigheo and the Mayo Association Galway. This fundraising event takes place at the Galway greyhound stadium tomorrow evening (Friday 9th). Gates open at 6.30pm and the first race starts at 7.52pm. Tickets for the event cost €20 and there’ll be a draw at it for two All-Ireland final tickets.

Next is a race night fundraiser taking place over in London this coming Sunday (11th). This one is on at the Oxford Arms, on Camden High Street in North London, and is being held in association with Cáirde Mhaigheo London. Start-time on Sunday is 6.30pm. There’ll be a raffle at the event for two All-Ireland tickets, a signed Mayo jersey and much more.

On the weekend of the final there are two events on in Citywest Hotel out in Saggart. The first one takes place ahead of the game on the Saturday night and then the traditional post-match banquet will be held at the same venue on the Sunday night.

The pre-match function is being run by Cáirde Mhaigheo in conjunction with the Mayo Associations of Dublin, Galway, Sligo, London, Chicago and New York and it throws in at Citywest at 9pm on the Saturday night. There’s a panel discussion, featuring David Brady, Willie Joe Padden, John Madden, Bernard Flynn and Joe Brolly, live music and a raffle for ten All-Ireland final tickets. Entrance is €10 and the event will also be broadcast live on Mid-West Radio.

The official Mayo GAA post-match team banquet on the Sunday evening also takes place at Citywest. Tables of ten cost €800 or tickets can be purchased individually for €80. Tickets for the afters can be purchased for €20. All tickets can be bought through the office in MacHale Park. Contact Dermot on (094) 925 0487 or (087) 621 9843.

Don’t forget that there are also ten All-Ireland final tickets to be won in next Monday’s Mayo GAA Players Welfare Lotto. Play the Lotto here.

135 thoughts on “Official final-related events”

  1. Thanks for the update Willie Joe. From an unofficial point of view but still very much in keeping with the theme of the weekend there are a few activities taking place in Ballyboden St Endas of interest on the Saturday evening. Castlebar Mitchels will play a challenge against Ballyboden at approx 6pm in a re match of the club final. This is followed by music ( including some Mayo musicians ) and food in the clubhouse until late.

  2. I have never seen a Mayo team so written off. The last comment I read (different site) was Dublin by 10 points. I really wonder should we bother turning up at all. Sure wasn’t getting to the A.I. final a win in itself for a Top 6 team.

    Dublin, Kerry, Tyrone, Donegal, Galway, MAYO,

  4. Coilltemach you can understand why we are written off. We haven’t been in contention really in the second off of a final. It’s been over before we know it. This is what players have to overcome on the field and what others have to see to believe. I believe. I’m sure the players believe and it doesn’t matter what anybody outstide of that small group believes. Hopefully us believers will be right. An awful lot has to go right for us on the day. and even then we are up against it. A Mayo win would be the biggest shock in years.

  7. Roger if we defend well and don’t cough up too much silly possession take our scores we can win. In previous games against dublin we have been better team only to allow dublin back in to it. 2013 final real example. We should have better attacking plan for Sunday week. If we don’t then we won’t win. We’re able for these guys and all ireland champions don’t like playing us as we have good record against them . What do ya reckon

  8. True that, toughnup We had them on both occasions last year and held them to 9 points in April when they won’t by 2. They still beat us though, that’s the bottom line

  9. Thursday post has been delivered but no all Ireland final ticket??
    I am a season ticket holder – tha 99 euro one!
    Am I alone or one of many??

  10. mayoforever, i am the croke park €99 as well,
    in 2013 they came the Friday week before hand and 2013 the Monday / Tuesday before, No panic yet

  12. Mayo Board funding a jolly Saturday night for Mr Brolly who has ridiculed and insulted Mayo people for years. Wouldn’t go near the place. Shows how out of touch they are with people

  15. Cynthia, by putting Brolly on stage with David Brady maybe the board is giving the people exactly what they want. Im sure the place will be packed for the event.

  16. Do you have to bring your own rotting fruit & veg – or will some be provided at the door?

    I have to say, when I read it initially, I thought it was a windup.

  17. toughnup , I dont actually mind us ceding posession in the right areas .
    I want to see none of these bloody soft shots dropping into cluxtons arms, that sucks the life out of everyone.
    if we win the turnover battle we win the game imo, its time for the legendary Buckley tackling and turnovers to make a re-appearance. attack them like wild dogs, hunt in packs , turn the ball over and then move it fast and take a score , thats how we will win the game.

