Can you believe it? I find it difficult to but it’s true: today the blog has reached the ripe old age of ten.
Ten eventful years they’ve been too, full of giddy highs and crashing lows, though thankfully we’ve had more of the former than the latter. It sure has been a hell of a ride attempting to chronicle all this but one I’ve thoroughly enjoyed.
Starting out on that February morning in 2007, I never imagined for one second that the blog would grow to become the phenomenon that it has. I doubt it ever would have, to be honest, had our fortunes not taken the sharp upward trajectory they did from 2011 onwards.
But grow it has and pretty relentlessly too. The cumulative page view total went over nine million last week and, with a new year of competitive action about to get underway, what happens on the field is set to be mirrored by plenty of action on here as well. It’s part of what we are at this stage.
Although I’d known for ages that this anniversary was coming up, my timing for the day itself has proved to be spectacularly bad as I’m off out the door shortly on a day-long work trip. Not before I finish this post, though, and post too details about a special Mayo News football podcast Rob Murphy and I recorded the other day.
I’ll also be back later on this evening with a retrospective of sorts on ten years of the blog so watch out for that as well then. Here’s to the next decade. Up Mayo.
Happy birthday to the Blog. A veritable institution now on our football landscape.
Will soon be entering those difficult teenage years….the mood swings, sarcasm, idealistic fervour….oh wait…that’s Mayo football 🙂
Happy birthday to the blog.
A treasure trove of information. The blog has only increased Mayos obsession with Gaelic football. Offline and online there is no bigger topic of conversation in Mayo than Gaelic football. If a Mayo fan met Rihanna, they’d meet you afterwards and say “I reckon she’d be a mighty full forward”. Obsessed to a cultish level, it’s what will bring Sam home someday.
Good man Willie Joe.
Unbelievable stuff WJ. Congratulations and thank you for keeping the lights on here! We’re truly indebted to you. Happy birthday blog! Here’s to many more!
Many happy returns WJ. Always a reader occasionally a commentor. The blog certainly keeps us up todate with happenings, thoughts and feelings of a team united in one desire..to see our beloved team bring home Sam. Forever Mayo.
Great job WJ, the blog is now our go to place for the good days and the bad …. thanks a million for that
Happy birthday to the most addictive blog or website I’ve ever come across! How did I ever live without it?! Get my Mayo fix every day. Thank god for WJ. Thank you WJ.
Thanks again Willie Joe for this fabulous resource. Where else can I go to let it all out? Friends and family I suppose but I don’t carry them around in my pocket. And in fairness if I went to them twenty times a day, and more in the summer, they’d get sick of me sharpish. The highs and lows for me are simple. The lowest point for me the last number of years is that second goal against Donegal in the AIF. I remember watching it happen in what feels like slow motion in front of me from the lower Hogan and thinking “this cannot be happening”. I felt the seat go from under me. I couldn’t believe it. The memory of 2006 still hadn’t left I suppose and we had just beaten Dublin so I felt we were way better than ’06. ‘Here we go again’, I thought. But, and there’s always a but, Donegal hung on and Mayo kept at it and never gave up. So different than other years for sure. Still hurts. The highs???? Loads and loads. For me one stands out though and its COC kicking that leveller in the AIF last September. Back from the death and two own goals to kick a ball like that in that moment in time still gives me the shivers. He backed himself and went for it. That’s real courage. A bit like yourself Willie Joe, thank God he’s ours…
If it wasn’t for this place we would have to get our news about Mayo GAA from the likes of Martin Breheny and Eugene Mcgee.
Christ.
Congratulations to you, Willie Joe. It really is a great thing that you set this up and run it do well. many thanks for a great service.
What a site! I first got interested in another blog – TIALTNGO – several years ago before I became aware of this excellent site. I never knew who was involved but the title hooked me (There a light that never goes out). The lights did indeed go out on that particular blog but it never has here. It burns brightly day and night. Long may it remain so. Of course the light never goes out on our hopes as a county of becoming THE best and winning an All Ireland.
Well done WJ ………keep her lit!
Congratulations Willie Joe, those ten years flew in. You have done the county some service.
Joe T thats a good idea about the highs and lows of the ten years.
Highs- Kiltane getting to croke park and Cillians equaliser
Lows – Limerick , the GAA broke me that day the bastards
Happy birthday celebrations to this wonderful project and the people behind it. A truly invaluable resource for the GAA fans of this county. A great social meeting place in good times and bad. Moderation is the key and good writers and communication the norm. Long may it continue and prosper.
Congratulations, and thank you again, it is a wonderful site and can’t imagine being without it, what makes it so good is how well you manage to moderate it, and allow so many different veiw points both from within and outside the county
Happy Birthday to the site. An invaluable resource.
Well done WJ . Great site ,didn’t comment much since October but tip in for updates most days . Thanks for all your great work .
Happy Birthday to the blog. Long may it continue to bring the “highs” and ” lows” of Mayo Gaa. For someone living outside the county it is a brilliant source of information and banter, which is well marshalled by yourself WJ.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE BLOG!! What crazy money would we have spent on therapy without it..For all the great highs and gut wrenching lows the blog has been ever present refuge for many..The wins see many of us hit the local to celebrate but wihen the shit hits the fan it’s always the blog I sit on for the evening..Generally because no words can come out..So sincere thanks W J..It’s been some roller coaster.
Let me add my voice to the birthday wishes.This site is a rare wonder surely,wonderful wonderful wonderful,and If we could have its many fine qualities out on the pitch we’de be very nicely fixed indeed!
Congratulations all.
Congrats w.j.great site
Thanks for all the hours you put in.
A true mayoman you are.
Well done WJ. Top stuff.
Haven’t been here since the start Willie Joe – don’t know how I managed to miss the first 4 years.
Congratulations WJ, an thank you so much for this blog, I don’t comment so much myself but I just love to read this stuff, as someone said, keep her lit!
Maigheo Abu
Congrats Willie Joe.. I remember once looking back at the traffic on this site in the very early days and there were only a few cars coming and going.. how things have changed… it’s M50 peak hour traffic all the time now and we owe you a debt of gratitude for keeping everything moving along nice. Well done
My high was last year’s Connaught u21 final. So bloody sweet. Low was coming out of Limerick and listening to Kerry supporters talking about pure football!!
Congrats Willie Joe.
Congrats Willie Joe and all guests and bloggers….check this blog a few times everyday even in the off season..
Here’s to the next 10 years WJ!
@JP, I know what you mean there alright about Rihanna. Now a full-forward line of Cora Staunton, Sarah Rowe and Rihanna would be a full-forward line that would have everything!
Congratulations Willie Joe. Here’s to the next 10 years.
Happy birthday to the blog and many more to come. As many have said this blog has been our go to, our therapy and our friend. I don’t often post here but many of us who don’t would be lost without those who do. Keep up the fantastic work.
Congrats W.J.
What a great site for the Mayo family to feel as one. United mostly and divided occasionally but
Here we can be ourselves, it is often said to write your feelings and emotions into words helps to heal. On the low days we need our blog, on the high days it is even better.
To you w.j. and all the bloggers and all Mayo people everywhere here’s to the next 10 yrs and that big fella SAM in our county not once but a few times. Thank you.
Belated happy birthday WJ. I’m always late with birthday cards and dates and it appears I’m a few days behind the event here itself. Great work on what is, far and away, the best blog on the net.
Hon Mayo