  18. So far the build up has been perfect. Hardly a dickie bird from the camp or players and most of the pundits writing is off. O’Rourke will no doubt follow suit on Sunday in the indo. Just need to keep it like that next week.
    Yes a lot has to go right for Mayo and we need to get the match ups which is why I think Barrett will start on Brogan.
    But what about the other end and dublin’s defence. Byrne and small have replaced o’carroll and Mccaffrey. Don’t tell me that doesn’t weaken their defence. Although McMahon marked Aidan last year it was o’carroll who contested all the high balls. He is a big loss. Also if cooper marks Andy, that leaves Byrne on cillian.
    Finally I think Kerry’s lack of pace made the Dublin defence look good, which makes Spillane’s statement on Mayo lacking pace all the more ridiculous but very helpful!

  21. Coilltemach I wouldn’t take every comment in the Dublin media serious…..some of them comments come from Mayo lads buildin up the Dubs!! Just saying you never know….

  22. Puckout, We don’t even know if Bernard Brogan will start? He hasn’t been setting the world alight recently . and Dublin are particularly blessed with forwards ready and able to start. Chris Barrett he hasn’t played a full match in yonks, not saying that he’s not fit for a full match but, at this stage neither Barrett nor Brogan would be a certainties to start. Expect the unexpected from Mayo!

  23. I absolutely agree with Roger Miller that would be my blueprint for sucsess as well absolute ferocious but fair tackling turn the ball over and accurate point scoring

  24. It’s all guess work at this stage leantines but it passes the time before the game!
    Think brogan will start as he’s a big game player and he’ll be expected to come good.

  25. Cynical Cynthia, I guarantee that event will sell out and so that meets the objective of raising as much money as possible. The fact Brolly is B#$x is irrelevant.

  26. Puckout, I would agree Brogan will start, he is a big game player and for me has been playing better than people think, thats mainly beacuse Rock has been taking frees. Also Brogan is surprisingly good in the air so id prefer Harrison to be picking him up.

  27. Loving this quiet build up. I would like to see more flags out though. The most subdued build up to an All Ireland final I can remember. Anyone remember the madness that was 1996 (even though I am too young to remember 89 I believe it was even worse).

  28. Macmahon can’t be allowed the freedom of the pitch. He needs tracking. Played fuck last year. Lessons are for learning. Upsetting Cluxton works well. How will we be fixed for free taker from the right if Regan don’t start ?

  29. Toughnup, I really cant see Regan starting. Hasnt started the last two games and cant see him coming off well up against Philly. Doherty will start for physicality and work rate putting pressure on kickouts, tackling etc.A three man full forward line will keep Philly in check some what, two man ff line last year allowed him too much space to advance.

  30. The only selections not known for Mayo will be:
    Full back Keane or A Another
    Midfield Parsons or Vaughan
    Corner forward JDoc or Regan.
    The key match up for me is how we mark McManamon for the full 70+ minutes.

  31. Mayomad that’s why I wonder who will take frees from right. We struggled a bit with that in recent games. Doherty if starts needs to step up as past performances in big games not good enough. I also hope seamie don’t fluff possession to much. He is careless at times.

  32. Doubt it toughnup. Unless you are staying out there why bother heading out of town. Think Willie Joe is right to arrange a competing event. I hope to be in Bowes where the craic is free and pints are better. Dont need to he massaging an ego of an ignorant Derryman

  34. Time to ease up on, Joe Brolly, he did after all give a kidney to someone! How many of us would do such a generous thing,? Not saying, ye have to agree with anything he says, Iike allot of commentator on. RTE, their in it to fulfill a role. Joe’s is that of a Smart Alec,,!. Look he even upset Kieran Donaghey, so he can’t be all bad!

  37. Win it in the mid third and the day is done! That’s so easy to say but when you think of all that entails you’re dealing with all aspects of the game. In first place and most important of all is the tenacity,accuracy,non stop tackling and mopping up around middle all through!There, is the real battle field and what happens will inspire before and behind. Scorers will profit and so will defence and from there can spring a great victory for us. And if Mayo do come through it will mean a lot of Dub reputations will be severely dinted by a Mayo performance that no one has yet seen this year! Phew, the thought of it! Assuming that such is brewing, then we could be in for a truly memorable day, evening ,night and year!!!
    Let’s look after the tickers!! And the three boyos will have their heads scratched offa themselves!!! How bout that?

  39. Well the most probable bench is basically what we have seen all year.
    Dublin have won most big games in the final 10 minutes. We likely will have the pace of Coen. COS, Loftus and Regan.
    Steady experience then of Barrett and Barry Moran covering midfield.

  41. In first game last year against dublin they did not score from the 60th minute. The only game I remember them not finishing strong. We need to finish strong so it will be interesting selection. Fair play to Vaughan he has given us another Macauley like presence at midfield. His legs will be needed big time

  42. Thank you Willie Joe,don’t know how you do it but this site just gets better and better at keeping us up to date,mind you the nineteenth might be a bit slow,with all the celebrations

  43. I see that Dublin’s Alan Brogan is talking directly to the Dublin supporters again in The Indo, he is definitely trying to guard against complacently setting in anyway, among their fans:

    Alan Brogan: Enjoy this transcendent Dublin team now, because a lull isn’t too far away. It’s incumbent upon them to win everything in sight for as long as they can but equally, it’s imperative that we don’t take these days or this team for granted. I lost four All-Ireland semi-finals before we were ever even in a final.

    Now, it’s four All-Ireland finals in six years.Savour them. Because it goes in cycles and a lull probably isn’t as far away as a lot of people might think. Over the last five or six years we’ve had one of the most consistently prolific scorers in the country in Bernard. We’ve had the best goalkeeper who has ever played the game. And talent-wise, arguably the greatest footballer of all time in Diarmuid Connolly. These are transcendent footballers who don’t fall off trees. Who can’t just be replaced. Bernard is 32 now. Stephen is 34. Paul Flynn – another fella you’d clone if it was ethically viable – is 30. The senior team will have to go through a period of transition. It’s inevitable.

  44. Just read that piece, HSE – funnily, he doesn’t mention us at all in it. I thought it was just the Herald that was the in-house journal for Dubs but that particular virus clearly has spread to the Indo now as well! For anyone who’s interested, the piece is here.

  45. Jaaz-payn 10€ to listen to Flynn & Brolly..
    ..and I’m told ya cant even peg sthones at the feckers!

  46. “And talent-wise, arguably the greatest footballer of all time in Diarmuid Connolly.”

    Good grief! Haha!

  47. As DOC said before the U21 final, prior games and prior teams will have little or no bearing on the game in hand.

    Noteworthy that some players on the current Mayo panel have a 100% record when it comes to playing in All Ireland Finals-Minor and U21

  48. Just been keeping an eye on the poll!!! We are getting marginally more optimistic as the match grows closer… We were on 66% win for a while, then 67% for the last few days… Up to 68% now!! I was firmly in the win camp at the start, but nerves are starting to kick in now…

  49. For me this Alan Brogan piece is very informative of the mind set of the Dublin supporter at this minute. Reading between the lines on where “he believes a lull isn’t to far a way for this Dublin team” one suspects he dosn’t quite believe this lull is going to arrive on the 18th of this month and for their supporters to enjoy this time of total domination because all good things must come to an end.. ehh! Keep writing stuff like this Alan.. the more we are written off the more we like it.. powerful stuff altogether

  50. Alan brogan was a classy player and seems like a gentleman as well, Bernard is the same. A class act. There’s not many dubs I think much of but these fellas are what you want in a footballer. Of course he’s right, every team fades out in time, Dublin will too, when?thats is the question. If Mayo are 100% on the 18th even the great dubs will struggle to hold them and with the 4 week break and fresh input from a few winning people in management that Mayo have its getting easier to see that anything can happen on the day. Before I get too excited though, I remind myself that’s it’s a very very good Dublin team and they won’t be giving us anything without a major battle.

  52. The dubs might not set up as predictably as people think. Brogan actually had a decent game the last day but as they have so many options up front Gavin may think keeping him in reserve might be a useful ploy. Brogan as a sub would lift the Hill and give a gee-up to the rest of the team. This used to be McMenamons role…I reckon Gavin will try something like that with brogan or Flynn.

    Meanwhile, our use of Andy is similarly important. Rochford may keep him in reserve? Or he may do a Canavan on it. It’d be disappointing if Regan isn’t really pushing for a start. He should be bulling in training, but I’m not he has that kind of personality. I don’t know him at all but is he a bit too nice? A bit soft? He didn’t make the starting team v Tyrone and really has featured since earlier rounds. He’s 23/24 should be in his prime or close to it. If he’s good enough then the 18th is time to showcase some of his talents.

  53. He was buzzing in the league but has gone quiet as the year has progressed when the opposite should be the case.

  54. In fact, we have so much scope for improvement up front from so many of our forwards. To date our forward unit has been ‘average at best’, going long spells without scoring and failing to carve open teams on a consistent basis…and lower ranked teams at that. I’m hoping they can recover some form from previous seasons. It’s absolutely crucial that they do.

    What’s also crucial is the ferocity of our forwards tackling – it’s something our Mayo team has been renowned for in the past few years but seems to have gone missing, been diluted or held in reserve for one big effort! Here’s hoping it’s the latter and that commentators and analysts are speaking of this positive aspect post-match!

  55. Cillian seems to be a one man tackling machine up front lately forcing massive turnovers!.
    Is it too simple to relocate Donie in fullback kinda country & Parsons in midfield then…I dunno who’d you drop though to Make Parsons fit!

  56. No one should ever ponder about Evan Regan being soft or nice. This is a lad who went for a ball v Kerry in 2015 league knowing he was going to get smashed. He also lead his Sligo IT team to victory in sub zero conditions in Belfast. For our forward line to go well its four players. The two OConnors, Andy and AOS. If those four go well I believe we will win.

  57. As some gombeen local politician said at the 2013 homecoming (and this is how it sounded to me) Merricah got Binn Ladeen Mayo will get Sam.

  58. Yeah WJ, it seems that The Indo reprints all of his articles too!

    I’d say that piece is probably aimed at the Dublin players as well, to keep them on their toes going into the final. These are the kind of things that Alan Brogan was probably saying when he was in the Dublin tent so he’s still trying to keep the same thoughts in the Dublin players minds, even though he’s not in that tent anymore.

    I like the way Paul Geaney from Kerry sums things up in The Indo today:

    He gives Mayo a chance. Maybe more of a chance than most. The first hand experience of the replay in Limerick two years ago means he knows Mayo can get to a level where they can cause Dublin real problems. “Mayo have their work cut out but Mayo are up there. As intensity in games go, the only other game that rates as highly (as the semi-final) is the game against Mayo in Limerick in 2014,” he says. “Intensity levels in that game were on a par with the last day, if not at some stages over it as well, so Mayo have it in them to beat Dublin.

    “In sport it’s man against man. It’s up to them to try and get over the line against Dublin, who are the best team at the moment. “Until Mayo proves that wrong or someone else proves that wrong, Dublin are the best team in the country and everyone else has their work cut out to beat them. “Constantly, time after time, they just produce the goods.”

  59. Postman just gone and all Ireland tickets have arrived! I’m season ticket holder. In section 307 which I’m very happy with.

  61. Nice one Mayoman and NiallMc.. I got 309 which I will gladly settle for and far enough back to have a good view.. please god let it be good viewing.. C’mon Mayo

  64. If anything Regan’s weight might be a bit against him….but he def has the skill to bamboozle a defence. Probably a bit more chunkiness would’nt do him any harm in this game. Anyway, the effectiveness of any one of our forwards depends on how they operate together.If they play as a unit, look out and up for each other,time the runs and the passing with precision and shoot when appropriate,then the scores will follow. Scores from without and within….a nice spread thank you! A point from distance I like v much…without killing yourself! Just like a point in tennis from a good serve…if you have it! But then again Nishigori won’t ever break the bank with his serve and has to rely on his inside work which he does to his credit.So Mayo,fret not for there’s many ways to skin a Dub!!
    Come on Ye Mayo of all the talents! You are at the door. Break it down!!!!

  65. @toe to hand – absolutely hopefully good viewing. Desk at work is completely kitting out in Mayo colours with flag hanging over it. I’m making the most of it this time … got to say I have a good feeling.

  67. 301 here too , a bit disappointed as a season ticket holder since 2009. But sure will have to get over it. Here’s to drowning out The Hill !

  68. @mayomagic… I’ll happily take that ticket if you end up finding a better one elsewhere!! Have the most bizarre feeling in work this morning… can’t concentrate, very little in the papers about the match. I’ve already sent all the follow up emails to the original begging ones for a ticket and even found a new source to have a look out for me this morning. It’s like being in limbo, knowing that there are only 9 sleeps and still no ticket, but also knowing that we have to wait through 9 more sleeps for the big day and the build up is so low key it will feel like an eternity!
    But life is good… the winter boots are out and the sandals are done with, and Mayo are still playing football!!

  69. My tickets are 301 as well was hoping for better but I don’t care there’s lots of genuine fans that won’t be able to get a ticket so as a season ticket holder I’m going to do as I do at every match shout and roar my head off. I am calling on other Mayo supporters in 301 to shout and roar the team on for all we are worth and drown out the hill

  70. Ticket just landed in the letterbox! I suppose it’s a bit early to start making the sandwiches yet but it’s getting exciting now. I’m not sure I can wait another week.

  71. Yip same here. tickets arrived this morning, 302. Looks like its all Mayo in 301/302 so its up to us to drown out the hill !! (BTW, I’ve a seating group of 10)

  72. I agree Ger Bohan – our final performances have been disappointing – never really threatening the ultimate winners and (retrospectively) flattered by the scoreline.

    With all the experience the players have – 2 finals and top level matches for the last 6 years – we just cannot mess this one up. By which I mean that, win lose or draw, we should have given our ultimate performance at the end of 76 minutes. That hasn’t happened since ’96.

  73. @ Mayo Mick , Yeah it seems seating groups bigger than 3 have been put in 301/302 cause I am in a group of 6 and we are in 302!!
    Others in ones and twos I have spoken to are more central being spread over 305 , 307 and 306. All lot of my Dub mates seem to be in 304.

  75. Mayonaze in relation to Evan Regan I know him well from my school days and was very friendly with him before I moved from mayo.

    He’s a sound lad who everyone has good time for , good sport type always has been. I wouldn’t describe him as the hard mouthy type on the pitch or off it, though he wouldn’t shy out of a challenge, but he’s no Connolly in terms of attitude .

  76. Just got tickets for 302 for the 2 of us. Disappointed but we will have to roar on the lads twice as much.

  77. Have to push cluxton on kick outs for some of the game to have any hope, when he goes wrong Dublin go wrong

  78. Just got my ticket 310 back of stand, not great for someone with 100% attendance since season ticket came in, looks like the book readers and knitters are in middle sections.

  80. 307….can’t complain. Love the wording of the letter. You’d imagine it was a free ticket they were giving.

  81. Jp2, Your ticket isn’t great, but hardly fair to say book readers and knitters in the middle sections, My contention is, and I’m sticking with this opinion, is that no way should anyone get inferior tickets to those they got for the quater finals double header, seeing as there are less season ticket holders in total at the final. From what the people I have spoken to so far, it seems that those in seating plans seem to come out worse, I’m not in a seating plan, , my ticket is for 308BB.. Look it’s a good ticket, but no way should those a seating plan, be discriminated against! Come on Mayo, let’s hope for good weather for the final, last year the weather ruined the match, both teams on Sunday week deserve a chance to express themselves.. A the clock tickes Onwards, I’m getting more confident!

  82. Season ticket holders are a nuisance to the GAA and the standard of service keeps going down and down and the price goes up. It started with 250 tickets per county, then they saw an opportunity to get more in. Then when they did they found out that this caused problems and of course that is the supporters fault.

    It’s a fantastic initiative in a year when we get to the final, but you would have hoped for better tickets than 301 Row A that I have. I’m happy to be in but I have a 100% attendance record every year since the scheme was introduced.

    They need to look at it seriously.

  83. Agree that some people got very poor tickets and it isn’t good enough to treat genuine supporters like that. I am very lucky this time.

  84. Mayonaze,
    I expect that the Dublin team will line up following the pattern that has been established by Gavin so far. When all are fit they start 1-9 as follows:

    Cluxton
    Byrne, Cooper, St Philly of Ballymun,
    McCarthy, O’Sullivan, Small,
    MacCauley, Fenton.

    Although they tend to change numbers, the most consistent starting 6 forwards are:
    Flynn, McManamon, Kilkenny
    Rock, Connolly, Brogan

    Regardless of what team is named on Thursday/Friday next week, I expect that to be their starting 15 on the 18th.

  85. Anyone remember how the seating number work in Croke Park. I think 1 starts in the middle and seat 14/15 would be an isle seat?

  88. Yes the Dublin team is likely to be that as per your list Luigi with one probable change being Kilkenny intro half-back in place of McCarthy and Andrews on from start upfront. That would be the team which started against Donegal and we saw how well they coped with a limited panel once they withstood the first 15 minutes of pressure. A serious outfit for sure with many strengths and a few weaknesses to exploit too. Matching that 15, which we are more that capable of doing will see us nicely into the mix when the game is there to be won in the final 10 minutes. Matching and counteracting the introductions of Mannion and O’Gara will be the key to winning the game. And it is quite likely that Dublin may struggle to match the introduction of our forwards in Doherty, O’Shea and Regan.

  89. @Luigi

    How dare you take St Philious’s name in vain. In the last week alone he has cured the Zika virus, found another 16 of the Boko Harem girls and got Apple to cough up the 6 billin euros they owe us.
    Don’t get me started on the pious St Dermotus of Vincenzo.

  92. @JP I have a central ticket and I’m certainly no knitter.

    I don’t understand the seating distribute though. Were any cairde season ticket holders not centrally seated?

    I think Gavin might start o gara at full forward, we Havnt started a full back the last two games. If we follow that trend, it could mean we have to make a sub the very start of the game.

  93. Section 307 with a Croke Park season ticket, with three tickets on the account. I can’t see any particular pattern of how they have issued the tickets.

    Feck it lads and lassies, it’s going to be a long week. My young lad is counting down the sleeps left until Sunday week on a board in his bedroom, he’s getting mad excited. I had to leave him behind in 2012 and 2013 as I couldn’t get two tickets seated together, but the dream of being able to bring him to his first final with the thought that he might not have to go through the years of anguish that the rest of us have suffered, it’s what all this is about. Enjoy these years, I keep telling him…..

  94. @YEW TREE

    Seating from the aisle goes 14-1 on one side and 15-28 on the other side of the aisle.

    For example: 15-16-17-18-19-20-21-22-23-24-25-26-27-28-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14

  96. 302, just two of us. Both Croke Park season tickets

    Slightly disappointed but great to have a ticket in hand all the same with a week to spare

  97. I wasn’t talking about season ticket holders or genuine supporters when I mentioned knitters and book readers, but it is really annoying to see so many at all Ireland finals that have no interest in what’s going on and believe me there are good number of them.

  99. If ye don’t mind i will join in the Bowe’s pre match rendezvous. I’ll also bring the auld fella with me. Don’t expect him to buy a pint!! With old age comes a sense of entitlement and no shame. But a die hard all the same. If for no other reason, than for the men of my dad’s generation, then I hope Sam makes his way to castlebar.

  101. Section 311, row GG at the start of the curve towards the Canal End ticket arrived in the post this morning. Not the best seat in the house but it’s great altogether to be sorted!!!
    Those of lucky enough with a ticket now need to keep an eye out for any spares and get them into Mayo hands too.
    Maigheo Abu!

  103. Amazing variety in season tickets from 301 to 311. Maybe Mayo fans will be all over Cusack. In fairness 301 isn’t the greatest. I know people will say any ticket is a good ticket but surely supporters who go to most matches might at least be rewarded with anything from 303 to 308. Having said all that I have no ticket at the moment and might be damn glad of a 301 this day week

  105. This AI has the potential to be a great classic if both sides are to reach peak or near peak performance. If we do and they dont, we have a great chance but if we are a fraction off our best then we will have problems. Wouldn’t it be fantastic if we turned it on to max on the 18th.
    Come on lads you have it in ye to do it….Oh! and the very best to our hurling team tomorrow afternoon…MaighEo Abú.
    Over the last week or so there has been a lot about tickets on here and about shouting and colour. Some like to shout,some dont and some are just too shy. The quiet and shy ones will normally let their extra colours and flags shout for them. Some wont have colours but shout like hell and then others can do both. It’s variety that is the spice of life and each to his/her own.
    Then we have tickets and it seems that while most seem happy enough with whats been given them, there are quite a few not so ‘pleased’ to say the least because of location in CP or ‘knitters’ or ‘not so interested’. There seems to be an assumed entitlement that if you are CP or Cairde that you should be treated better………….I thought the idea behind purchasing those annual tickets was to be able to support Mayo throughout the year and an AI ticket was the bonus.
    Wonder how many of the Cairde and CP holders used their final tickets in the last two years when Mayo weren’t contesting the final ? They could have done if they wanted to though. With CP belonging and available to all counties, we have to accept that many from all over Ireland are there and that many will not be partisan to either of the finalists. Some will go just to see what will hopefully be a good football match, while others will be there for the occasion only and I can see nothing wrong with that as it is probably the supreme annual sporting event in the country.
    Rest assured, all that are unhappy with my comments above that there are many who will not make this final for various reasons ‘ some are on their death beds, others racked from receiving chemo,radiatation or other tough treatments, some are grieving and some no longer with us. Others who have had to leave their homeland and through work related commitments or many other various reasons will not or cant be there.
    Because we can’t or wont make it does not make us any lesser when supporting our county and the pain of all the near misses are no less sore, we love our county too and find the snobbery attached by those who grade a supporter by the amount of matches attended, who shout or dont, who wear plenty colour or are plain, who’s Cairde or CP supporter or never had the opportunity to play the game, which grade of seat allocated……..is churlish to say the least.
    Just be thankful that you can be there.
    C’mon lads you can do it and make a tough time for some a little easier.
    MaighEo Abú

  110. Don’t know if I interpreted you correctly JJ, but Cairde ticket holders do not get an option of buying an All Ireland ticket when their county is not in the final.

  111. @G Bohan
    Used to think same about Brrnard Flynn but was then was in his company and great character…not modest mind u, but in an nice way.

  113. Just for info, folks, the page view count for the year on the blog has in the last few minutes gone over 2 million. Go home the lot of you, you’re all drunk!

  114. I see Marty Morrisey has written us off albeit sheepishly, apologetically and reluctantly. Keep it going lads – keep it going – keep writing us off and the more disparagingly the better! I hope none of them give us any chance. Let’s think of it, for us as supporters, as a form of inoculation against that awful losing feeling.
    But what about our players……….I’m sure our lads are quietly smiling to themselves. This just might unleash a storm of fury and resentment in our dressing room and a passion on the field the likes of which we haven’t seen before. I know it’s starting to get me riled up.
    And boy oh boy if by some miracle or other we pull it off won’t we take pleasure in saying to the fcuking lot of them “What about that Joe, Pat, Colm, Marty”…………and the whole lot of ye!
    Hon Mayo!

  115. Gooooooo Willie Joe!!! Not enough superlatives to commend you and the blog..Just to say I have laughed out loud, shed a tear and wanted to pull my hair out at various times over the past few years reading the posts..(sometimes all in the one day!!)Here’s to a great week ahead..Congrats John.

  116. This may sound silly , but this match is the only thing I can think about most of the time … Anyone else in the same boat ? 🙂
    Imagine What it will be like this night week

  117. Was at the gaa hour tonight in Castlebar, was interesting it came to predictions, John casey went for
    Dublin, wooly Parkinson and Horan went for Mayo although I did not believe Horan meant it. Also had pillar caffrey and Ray Cosgrove admit that Dublin had an unfair advantage in playing all their games at home.

  119. Congratulations Willie Joe, your hard work and enthusiasm for the reason for those 2 million views. Keep up the good work.
    I had a brilliant dream I was at the home coming parade……
    ” Irish by birth, Mayo by the grace of God…”

  120. @Mayo51. You’re right on the money there about casey. I found him kind of irritating. There was def building up of the dubs going on. The greatest team ever and all this BS. Hopefully we’re setting them up for a fall.

    Pillar caffrey was interesting to listen to, he mentioned that the subs starting to play all their league games in croker was a game changer. He mentioned Fenton last year for example, he had 6 or 7 games played in front of large crowds are croker in the league which prepared him for the championship, no other 22 year in the country had this advantage. He mentioned in the past some good league players shrunk when they hit croke park for the championship. Doesn’t happen to them now.

  121. Yeah NiallMc1983….the dubs might shake things up in their forward. They could as you say, try putting OGara on the edge of the square. I’d be surprised if they went orthodox.

  122. 2 millions hits, that’s truly amazing. Without doubt, this Blog is the market leader, well done Willie Joe!… There has been some amount of, grammatical errors, bad spelling (it’s has been the fault of the phones predictive text function, in my case, bizzare idea’s, sensible idea’s, tickets organised, hook ups, wind ups, wouldn’t surprise me, if some didn’t even find love on this site… Congrats, Willie Joe.. , it’s is no doubt the result of many years work, and the loyalty of the best GAA fans, of the best County team to support in the world!…. I was at the Sports Joe.ie event in. the Sportlann last evening, very interesting and entertaining show altogether, on leaving, I heard the hum of the generator and seen the lights they power in McHale Park and, I taught. Are our lads training again? , and is everything possible being done to insure we give the best account possible of ourselves on the 18th,?…Well rest assured, the homework has and is being done,No stone will be left unturned!. We will continue to look for tickets, formalate plans, get annoyed by Brolly, Spillane and O’Rourke and ultimately we will arrive in Croke Park, bodily those of us who can, and spirituality us all, no matter what part of the world we inhabit.. If sentiment could do it alone, we would have crossed this bridge many times… For most of us, we are hoping to experience victory in the senior Gaelic-football final for the first time… Ah sure, ‘it’s only a game’!. Enjoy.

  123. I find it extraordinary how casey gets airtime , a fantastic footballer and a gentleman but no personality for tv or radio , hed put you to sleep.

  124. Come on guys, John Casey is one of our own! Personally, I love him on the radio and I think it’s great that he’s getting airtime on RTE as well. Each to their own I suppose but I’m a bit surprised to see this appetite for having a go at our own on this week of all weeks. The scuds need to be pointed out not in right now.

  125. John Casey, looked a very nervous at the start of the show in the Sportlann last night, probably because he was going to, go against the grain and say he expected Dublin to win, when the awkward questions ultimately was asked.. John is entitled to his opinion, his opinion won’t affect Mayo, not in the slightest.. Opinion polls don’t matter. The comments I most liked last night came from Colm Parkinson(what a excellent compere he is), he said something to the effect of. The stage was set for a classic ambush.. And James Horan reckoned righty in my opinion that Dublin THINK, that they are the greatest Gaelic-football team of all time, they THINK they should be going for 4″ in a row because they DON’T believe that Donegal deserved to beat them in 2014,..For me, its the Classical Ambush seneraios that I like the most. I’ll be disappointed if we are not written off even more. It’s a physiological mind set that suits us., We have no choice now in any case, but to embrace that mindset!

  126. Casey nit the worst and deep down he craves a win just like the rest of us. As ciaran macdonald said the line between success and failure is very thin. Whatever team has the most to give on the day will win.

  127. I hope people are not basing their Casey bias on his decision to opt for Dublin to win this? He may not be the greatest orator in the world (haven’t we all failings) but the one thing you cannot deny is that the lad knows his football and like it or not everybody… everything we have seen to date in this year’s championship says Dublin are going to win the All-Ireland. John Casey has called it as it should be called.. there definantly no bull shit there.. it’s based on fact.. and it’s called managing expectation of what the end result possibly will be. Now if you want to talk about going out on a limb.. James Horan’s piece today about our stars aligning is the opposite to this, and is not based on fact or what we have seen this year so far.. it’s based on the past and the potential of this team which we know they have and which we hope to god they will find before Sunday week. If this was politics Horan’s piece could be described as populist guff where’s Casey is man enough to stand up and tell as it is.. not very pallitable but the truth as we know it so far. I don’t know the the lad but I’d say John would be the first to hope that he is proven wrong.. as Willie Joe has said he’s one of own

  128. Are we honestly blasting someone for predicting Dublin?

    I’ve seen it all now. We’re 3/1 in the bookies not 1/3! If some of our fans are that sensitive don’t go near any media outlet next week when 99% of people will (quite rightly based on hard cold evidence) predict Dublin

    I’ve a sneaky feeling this will be closer than many think and we may even steal it, but I’d be lying if I said deep down I wasn’t clutching at straws and clinging on to some wild intangibles as evidence

  129. I think we have to expect the unexpected in line up from Dublin. If O Gara starts even if not picked in programme what style of defender suits him. Keith or Chris Barrett I would think though Harry could be the one too. Keane has done well on McMenamon in the past but he tends to play CHF this year and is more suited to marking tall stong forwards. Dublin line out without conventional full full back and we should probably do the same as none of their forwards more than about 6’1. Rock is tallest but his is not a height based game. O Gara similar to McMenamon but we know from Andy and Gooch that cruciate takes a few years to return to peak from though O Gara at peak is dangerous. Few buck the trend returning from cruciate like Colm O Neill Cork but most only hit 70-80% one year on.

  130. On Donie vs Parsons I would play Parsons but give Donie the 15 jersey to play mostly as 3Rd midfielder. He actually improves as the game goes on and though he can be side stepped has stamina and good top speed to cover and get turnovers. I think he is a form player and offers more this year than J Doc who can be sprung as direct replacement and sometimes does well of the bench. Though both could be bypassed by COS if his form in training is good as Rochford said after Tipp game.

  131. I fully expect to see Chris Barrett play a major role in the final. He is made for the dubs.I also Rochford throwing 1 of the u21s in the forwards like Loftus or reape..I fully expect keegan to man mark connolly leaving dublin with the option of playing o Gara from the start pumping high ball in.This could because strategy Gavin goes with as he knows we are weak under high ball and we will be playing without an orthodox full back..

  132. Another day and somebody in the media has raised the hackles of certain people.
    I find it rather tedious and have been disappointed at times to see the abuse and name calling directed at people including Brolly.What is worse is that it is often done using a moniker. I really would like to think we have more class than that. It is not the Mayo I remember. These are real people with families.

    Maybe we should have a safe space created for us.

    Remember what Mr Wilde said about being talked about.

  133. Congrats WJ on the hits. This is the Mayo site. People are entitled to an opinion as John Casey gave. I have gone against the grain at times not because I am anti my own county, it’s because I wasn’t convinced. Luckily the people who matter, the players, couldn’t give a toss about my opinion.

    However I draw a very distinct line in people paying money or people getting paid to listen to commentators like Bernard Flynn in particular and Tom Carr who have a clear dislike for Mayo football. I find Flynn an arrogant so-and-so that has at every chance denigrated us at any and every turn and I wonder why people A inflict him on us and B why Mayo people pay to listen to him.

  134. Ok so people are up in arms about people being up in arms about pundits having opinions. The 4 week break has us starved lads!

  135. Criticising Casey because he predicted Dublin victory is pure stupid. The vast majority of people expect Dublin to win. J Cuffe youre dead right about Flynn. Don’t know why he should be speaking at Mayo gig

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *