OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS - THE MAYO NEWS

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OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS - THE MAYO NEWS
Tuesday, September 7, 2021 • The Mayo News        all-ireland final preview mayo v Tyrone            1

                             Opportunity
                                knocks
                                  All-Ireland Senior Football Final Preview
                                                                          Illustration: Jen Murphy
OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS - THE MAYO NEWS
5
2               all-ireland final preview mayo v Tyrone                                                                                                                  The Mayo News • Tuesday, September 7, 2021                Tuesday, September 7, 2021 • The Mayo News                                                                 all-ireland final preview mayo v Tyrone                                                          3

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          key
BETTING ODDS                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              match-ups
                                                                                                                                                                            ‘Mick the Kick’s
                                                          Meath’s David Gough will be the standby referee.
TO WIN                                                    The other linesman is Brendan Cawley (Kildare).
Mayo 5/6                                                  The sideline official will be Ciaran Branagan
Tyrone 11/8
Draw 15/2
                                                          (Down).
                                                                                                                                                                            record stands
HANDICAP
Mayo (-1) 11/10
                                                          LAST FIVE CHAMPIONSHIP
                                                          CLASHES
                                                                                                                                                                            the test of time                                                                                                                                                                               Lee Keegan v Conor McKenna
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           THE former Aussie Rules player is supremely talented, and whilst
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           he wasn’t brilliant in the semi-final, McKenna still struck for two vital
Tyrone (+1) 10/11                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          goals, underlining his ever-present danger.
                                                          2016: Mayo 0-13, Tyrone 0-12 (All-Ireland                                                                         ON the matter of footballing records. .                                                                                                                                                        The pacy Tyrone forward has overcome injury problems and he’s a
                                                          quarter-final)                                                                                                      Contrary to what many of my Tyrone friends                                                                                                                                                   player that can play anywhere from midfield up. Therefore, it seems
MAYO CAMP UPDATE                                          2013: Mayo 1-16, Tyrone 0-13 (All-Ireland                                                                         may think, Niall Morgan is not the record-holder                                                                                                                                               vital that you pair him with someone as comfortable in tracking him
NOBODY seems too sure exactly what is going to            semi-final)                                                                                                       (his kick was measured to be 65m in the recent                                                                                                                                                 in any of those positions.
happen in terms of Oisin Mullin and Eoghan                2008: Tyrone 0-13, Mayo 1-9 (All-Ireland Qualifi-                                                                 All Ireland semi-final v Kerry, 28th August, 2021                                                                                                                                              We think it could be a job for Lee Keegan, man of the match in
McLaughlin being named in Mayo’s squad for next           ers)                                                                                                              in Croke Park) when it comes to the longest dead-                                                                                                                                              Mayo’s semi-final.
weekend.                                                  2004: Mayo 0-16, Tyrone 1-9 (All-Ireland                                                                          ball score ever in a senior championship football                                                                                                                                              The Westport man matches up well physically with McKenna and
But taking everything into account, given the fact        quarter-final)                                                                                                    match.                                                                                                                                                                                         would relish the chance to play out the field, if he went deep.
that it’s an All-Ireland Final, and assuming they are     1989: Mayo 0-12, Tyrone 1-6 (All-Ireland semi-                                                                      Let me assure you that in the 1975 drawn Con-                                                                                                                                                It could be a mouth-watering battle.
both medically fit to tog out, then they could both       final)                                                                                                            nacht final (Sligo v Mayo) in Markievicz Park,
be in the match-day panel.                                                                                                                                                  one of our great half-backs, the legendary Mick
In fact, Mullin may well start in the Mayo defence.                                                                                                                         Higgins of Westport, a strong lion-hearted Mayo                                                                                                                                                Oisin Mullin

                                                          32
He has been receiving intensive treatment for four        KEY NUMBER                                                                                                        defender of that era, ‘bull-topped’ a ‘90 yard free’                                                                                                                                           v Mattie Donnelly
weeks now on his injured quad, and he’s under-                                                                                                                              all the way over the bar with the ball resting just
stood to have done some running at training last                                                                                                                            short of Ben Bulben.                                                                                                                                                                           OKAY, we’re being hopeful here – hopeful
week.                                                                                                                                                                         I should know. I was there! My first day ever to                                                                                                                                             that the Kilmaine dynamo is back fit, the
McLaughlin, meanwhile, is also recovering after                                                                                                                             see our Mayo in a championship game.                                                                                                                                                           truth of which we won’t know until throw-in
having plates inserted in a double fracture of his                                                                                                                            He was immediately christened ‘Mick the Kick’,                                                                                                                                               time. But Donnelly, like McKenna, could
jaw.                                                                                                                                                                        the original of the species. A bullet from a rifle                                                                                                                                             just as easily be in the full-forward line as
So James Horan has some big decisions to make                                                                                                                               they adults said. A Howitzer was mentioned …                                                                                                                                                   the half-line and Mullin, like Keegan, has
on what roles — if any — both of them will fill           YEARS since Mayo and Tyrone first met in the                                                                      whatever that is?                                                                                                                                                                              the flexibility to play in either line too.
against Tyrone.                                           championship — in the 1989 All-Ireland semi-final.                                                                  His methodology was similar to that of the great                                                                                                                                             Of course, if Mullin isn’t fit, might the role of
If Mullin starts then he is likely to take McLaughlin’s                                                                                                                     Tom Kiernan of Ireland and Bob Hiller of England                                                                                                                                               picking Donnelly fall to Padraig O’Hora?
place, however if the Kilmaine man is not fit to start                                                                                                                      (renowned rugby full-backs of that era and ear-                                                                                                                                                Or might Mullin or O’Hora be deployed on Darren
then Enda Hession is set to be the ‘next man up’.         DID YOU KNOW?                                                                                                     lier).                                                 A TALE OF TWO COUNTIES Tyrone native Dermot Mullin is pictured with his wife Diane Smyth from Kilmeena beside the                       McCurry, a lively inside man who Mayo may not
                                                          MAYO are unbeaten in eight matches across the                                                                       All three men used the so-called ‘bulltop’ (‘bull-   ‘Mayo Mural’ at the gable of the community hall in Kilmeena. Pic: Conor McKeown                                                         have a pile of suitors for.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   An opportunity
                                                          National League league and championship this                                                                      toe’) approach. Their run up to a free (penalty in
TYRONE CAMP UPDATE                                        season. In fact, they have only lost one of their last                                                            rugby chaps) formed a direct line between the
TRYING to second-guess Brian Dooher and Fergal            13 games in all competitions — to Dublin in last                                                                  kicker, the ball and the centre of the posts. When                                                                                                                                             Paddy Durcan
Logan when it comes to team selection is easier           December’s All-Ireland Final.                                                                                     it worked it was spectacular. If you missed the                                                                                                                                                v Conor Meyler
said than done. The Tyrone joint managers keep            Their last defeat prior to that? Against Tyrone in the                                                            sweet spot, Row Z.
their cards close to their chest.                         National League on October 25 last year, by a                                                                       Adidas and other shoe companies even designed                                                                                                                                                MEYLER has tended to go to the a key opposition

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   for us and them
The big selection decision would seem to be               point: 3-14 to 1-19.                                                                                              square-capped boots for these type of kickers.                                                                                                                                                 danger man. Against Kerry, he was effectively a
around Cathal McShane; and whether they decide                                                                                                                              Most goalkeepers of that era had them. A few                                                                                                                                                   half-back, picking up and curbing Paudie Clifford.
to start the ball-winning strike forward on the edge                                                                                                                        half-backs, also, it appears.                                                                                                                                                                  In Ulster he played at wing-forward on Ryan

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of the square or hold him in reserve to use as an         KEY NUMBER                                               THE VIKING WILLIE JOE  Mayo’s Willie
                                                                                                                   Joe Padden is pictured wearing his
                                                                                                                                                                              ‘Mick the Kick’ himself is on record as saying:                                                                                                                                              McHugh (v Donegal) and Ryan McAnespie (v
impact sub.                                                                                                        famous head bandage after picking up                     “she was surely around the 75 yard mark” and                                                                                                                                                   Monaghan).
It seems that Darragh Canavan’s role will be off the                                                               an injury during the 1989 All-Ireland SFC                using any basic conversion tool you’ll find that’s                                                                                                                                             He’s comfortable in either line, and indeed
bench, while Mark Bradley is another forward that                                                                  semi-final against Tyrone at Croke                       considerably longer than the 65m one Niall Mor-                                                                                                                                                elsewhere. It seems Mayo will seek to have
could easily start depending on the sort of                                                                        Park. Pic: Sportsfile                                    gan hammered home straight and true.                                                                                                                                                           Durcan on the front foot, and not necessar-
game-plan that Tyrone intend to employ in the first                                                                                                                           Man sez …Just sayin’ …C’mon Mayo …                                                                                                                                                           ily matching up with a Tyrone attacker so
half.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Meyler could well be assigned to him. Both are
The Ulster champions didn’t use the likes of Richie                                                                Roy Curtis                                               Kevin McStay                                           Edwin                                          The Kerry win got that particular           tures with 12 wins to Mayo’s 11. There       top-class players going forward and defending.
Donnelly or Rory Brennan against Kerry, and it            ALL-IRELAND senior men’s football finals that            In one of the great Dublin hostelries this evening,                                                             McGreal                                      monkey off their backs. They were in          have been six draws. Another one can-        If they pair off with each other, it will be riveting.
remains to be seen whether one, both, or none of          Mayo have lost since last winning the champion-          two lads in Mayo shirts.                                                                                                                                     the 2018 final admittedly, but via beat-      not be ruled out this Saturday.
them are included in their match-day squad for the        ship in 1951. The finals of 1996 and 2016 were           “For fear we got caught in traffic.”                                                                                                                         ing Ulster rivals Monaghan in the semi-         Recently, both teams have been better
                                                                                                                                                                               FIXTURE                                                                                                                                                                                     Kevin McLoughin

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    F
final.                                                    lost after replays.                                      Eleven days to throw-in.                                                                                                                                     final.                                        on the road. The last five league fixtures
                                                                                                                   And so it begins.                                           all-ireland                                                          OR all the people saying      One single result can have a trans-         have been won by the away team.              v Peter Harte
                                                                                                                   @RoyCurtis68                                                SFC final                                                            this is the best chance     formative effect on a team.                     That will matter very little on Satur-
THE REFEREE                                               TWITTER WATCH                                                                                                                                                                             Mayo have had of win-         For Mayo, the win over defending All-       day on Jones’s Road.                         ANOTHER match-up which is by no means guaranteed but could
Joe McQuillan                                                                                                      Cormac O’Malley                                             Tyrone                                                               ning an All-Ireland this    Ireland champions Cork in the 2011              As Kieran Shannon noted in The             well fall into place.
Cavan                                                     Myrtle Mooney
                                                          “Hello this is Mary from Mooncoin GAA club,
                                                                                                                   You have to say, it’s a huge chance for Mayo and
                                                                                                                   Tyrone to not only win Sam but also
                                                                                                                                                                               v Mayo                                                               past decade, you can be
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    damn sure they’re say-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                All-Ireland quarter-final propelled them
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                to an incredible run across the next
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Examiner, neither team fear the
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              other.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Harte is a hugely important attacking threat for Tyrone while
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           McLoughlin’s left foot is a vital weapon for Mayo.
THIS is McQuillan’s fourth All-Ireland Final appoint-     congratulations, you’ve won the house in Lanzar-         be named third favourites behind Kerry and Dublin           Saturday, September 11                              ing the same in Tyrone.                      decade.                                         “Just as Tyrone have little respect for    If they line up against each other, both men will be trying to limit
ment; he also took charge of the 2011, 2013 and           ote” anyone else thinking “ Feck it” ???                 for next year’s All Ireland by                              Croke Park at 5pm                                     From the certainty of the last six sea-      Will the Kerry win have similar poten-      Mayo — as evident in how sparing Seán        their opponent’s influence and still play a significant role in their
2017 deciders.                                            #MayoGAA                                                 the media.                                                  Referee: J McQuillan (Cavan)                        sons as Dublin won title after title, this   tial for Tyrone?                              Cavanagh has been in his praise for          own team’s attacking game. There can only be one winner though.
From the Kill Shamrocks club in Cavan, he is one          @myrtlemooney                                            @cormacpro                                                                                                      year we’ve a most unexpected final             What we do know is little has sepa-         them through the years, despite losing
of the most experienced refs in the game.                                                                                                                                                                                          pairing and a huge opportunity for           rated the teams in recent years.              numerous big games to them — Mayo
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   both.                                          In championship, Mayo have the bet-         have little fear of Tyrone.”                 Tommy Conroy
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     For every national pundit tipping          ter record, winning four out of five            It is very hard to know what the future    v Padraig Hampsey

        WE’RE WITH THEM ALL THE WAY!
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Mayo, you will find one tipping Tyrone.      clashes. The first ever championship          will bring for either side, in victory or
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   For everyone saying Mayo’s win over          clash was Mayo’s 1989 All-Ireland semi-       defeat.                                      THE Tyrone captain edged a huge battle
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Dublin was transformative, the same          final win. Now there’s a game that had          Are we moving into a more competi-         with Seán O’Shea in the semi-final, and
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   can be said of Tyrone’s win over             a transformative effect in the years that     tive era after Dublin’s dominance? Or        with the form the Kerryman was in this
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Kerry.                                       followed.                                     was this year a hiatus from their monop-     year, that’s no mean feat. Who he picks up

        Take a listen to The Mayo News Football Podcast                                                                                                                                                                              Recall that it is 2008 since Tyrone
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   beat any of Dublin, Kerry and Mayo in
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   a knock-out championship game. That
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Since then Mayo enjoyed a surprise
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                win in the 2004 All-Ireland quarter-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                final. Tyrone pipped Mayo by a point
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              oly of Sam Maguire?
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Are Kerry going to flatter to deceive
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              or deliver on their potential?
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           on Saturday is difficult to predict but we
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           would not be surprised to see him heading
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Tommy Conroy’s way. The Neale man
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   year they beat all three – Mayo in the       in the 2008 Qualifiers while Mayo have          That might all be the subject for          exploded into life late in the Dublin game but
        • Listen at mayonews.ie                         • Download from iTunes or Spotify                            • Check out MayoGAABlog.com                                                                                   final qualifier round, a hotly fancied       enjoyed two subsequent knock-out              another day but both sides will be           he will know he will need to carry a greater
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Dublin in the Quarter Finals and Kerry       wins, in the 2013 semi-final (1-16 to 0-13)   acutely aware — even if they do not          threat in the first half. An intriguing duel.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   in the final for the third of their three    and 2016 quarter-final (0-13 to 0-12).        vocalise it — of the opportunity that
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   All-Ireland titles.                            Tyrone edge the duel in league fix-         Saturday presents.                           Edwin McGreal
OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS - THE MAYO NEWS
4              all-ireland final preview mayo v Tyrone                                                                                                    The Mayo News • Tuesday, September 7, 2021               Tuesday, September 7, 2021 • The Mayo News                                                    all-ireland final preview mayo v Tyrone                                                       5

   5 key final
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                STAT ATTACK
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                35
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                THE exact number of times that Mayo

   battlegrounds
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                turned over Dublin and Tyrone turned over
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Kerry in the recent semi-finals.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                65%
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                THE percentage of Tyrone’s 3-14 against
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Kerry that they scored from turnover ball.

               A unique All-Ireland final pairing brings
              with it different rules of engagement than
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                71%
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                THE percentage of Mayo’s 0-17 against

                       previous finals this decade                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Dublin that they scored from turnover ball.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       If Tyrone display higher energy levels
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      with a two-week turnaround, it will be a
Analysis                                      Dave Morris has pointed out, Tyrone               And while Conor Lane had a ‘mare’ in                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  serious indicator of where they are at
Edwin                                         scored 65 percent of their 3-14 from turn-      terms of failing to sanction as many as                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 physically. It will also be decisive.
McGreal                                       over ball. Their success with turnovers         five red card offences for Dublin, his ten-
                                              was rightly celebrated, especially because,     dency to let play go facilitated a lot of
                                              without it, they did not have near enough       Mayo turnovers also.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    5 Selections and
                                              primary possession from kick-outs to be           It is therefore hard to say which team                                                                                                                                                                                                                                substitutes
1 Kick-outs and                               competitive.                                    would prefer a referee who is slow to
shot conversion                                 It cannot be forgotten though that for        blow for frees.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         James Horan had a terrific day on the
                                              all Mayo’s successes in winning kick-outs         Joe McQuillan does not tend to let the                                                                                                                                                                                                                                line against Dublin, adapting to the game
IF we’ve learned one thing from both          v Dublin, they still mined 0-12 of their        game go as much as Coldrick, David                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      with key switches in personnel and posi-
All-Ireland semi-finals, it’s that typical    0-17 of their scores from turnover ball,        Gough or Lane.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          tions.
statistical targets can sometimes count       an even better percentage than Tyrone             Will this suit Mayo or Tyrone? We think                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Bringing on Enda Hession early, with-
for very little.                              of 71 percent.                                  a reduction in turnover opportunities                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   drawing an off-form Aidan O’Shea, switch-
  If you’d said Mayo would only score           Both teams work incredibly hard when          will suit Mayo as they are typically better                                                                                                                                                                                                                             ing Eoghan McLaughlin off Paddy Small,
0-13 v Dublin (in normal time), you’d have    they don’t have the ball to try to win it       at sourcing primary possession than                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     and bringing on James Carr, Jordan Flynn
said they were going to lose.                 back.                                           Tyrone.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 and Conor O’Shea were all switches that
  If you’d said Tyrone would not win one        The ferocity and quality of their tack-         If there’s a lot of frees the next day, it                                                                                                                                                                                                                            worked.
single one of Kerry’s kick-outs and strug-    ling is of the highest order. It is fascinat-   goes without saying the importance of                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     He now faces a huge amount of key
gle hugely on their own restarts, you’d       ing that Mayo turned over Dublin and            free-taking becomes magnified.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          decisions for the final, and picking his
have said that was too much possession        Tyrone turned over Kerry the exact same           Ryan O’Donoghue has stepped into the                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  starting XV is not going to be easy.
for a talented Kerry forward line to squan-   number of times – 35.                           breach admirably in Cillian O’Connor’s                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Does Enda Hession start? Is Oisin Mul-
der.                                            Turnovers can often lead to more scores       injury-enforced absence. He does not                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    lin fit enough to start? Or Eoghan McLaugh-
  But both Mayo and Tyrone made those         than kick-outs because a team can usu-          have quite the same range as O’Connor                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   lin?
games very different contests than had        ally set themselves up defensively while        and knows this.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           What match-ups does he look at in
been anticipated.                             a kick-out is being taken. Lose possession        That’s a good thing – he knows not to                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 defence? Conor McKenna, Darren
  Tyrone, historically, have never overly     when attacking and you could have sev-          force a shot outside his range.                A BIRD’S EYE VIEW        ager Jack O’Connor on The Examiner                                                                                                                                                              McCurry and Mattie Donnelly will need
concerned themselves with the battle for      eral players out of position so, therefore,       It was instructive that for Mayo’s first     Mayo set their           football podcast explain that Donnelly                                                                                                                                                          watching, and Cathal McShane too,
primary possession. They find other ways      scoring opportunities are greater with          long range free against Dublin, it was         defensive shape as       did an entirely separate warm-up would                                                                                                                                                          whether he starts or comes on.
to get their hands on the ball – turno-       gaps left and defending players running         Diarmuid O’Connor who took it before           Dublin try to build an   indicate he had an issue going into the                                                                                                                                                           Is Aidan O’Shea fully fit? What level of
                                                                                                                                             attack during the
vers.                                         back frantically towards goal instead of        Rob Hennelly took over from there.             recent All-Ireland SFC   game, and so his influence was remark-                                                                                                                                                          fitness does he need to start?
  Mayo have a thirst for turnovers too.       facing the play.                                  Hennelly nailed three from five long         semi-final at Croke      able in such circumstances.                                                                                                                                                                       And, if so, where do you play him?
  So deciding what kick-outs, shots and         As Christy O’Connor observed in The           range frees/45s, if we include the missed      Park. Pic: Sportsfile      Tyrone did fade from the game in extra-                                                                                                                                                         He excelled against Tyrone in the 2016
conversion rate numbers are important         Sunday Times after the Mayo-Dublin              ‘45 that was blown up.                                                  time after going five points up, but this                                                                                                                                                       semi-final, despite a heart-in-mouth kick
in this game is not simple.                   game, 26 of Dublin’s turnovers lost to            Will he come up for any free outside                                  was arguably more attributable to trying                                                                                                                                                        back to David Clarke late on. But having
  What we’ve learned recently is that for     Mayo came in the second half and extra          O’Donoghue’s range, even inside the ‘45?                                to see a game out than wilting physi-                                                                                                                                                           featured at full-forward this year, it remains
all we might think matches will follow a      time.                                           Who will take frees on the right wing?                                  cally.                                                                                                                                                                                          to be seen if that is a position Horan will
certain pattern, sometimes games take           A sign of a tired team, be it mental or         Hennelly’s counterpart Niall Morgan                                     The intensity they brought to the tackle                                                                                                                                                      stick with.
on a life of their own.                       physical.                                       could have a huge role to play also. His                                and the hard running and support play                                                                                                                                                             A defensive midfield role might suit
  The template for winning games in             It can be hard to quantify how many           incredible 65+ metre free right on half-                                as they turned turnovers into attack was                                                                                                                                                        better in a game where turnovers are
terms of scores was to create 30 chances      turnovers are due to the efforts of the         time against Kerry showed how long his                                  very noticeable, and is the sign of a time                                                                                                                                                      going to be vital. Tyrone’s midfield duo
and convert two thirds of them. We don’t      team winning them or how complicit the          range is, but he can be hit and miss from                               who is humming from a physical condi-                                                                                                                                                           of Brian Kennedy and Conn Kilpatrick
think you’ll need as many as 20 scores to     opposition are; in this case, Kerry and         long range also.                                                        tioning perspective. All the more impres-                                                                                                                                                       do not tend to dominate possession like
win this final, but shot selection and a      Dublin.                                           Darren McCurry is a confident free-                                   sive when you consider their disjointed                                                                                                                                                         other midfielders. For instance, they had
decent conversion rate remain para-             Next Saturday will likely give us the         taker closer to goal while Mattie Donnelly                              run into the game with Covid-19 cases in                                                                                                                                                        a total of 19 possessions between them
mount.                                        answer because it is hard to escape the         and Cathal McShane are accomplished                                     the squad.                                                                                                                                                                                      in the Kerry game. Could that come into
  And while kick-outs mattered little in      reality that whoever wins more turnovers        kickers from the left wing.                                               Similarly in the other semi-final, you                                                                                                                                                        deciding how to deploy O’Shea?
the Kerry game, Mayo will still be seek-      are quite likely to win this game.                It has the makings of a game where                                    could see towards the end of normal time                                                                                                                                                          How does James Horan use his bench?
ing to retain a decent percentage of their                                                    converting frees will be vital.                                         that Dublin were wilting and it was Mayo                                                                                                                                                        If Enda Hession starts, does Mayo’s influ-
own kick-outs, go after Tyrone’s, and                                                                                                                                 who played with all the energy in extra-                                                                                                                                                        ence from the subs’ bench diminish? Who
protect possession better than Kerry were     3 The referee                                                                                                           time.                                                                                                                                                                                           makes way?
able to (or were let).                        and frees                                       4 Energy levels and                                                       Unlike Kerry, who rallied back to a                                                                                                                                                             Tyrone have plenty of decisions to make
                                                                                              running power                                                           solitary point, Dublin were unable to once                                                                                                                                                      too. Does Cathal McShane or Darragh
                                              IT’S fair to say that referee David Coldrick                                                                            Mayo opened a three point lead and no                                                                                                                                                           Canavan start or stay in reserve? Who
2 Turnovers                                   suited Tyrone in the semi-final. It is not      WATCHING the second semi-final, it                                      more scores came.                                                                                                                                                                               does Conor Meyler track?
MAYO did much better on winning kick-         that he favoured them in anyway but his         looked like Kerry were hitting the wall                                   How well physically tuned you are is                                                                                                                                                            This is an All-Ireland Final which can
outs against Dublin than Tyrone did           tendency to let play develop and not            physically well before the end of normal                                relative to the opposition. The efforts of                                                                                                                                                      be won and lost on the line as much as
against Kerry but a look at the source of     penalise tacklers like other referees might     time. We also thought Tyrone’s Mattie                                   both games going to extra time have to                                                                                                                                                          on the field.
the scores for both teams is very instruc-    certainly favoured Tyrone’s ferocious           Donnelly was struggling and wondering                                   be factored in and one imagines a four                                                                                                                                                            It really has the look of a game which
tive.                                         tackling game compared to Kerry’s com-          was the pace too much for both teams.                                   week recovery is not any sort of hindrance   talk to joe Mayo’s Lee Keegan of Mayo appeals a decision as referee Joe McQuillan consults with his umpires during the 2017All-Ireland SFC         will come down to very fine margins.
  As renowned Corofin-based statistician      paratively passive play.                        However, listening to former Kerry man-                                 to Mayo.                                     Final against Dublin. McQuillan will also referee Saturday’s game. Pic: Sportsfile                                                                   Hang on tight!
OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS - THE MAYO NEWS
6         all-ireland final preview mayo v Tyrone                                                                                                                  The Mayo News • Tuesday, September 7, 2021   Tuesday, September 7, 2021 • The Mayo News                                                    all-ireland final preview mayo v Tyrone                                                          7

                          Final
            thoughts                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   LIFE MOVES ON  Andy Moran is
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       pictured at his gym, ‘The Movement’ in
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Castlebar. Pic: Michael McLaughlin

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Peter Canavan when I watched back the
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Sky coverage of the Tyrone-Kerry game

              We sat down with Andy Moran last week to                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   and he was ready to play! That’s kind of
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         the way I am.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Whoever gets
              find out what being an ex-Mayo player in the                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 I was very anxious before the Dublin          the most
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         amount of
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         game, Jenny [Andy’s wife] couldn’t believe
                   build-up to an All-Ireland Final is like                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              it. I don’t know why, I’d say it’s probably
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         a bit of lack of control.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           I’d be very loyal towards the players I       things right
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         played with too, I find it very hard not
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         to be biased towards them when I’m              wins the game
    Exclusive                                     formula for Mayo to go at Tyrone?’            line, and a lot of my role that day was                                                                                                                                                                                  doing punditry. You still have a lot of
    Mike                                            Tyrone will be expecting our running        winning ball out wide, creating channels                                                                                                                                                                                 loyalty there.
    Finnerty                                      game and we’ll be expecting their run-        for fellas coming through the middle.                                                                                                                                                                                      I think what would be amazing when           AM: I’ve imagined that every day since
                                                  ning game, it’s going to be an awful lot      And a lot of the passes that I got that                                                                                                                                                                                  we do get the job done, whether that’s         1989 when I sat down and watched my
                                                  of transition play in terms of winning        day were actually long hand passes into                                                                                                                                                                                  the next day or whenever, I think the          first All-Ireland with my grandfather.
                                                  the ball, turning the ball over in your       the full-forward line. So for me this would                                                                                                                                                                              ex-players need us to win. I think from        He was a Cork man, and we had 50 pence
    MF: Given everything that’s hap-              half-back line, and going.                    be a very difficult game.                                                                                                                                                                                                ‘89 to ‘96 to ‘97 to all my years, I think     on the game.
    pened over the years, and given the             You can picture it, you can see Paddy         Obviously you’ve three full-backs [who]                                                                                                                                                                                the hurt from the players not being there        I’ve been lucky enough to see Cross-
    fact that Dublin and Kerry are not            Durcan, Oisin Mullin, Mattie Ruane,           all scored the last day, McKernan,                                                                                                                                                                                       will all die once we get over the line.        molina coming into Ballaghaderreen
    the opposition on Saturday, do Mayo           Diarmuid O’Connor driving forward. . .        McNamee and Hampsey all driving up                                                                                                                                                                                         I think it’s as simple as that.              with a cup, Ballina coming into Balla-
    have to win this All-Ireland?                 And on the other side you can see Slud-       the field. So again, I would have found                                                                                                                                                                                    I think hurt is only there once you feel     ghaderreen with a cup, the Mayo minors
                                                  den, Harte, McGeary and these guys            that very difficult.                                                                                                                                                                                                     like you’re missing out. But once it’s         in 2013 coming in, the Under-21s in 2016,
    AM: I don’t think you ever have to win        flooding forward.                               My job would have been, ‘Get the ball                                                                                                                                                                                  done, it’s done.                               I’ve seen all that. . And we’ll be ready.
    anything.                                       So there’s going to be an awful lot of      and put fellas through the channels.                                                                                                                                                                                       And I think all that will just diminish
      You’re going into a final here, where       play in between the ‘45s, so as an inside       Would it have been a huge scoring                                                                                                                                                                                      and be gone.                                   MF:Do you think Mayo will win?
    Tyrone haven’t won one since 2008,            forward I’d always be thinking of ‘where      game for me? Possibly not.                                                                                                                                                                                                 I said a couple of weeks ago that it
    Mayo haven’t won one in 70 years. You’ve      do you win the ball?’ ‘how do you run                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  doesn’t weigh heavy on me. Like, I’m           AM: You cannot underestimate the task
    two fresh teams, and it’s a huge, huge        the channels?’ and ‘how do you defend         MF: Would it have suited Cillian?                                                                                                                                                                                        not that sort of person. Genuinely.            we have in front of us. It’s huge, it’s
    opportunity.                                  against that when they’re attacking?          AM: Absolutely.                                                                                                                                                                                                            I think that could be having kids, it        monumental.
      But the key to an opportunity of a life-      ‘How do you defend as a forward?’                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    could be that I kind of retired on my            This game, I honestly believe, is on a
    time is to take it in the lifetime of the     ‘How do you stay high up the field?’          MF: Can you explain to me how big                                                                                                                                                                                        own terms, I didn’t get dropped at 28, I       knife-edge, 50-50. I don’t believe in this
    opportunity. Now is the time and the            So there’s still a lot of that in you.      a loss he will be the next day?                                                                                                                                                                                          didn’t feel like I had anything left to        ‘who wants it more’ nonsense. I believe
    boys can sense it. I’m sure the Tyrone          And then from a coaching point of                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    offer.                                         whoever gets the most amount of things
    boys can sense it too.                        view, I was thinking, ‘where can you do       AM: You asked me what was my initial                                                                                                                                                                                       When I finished, I knew I was done.          right win the game.
      This is a huge opportunity for both         damage?’                                      thought after the game? And if I’m being                                                                                                                                                                                 To the point where I didn’t even train           And I just think, even without Cillian,
    teams.                                          So you’re looking at Morgan’s kick-out,     honest my initial thought was Cillian.                                                                                                                                                                                   in 2020.                                       the 15 who go out on the field, I think we
                                                  you’re looking at can you keep McNamee,       I’m heartbroken for him if I’m being                                                                                                                                                                                       I just played the club season, I didn’t      believe absolutely in what we’re
    MF: What were your first thoughts             Hampsey and McKernan back on the              honest. I was in that situation in 2012,                                                                                                                                                                                 even train myself, I was coaching the          doing.
    when the final whistle went in the            full-back line? Because if we can, I think,   and I would honestly say for me, on a                                                                                                                                                                                    boys. I was finished with it.                    I thought playing in Division Two of
    second semi-final and you looked at           particularly Ryan O’Donoghue, who is          personal note, that was probably the                                                                                                                                                                                       The [All-Ireland] defeats will go to the     the league was probably a negative for
    the prospect of a Tyrone-Mayo                 just playing football at an extraordinary     hardest time of my whole career.                                                                                                                                                                                         grave with me. It’s not that I think a lot     us, but the more we go on, the more I
    Final?                                        level this year. . . So if we can keep him      I would say, bar my dad dying, it was                                                                                                                                                                                  about them, it’s not that I get upset about    see it as a positive. But I do want to reit-
                                                  between that 21 and that 45, orchestrat-      the hardest time of my whole life.                                                                                                                                                                                       them, but when you have a life’s goal in       erate what Kevin McStay said on The
    AM: I was actually very nervous watch-        ing play, and we can keep him up there,         Your life kinda revolves around Gaelic                                                                                                                                                                                 something, like business, family, your         Sunday Game, we have to play for more
    ing the game, which is very unusual.          that’s where I think we could do huge         football from 5 to 35, and then all of a                                                                                                                                                                                 job. . . something that you didn’t finish      than 35 minutes. We’ve done that now a
      My first thought was, ‘where can Mayo       damage.                                       sudden, on the biggest day, you’re miss-                                                                                                                                                                                 out, I think you’ll have those thoughts.       few times; Clare, Galway. Dublin. . . we
    hurt Tyrone and where could Tyrone              So in my head, I’d be thinking ‘how do      ing.                                             STUCK IN THE                                                   30 seconds. Cillian has the opportunity      have come to terms yet about not                              But it doesn’t weigh heavy on me at          have to play for a longer period of time
                                                                                                                                                 MOMENT  Mayo's
    hurt Mayo?’                                   we keep them there?’ How do we get              And I don’t think we would have missed         Andy Moran                                                     to take it short and maybe go again. And     being able to play in the final?                            all. It doesn’t because I’m thinking about     because if Tyrone get ahead, they’re
      My process is always to go, ‘Where can      Mattie [Ruane] driving off his shoulder?      Cillian against Kerry, but I think we’ll         celebrates after                                               you’re just missing his leadership.                                                                      coaching and managing and what I’m             going to close in like Donegal did in 2012.
    we lose the game?’ first. And I used to       And how do you get Tommy [Conroy]             miss him the next day.                           scoring an equalising                                            McNamee, Hampsey and McKernan              AM: I think if we win then Cillian will                     going to do next. I’ll always think of the     So we have to be ready to play for 70
    do that as a player. And then by the          maybe one-on-one with a McKernan                He’s a huge, huge loss.                        point against Dublin                                           are going to give it to the [Mayo] boys      be absolutely 100%. Yes, of course you                      next thing.                                    odd minutes here.
    Wednesday, I’d be always thinking, ‘Right,    inside?                                                                                        in the 2015 All-Ireland                                        the next day, they are going to get inten-   miss out on it, but my problem when we                        But is there a part of me that you don’t       But I genuinely believe that, backboned
    where can we hurt them?’ That’s how                                                         MF: What will the team really miss               SFC semi-final.                                                sity and stuff off the ball like they’ve     lost to Donegal was [that] l I was think-                   look back on 2017 and go, ‘Do ya know,         by Mattie, Diarmuid, Stephen Coen,
                                                                                                                                                 Pic: Sportsfile
    I’ve always thought.                          MF: Would Andy Moran at his best              against Tyrone by Cillian not being                                                                             never got before.                            ing, ‘I could have definitely helped’.                      I’d love to have achieved that with the        Michael Plunkett, these guys have won.
      So I was thinking, ‘will Stephen Coen       love to be playing in this final? How         there?                                                                                                            O’Connor is just huge. He gives so           I knew I’d come back, I know Cillian                      group of boys that were there’. . Abso-        My team never got to a winning podium,
    go out with Donnelly?’ ‘Will Lee stay in      would you go about it?
                                                                                                                                                                                   I’m                          much of it himself, he’s so used to it.      will come back, he knows he’ll come                         lutely, and we didn’t do it.                   but they did.
    with McCurry?’
      That was my thought process.                AM: This would have been a very tough
                                                                                                AM: Scores are going to be at a premium
                                                                                                and James [Horan] will be thinking about
                                                                                                                                                                                   heartbroken
                                                                                                                                                                                                                  But the biggest place [he’ll be missed]
                                                                                                                                                                                                                is that scores are going to be at a pre-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             back.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               But if the team loses, you’re thinking,   The defeats       And it’s a goal that I will never hit now
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         at this stage, and will I think about it for
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          I lost an All-Ireland minor [final], an
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Under-21 [final], I lost all my seniors

    MF: Do you think about these things
                                                  game for the likes of myself. I would
                                                  have been a ball winner. And I don’t
                                                                                                things like, when we get a free around
                                                                                                the ‘50, we bring Robbie up, it’s giving                                           for Cillian if
                                                                                                                                                                                                                mium, and he’s our premium score get-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                ter.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             ‘I could have helped’.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         will go to      the rest of my life, 100%.                     [finals], they have got to the winning
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        podium and I think they know how to
    as a coach now?                               think there’s going to be too many kick-
                                                  passes into that full-forward line.
                                                                                                Tyrone the time to set up, it’s slowing
                                                                                                down the game, it’s taken a minute and                                             I’m being
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             MF: Will you be nervous watching
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             the final?
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         the grave       MF: Have you imagined or visualised
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        do it. They’ve won a National League
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        and a Connacht title in Croke Park, and
    AM: I still think there’s a player in there
    somewhere, thinking, ‘what is the best
                                                    I remember in 2016 we played Cillian,
                                                  Aidan and myself in the full-forward
                                                                                                a half.
                                                                                                  If Cillian is there that kick is done inside                                     honest
                                                                                                                                                                                                                MF: From the benefit of your experi-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                ence in 2012, do you think Cillian will      AM: I’m very bad. I was laughing at
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         with me         what it will be like if Mayo beat
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Tyrone?
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        I do believe that’s what’s going to lead
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        us to the promised land.
OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS - THE MAYO NEWS
8              all-ireland final preview mayo v Tyrone                                                                                                          The Mayo News • Tuesday, September 7, 2021                  Tuesday, September 7, 2021 • The Mayo News                                                                     all-ireland final preview mayo v Tyrone                      9

                     An end is in sight                                                                                                                                                                                     Nothing will
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           eter slowly crept up by degrees
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           until the needle entered the red
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           hot warning sign every time the

                                                                                                                                                                                                                            beat being there
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           ball flew over the bar from
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Tommy Conroy’s boot.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             As I left Croke Park that day,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           there was a tinge of sadness
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           knowing, as I thought then, that
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           I would not be back to see the
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           journey’s end.
Column                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       So the realisation that I’m damn
Colin                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      lucky to be going there at all is
Sheridan                                                                                                                                                                                                                    A Fan’s View                       left it behind the bar to be picked   only would Mayo beat Dublin,                                          not lost on me. As it will not be
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Rory                               up using a codeword?                  but explained exactly how and                                         lost on all the Mayo fans who
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Galvin                               No, a simple e-mail from Tick-      by what margin.                                                       can’t be there, be they from
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               etmaster and it now lives in my         Like the cops at the end of The                                     Geesala, Kuala Lumpur, Boston
“Longing on a large scale is what makes                                                                                                                                                                                                                        phone.                                Usual Suspects figuring out who                                       or Balla. We know as supporters

                                                                                                                                                                                                                             A
history. This is just a kid with a local                                                                                                                                                                                                                         No standing on ceremony, a          was the real Keyser Soze, it                                          who, and what, we’re represent-
yearning but he is part of an assembling                                                                                                                                                                                                     JOURNEY of        seat on Emirates flight EK162         dawned on me, and I dared for                                         ing and what our responsibility
crowd, anonymous thousands off the                                                                                                                                                                                                           a thousand        from Dubai to Dublin was              a second, to look ahead to Sep-                                       is on Saturday. To the team, to
buses and trains, people in narrow col-                                                                                                                                                                                                      miles begins      booked, with lodgings thrown          tember and ask ‘what if?”. Was                                        ourselves and to those of us who
umns tramping over the swing bridge                                                                                                                                                                                                          with a single     in for good measure. News was         this Oracle of the South a man                                        are not in the stadium.
above the river, and even if they are not                                                                                                                                                                                                    step, so said a   despatched to Ballinrobe,             of great footballing knowledge,                                         I’m looking forward to the roar
a migration or a revolution, some vast                                                                                                                                                                                                       Chinese phi-      whereby the sports editor, never      or just another cute Kerry hoor                                       when the Green and Red come
shaking of the soul, they bring with them                                                                                                                                                                                   losopher.                          one to miss a trick for free copy,    sent to the capital to sell ‘Yerras                                   shooting out of the tunnel and
the body heat of a great city and their                                                                                                                                                                                       In my case, it began earlier     asked me to pen a piece on what       to the Mayos’ like Arthur Daly                                        our opponents realise they are
own small reveries and desperations, the                                                                                                                                                                                    when the news that a coveted       the journey will be like. What        sold used Ford Capris.                                                not just playing against 15 men,
unseen something that haunts the day—                                                                                                                                                                                       All- Ireland ticket had my name    journey would that be? The flight       Of course no one could have                                         but hundreds of thousands of
men in fedoras and sailors on shore leave,                                                                                                                                                                                  on it.                             home… or one we’ve all been           predicted what came next — at                                         Mayo men and women across
the stray tumble of their thoughts, going                                                                                                                                                                                     I anticipated that usual drama   on together for the last 70 years?    least not in the way it came                                          the globe. For when we finally
to a game.”                                                                                                                                                                                                                 would when it comes to procur-     After all, you did say you only       about. The Chaos™, (surely                                            lift Sam on Saturday evening,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            ing one would be increased         wanted 500 words.                     we’ve earned the patent to it                                         one thing is for sure: the journey
- Don DeLillo, Underworld                                                                                                                                                                                                   tenfold before I had it in my        In truth, this journey could be     now?) that Mayo brought to                                            will continue.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            hand. This is the GAA way.         traced back to a chance encoun-       Dublin in the semi-final encap-                                         Maigh Eo Abú!

 I
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Would I need to collect it from    ter with a Kerryman outside           sulated all that is good and great,
             CONSIDERED composing                                                                                                                                                                                           a college buddy’s cousin from      Ryan’s pub after the Connacht         heart-warming and heart-churn-                                        A FLYING VISIT Maggie
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           James O’Malley (2 and a half
             this entire article from song                                                                                                                                                                                  Westmeath outside Gill’s on the    Final in Croke Park. Falling into     ing, with this team over the last                                     years old) is pictured after
             lyrics about love and loss.                                                                                                                                                                                    morning of the game, or perhaps    our company with a well-timed         10 years. Perched in the Cusack                                       landing in Ireland from
             From DeLillo quotes about                                                                                                                                                                                      drive to Dingle and ask the bar-   comment on the game; he then          Stand with some clubmen from                                          Australia to support Mayo in
             longing. From Kozelek. From                                                                                                                                                                                    man in Dick Mac’s if someone       proceeded to tell us that not         Ballinrobe, our elation barom-                                        Saturday’s All-Ireland Final.
             Heaney. From Beckett, Stein-
beck maybe, and, just for the heck of it,
some late Hemingway.
  From text messages sent by friends,
composed the night before finals, when
our hearts are full and we are drunk,
metaphorically and literally, with the
possibility of tomorrow.
  From the follow-ups, the tragic post-

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      SUPPORTING THE
mortems, sent 24 hours later, telegrams
dispatched smothered in cynicism, laden
with tired resignation, anger even, over

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      GREEN
selections and decisions and referees
and the bitter aftertaste of a brutal bounc-
ing ball.
  I imagined this as a stream of lucid
consciousness, an enlightened dispatch                                                     how become enough? Is it parenthood?            ENJOYING THE JOURNEY               Who wants integrity when you can
littered with contemplative platitudes                                                     Is it losing people you love?                   Mayo players Ryan                have Celtic Crosses? Integrity won’t put
on why winning won’t change us. On                                                           Is it real life?                              O’Donoghue, Diarmuid             groceries in the fridge. It won’t get the
why defeat won’t define us.                                                                  I don’t know, but, for the first time since   O’Connor and Colm Boyle          girls either. And anyways, is integrity
  I contemplated building the piece                                                        I was a kid, the anxiety is gone. I think.      celebrate after their win over   throwing a GPS unit at an opposing
                                                                                                                                           Dublin in the All-Ireland SFC

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     & RED
around the old boy from Shawshank -                                                          Maybe it’s because I believe there is         semi-final. Pic: Sportsfile      player, mid kick? Damn right it is. He
Brooks - who spent his whole adult life                                                    nothing new left to happen, only win.                                            should have thrown an entire laptop at
wanting to leave his cell, only to finally                                                 Literally every other outcome has been                                           him. And the user manual.
be granted freedom to find he couldn’t                                                     realised in 32 years of trying.                                                    Tyrone would have.
cope. BROOKS WAS HERE.
  That was my ending.                           The longing                                  How I shake my head at the naive nov-
                                                                                           elty of ‘89 and ‘96. How I lament a lost
                                                                                                                                                                              This year was supposed to be a year
                                                                                                                                                                            off, for God’s sake. Retirements. Rup-

                                                remains, but
  Are we ready? Do we want to leave?                                                       childhood realised in the cruel crescendo                                        tured achilles. Returning champions.
Are we prisoners perennially wedded                                                        of ‘97, the knife twisted by Galway in ‘98.                                      Mayo were supposed to know their place.

                                                that feeling
to our captor?                                                                             How I blame my stupid self for believ-                                           Instead, the Dublin semi-final was just
  Has it always been the journey, never                                                    ing in the false dawns of ‘04 and ‘06.                                           another example of everything you know

                                                of hopeful
the destination?                                                                             How I hang my head in shame for not                                            is wrong.
  And what of Sisphus? The legendary                                                       being there in Pearse Park, Longford in                                            Living your life by the bale rhythm of

                                                hopelessness
king of Corinth, condemned eternally                                                       2010, for if we have come to learn any-                                          Mayo’s football fortunes is to submit to
to repeatedly roll a heavy rock up a hill                                                  thing in Mayo, it is that your dedication                                        an entropy so volatile, it is an act of blind

                                                is gone
in Hades, only to have it roll down again                                                  to the cause is not measured in tokens                                           faith. All because you were born in a
as it nears the top? Was his mother from                                                   gathered in good times as much as it is                                          place, or of a place.
Geesala? Is this our lot in life? Is accept-                                               scars suffered in the bad.                                                         And we wouldn’t have it any other way.
ance better than the blind fury of our                                                       If the last decade of being from Mayo                                          Football has guided us through another
perpetual rebellion? Etcetera etcetera.                                                    has taught me anything, it is that it has                                        summer, the unseen something that
  I was ready for all of this. I had the                                                   actually taught me absolutely nothing.                                           haunts our day. Without it, we would be
playlists primed and the poetry prepped.       is not there.                                 Either I am incapable of learning the                                          left with a void to fill. Idle chat to make.
I had dog-eared novels with spines bat-
tered down and paper, stained by time
and coffee, ready to be raided for quips
                                                 The longing remains, but that feeling
                                               of hopeful hopelessness is gone.
                                                 I want us to win as much as ever, but,
                                                                                           lessons offered, or they are lessons not
                                                                                           so much to be learned as lived through.
                                                                                           We have conspired to win games and
                                                                                                                                                                            Situations to contrive.
                                                                                                                                                                              Fun to be forced.
                                                                                                                                                                              With it, we are reminded that the world
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            HAS YOUR BACK
and quotes. I don’t know what happened,        somehow the need is absent. Is it a         lose games in every manner possible,                                             is a fine place, and worth fighting for.
but, as the Goddess of existentially chal-     defence mechanism? Have I tested and        and still emerge with at least a morsel                                            There. I did it. I had to.
lenged Mayo people, Sally Rooney, is           tasted too much? Have I been so brow-       of integrity intact. Integrity!                                                    Whatever happens Saturday, that man-
my witness, this time, the desperation         beaten by life that being there has some-     Oh yes, I can hear the critics cry.                                            tra will remain.
OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS - THE MAYO NEWS
10             all-ireland final preview mayo v Tyrone                                        The Mayo News • Tuesday, September 7, 2021            Tuesday, September 7, 2021 • The Mayo News                                                                 all-ireland final preview mayo v Tyrone                                                                  11

  Mayo must                                                                                                                                                                          UP IN THE AIR Mayo’s Aidan O’Shea                        O’Shea has a crucial
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              midfield role to play
                                                                                                                                                                                     competes for the ball with Tyrone’s Colm
                                                                                                                                                                                     Cavanagh and Ronan McNamee, as

   get their
                                                                                                                                                                                     Cathal McCarron awaits developments,
                                                                                                                                                                                     during the 2016 All-Ireland SFC quarter-
                                                                                                                                                                                     final. Pic: Sportsfile

  game-plan                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   I
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    ’VE had a go at picking the Mayo
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    team that I would go with to start
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    next Saturday’s All-Ireland
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      And then you’ve got to be ready for
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Darragh Canavan and Cathal McShane
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    to come on.

   just right
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Final.                                                                            This is where the question of Brendan
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      One certainty is that Rob Hen-                                                Harrison comes up; is he an option
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              nelly will be in goal, and I think the                                                to come in and give the team 20 min-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              defence picks itself with Enda Hes-                                                   utes off the bench on McShane? Or
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              sion coming in for Eoghan McLaugh-                                                    could he come on to pick up someone
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              lin. I’m assuming that Oisin Mullin                                                   and let O’Hora go on to McShane?
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              won’t be fit to start at this stage, but
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              if he is then that will be a very pleas-    I think Mayo                                Mayo are going to have to plan to
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    deal with five different players in the
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              ant surprise.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                I’d be posting Aidan O’Shea around        will find a                               Tyrone full-forwardline over the
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    course of the game. So having that

Column                                          Not through Tyrone’s great work-rate
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              the middle of the field and I think he
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              could be a very important factor in         way to win                                planned and plotted out in advance
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    is going to be crucial, while also hav-

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          the game
Billy Joe                                     or anything, but more through Kerry’s                                                                                                                                                           putting pressure on Morgan’s kick-                                                    ing the flexibility to adapt as the game
Padden                                        lethargy.                                                                                                                                                                                       outs and dropping deep to try and                                                     evolves.
                                                Mayo will recognise that and be much                                                                                                                                                          stop crossfield balls into the full-back                                                I think Tyrone will send Conor
                                              more intense in terms of trying to put                                                                                                                                                          line.                                                                                 Meyler to pick up Paddy Durcan,
                                              pressure on Morgan.                                                                                                                                                                               I think it’s important for O’Shea that                                              especially given the success that Mey-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              if he does play in that area that he                                                  ler had against Paudie Clifford. I’d
Playing at a                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  moves the ball quickly and only brings                                                have no issue with that match-up
high tempo                                    The role of the                                                                                                                                                                                 the ball into the tackle if he’s moving                                               because Paddy is such a good and
                                              middle third                                                                                                                                                                                    forward with momentum.                                                                accomplished defender.
THE first thing for Mayo to focus on is                                                                                                                                                                                                         Up front, I’d start with Diarmuid
trying to play the game at a high             THE Mayo players in this area of the                                                                                                                                                            O’Connor, Conor Loftus, Bryan Walsh
tempo.                                        field will be busy, but they will have to                                                                                                                                                       in the half-forwardline; and Ryan          Keegan, Michael Plunkett; Paddy            My verdict
  The opening 20 minutes of the Kerry-        retain possession and to recognise when                                                                                                                                                         O’Donoghue, Kevin McLoughlin and           Durcan, Stephen Coen, Enda Hession;        I THINK Mayo will find a way to win
Tyrone semi-final were quite slow-paced       they need to break through that Tyrone                                                                                                                                                          Tommy Conroy inside.                       Mattie Ruane, Aidan O’Shea; Diarmuid       the game and win the All-Ireland.
and there wasn’t much intensity really        ‘press’.                                                                                                                                                                                          I’d see Kevin’s role as being that of    O’Connor, Conor Loftus, Bryan Walsh;         As it gets closer, the more I believe
apart from when Tyrone got three or             The Ulster champions did a really good                                                                                                                                                        an organiser, a man that’s key to the      Ryan O’Donoghue, Kevin McLough-            that Mayo will be able to play at a
four players around the ball-carrier in       job the last day of putting the Kerry ball-                                                                                                                                                     rotation and movement of the for-          lin, Tommy Conroy.                         higher tempo than Tyrone and will
their own defence.                            carriers in the middle third under pres-                                                                                                                                                        wards. He also knows that he can                                                      be able to generate enough scores
  Other than that, it was timid enough        sure.                                                                                                                                                                                           come out the field and impact the                                                     from all over the field, especially from
from a pace point of view.                      But Mayo are superior to Kerry in that                                                                                                                                                        game if necessary. That makes it a bit     Some key                                   that crucial middle third sector.
  So I think Mayo will want to play the       area; Mattie Ruane is the in-form mid-                                                                                                                                                          more difficult for Tyrone in that they     match-ups                                    I think they’re going to get some
game at a really high tempo. And they’ll      fielder in the country, Paddy Durcan is                                                                                                                                                         don’t have key target-men to mar-                                                     scores out of their key players there,
want the ball in play for as long as pos-     the best half-back in the country, and the                                                                                                                                                      shal.                                      TYRONE are going to start Mattie           like Mattie Ruane, Diarmuid O’Connor
sible to try and drive home that advan-       ball-carriers coming through that area                                                                                                                                                            It’s going to be a chaotic game any-     Donnelly and Darren McCurry in the         and Conor Loftus.
tage.                                         are usually very secure in possession.                                                                                                                                                          way where I don’t think positions are      full-forwardline, and I would go with        I also feel that Mayo will be able to
  Rob Hennelly will be crucial in that          They’ll need to be again, and they’ll                                                                                                                                                         going to matter very much, and both        Lee Keegan on McCurry and Padraig          put pressure on Niall Morgan’s kick-
regard.                                       need to play heads-up football. If there’s                                                                                                                                                      Mayo and Tyrone will be very com-          O’Hora on Donnelly.                        outs to disrupt Tyrone, get their own
  There wasn’t a whole pile of evidence       space in front of them, then attack, and                                                                                                                                                        fortable playing that sort of game.          O’Hora will wait in the full-back line   kick-outs away to create opportuni-
that Tyrone put Shane Ryan in the Kerry       make sure there’s support with them.                                                                                                                                                                                                       most of the time, but if Conor McK-        ties for themselves, and that the Mayo
goals under much pressure. He was able          If there isn’t support then they need to                                                                                                                                                                                                 enna plays some minutes in there,          players will show enough patience at
to get his kick-outs away quite easily.       be patient.                                                                                                                                                                                     My starting XV                             he’s got such athleticism that I’d prob-   the right times to get the match-win-
  That didn’t seem to bother Tyrone the         Support runners are going to be crucial                                                                                                                                                       Rob Hennelly; Padraig O’Hora, Lee          ably look for Lee to pick him up.          ning scores.
last day, but it’s much more dangerous        because of the way that Tyrone get bod-
when you allow Mayo to work the ball          ies around the ball. You cannot find

                                                                                                                                                    3 things Tyrone will focus on
up the field. Because their middle third      yourself isolated because that’s exactly
players and half-back line are much bet-      what the blanket defence wants.                            So it’s going to be important Mayo
ter than Kerry’s at generating scores.          It wants to isolate you, wrap you up,                  rotate forwards while keeping their ‘spac-
  Rob has been getting his restarts out       turn the ball over and go the other way.                 ing’ — which is something that Pep
exceptionally well all year so it’s him         So it’s up to the ball-carrier to recognise            Guardiola talks a lot about.
about generating a high tempo for Mayo        when to go and when to stay.                               What I mean by ‘spacing’ is that if Mayo
by getting the ball into play as quickly                                                               were to divide the attacking half of the
as possible.                                                                                           field into six segments, then they would
                                              Spacing out                                              need at least one player in each segment.    Defending                                                               Exploiting Mayo                                                          Giving Mayo their kick-outs
                                              up front                                                 And then you add midfielders and the         in numbers                                                              weaknesses                                                               I THINK Tyrone will use some of the games against Mayo in the past
Pressure the                                                                                           half-back line to whatever segment so                                                                                                                                                         to inform their game-plan. We can all remember league matches
Tyrone kick-out                               Mayo will need to blend patience and                     that you’re spaced out all over the field.   TYRONE’S joint managers Brian Dooher and Fergal Logan will              IF I’m Brian Dooher or Fergal Logan then I will be looking to focus      when Tyrone gave Mayo their own short kick-outs — like they did
                                              bravery in the forwardline.                              Because if you’re spaced out then so is      want to see more of what they saw in the semi-final from their          in on what they perceive to be weaknesses in the Mayo team.              against Kerry in the semi-final — and were happy to let them try and
MAYO will definitely zone in on putting         Tyrone are going to get loads of bodies                the blanket defence.                         defenders again next weekend.                                           I think they’ll look at the full-back line and say that Padraig O’Hora   work the ball up the field.
pressure on the Tyrone kick-out.              back, and the key thing for me is that                     If the Mayo forwards are all in the one    They really denied Kerry’s attack a lot of space and they’ll want to    and Lee Keegan are both very good in physical situations, but            That ensures that it’s slow build-up play and that Tyrone have
  Tyrone didn’t do anything revolution-       Mayo need to work on using the full                      area then the blanket defence can wrap       do that again against this Mayo forwardline, particularly when it       they’re not the quickest.                                                everybody back in their defensive shell. I think they always feel very
ary on their own kick-outs against Kerry.     width of the field and the full depth of                 them up easily.                              comes to Tommy Conroy and Ryan O’Donoghue.                              So Tyrone will try and expose that.                                      strong in those situations; they feel that they’re defensively good
They positioned their targets in the          the forwardline.                                           So the spacing of the forwards, and the    They’ll recognise that those players are quick so they’ll want to get   I also imagine they will feel that Mayo are not going to play with a     enough to keep a team out, even if they’ve allowed them to have
‘inside’ field positions and Kerry defended     What I mean by that is if you’re playing               circulation of them, is absolutely cru-      as many bodies around them as they can, be as physical as they          sweeper so there should be spaces there when Tyrone get on               possession from the kick-out.
it from the outside.                          in the full-forwardline, you might not                   cial.                                        can, and ensure that no Mayo forwards can break easily into             turnover ball and counter-attack.                                        Kerry couldn’t break them down and Tyrone will feel that Mayo won’t
  And Tyrone didn’t make too many             necessarily be a target for the ball, but                  Working on that is absolutely critical     space.                                                                  There may be spaces there too on some good kick-outs from Niall          be able to either. They will probably feel that Mayo’s forwards aren’t as
efforts to try and break that and create      you have to be on the penalty spot so                    to play against Tyrone, and ultimately       They will feel that they can have success because they’re not           Morgan that put somebody away around the middle. If they can             good as Kerry’s.
some options for Niall Morgan. But            that you are stretching out the Tyrone                   beat them.                                   dealing with a David Clifford who only needs six inches of space to     get those out then they should be able to play the long diagonal         So they will be happy to draw Mayo on, invite them in, and try and
around 20 minutes into the second half,       defenders all the way from their goal-                                                                get a shot away and over the bar.                                       passes that they like into Darren McCurry, Cathal McShane or             force turnovers.
Kerry seemed to lose energy or patience       keeper to the 50 yard line.                               IN-FORM Mayo's Matthew Ruane                That’s not Tommy Conroy or Ryan O’Donoghue’s game — not yet             Mattie Donnelly, or whoever is in there.                                 They’ll back themselves to frustrate Mayo, and they have evidence
or concentration because it started to          So that you’re opening up as much                       celebrates after the Connacht Final.        anyway.                                                                 Tyrone will expect to have the advantage in terms of pace in those       from the last few league matches the counties have played to support
                                                                                                        Pic: Sportsfile
open up more for Morgan.                      space as possible.                                                                                                                                                            one-on-one situations.                                                   that. Whether they can do that in Croke Park remains to be seen.
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12            all-ireland final preview mayo v Tyrone                                                                                                      The Mayo News • Tuesday, September 7, 2021                Tuesday, September 7, 2021 • The Mayo News                                                                       all-ireland final preview mayo v Tyrone                                                            13

                                                                                                                                                                                                                       The busy life
                                                                                                                                                                                                                         of Brian
     People here                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             “That’s one of Mayo’s greatest       Some managers might have
     can be everything                                                                                                                                                                                               Interview                             strengths, their work rate, par-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           ticularly from the forward and
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                been delighted with their
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                progress, but that’s never been
     all at once
                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Declan
                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Bogue                                 midfield units never mind their      Dooher’s way. He is, in the best
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           defence. Their tackling and their    sense of the phrase, hungry for
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           intensity there and a lot of teams   titles.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                      T
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           have experienced that this year.       “I think anyone playing foot-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   HE stats don’t lie.     I know one of the keys to Mayo’s     ball...you don’t put off until
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Tyrone produced       success has been their work rate     tomorrow what you can do today
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   35 turnovers over       generally all around the field,”     you know and I don’t think any-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   a gruelling 103 min-    he explained at Tyrone’s press       body would be any different,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   utes of football        night last week.                     who knows what’s around the
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   against Kerry.            Asked if the outcome of the        corner,” said the 46 year-old.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Up against what Kieran              game will be decided on the            “Just live in the now, live in
                                                                                                                                                                                                                     McGeeney once called years            turnover count, he continued,        the moment and do the best
                                                                                                                                                                                                                     ago the ‘hardest-hitting team in      “Well, that’ll definitely be one     we can with what we have
                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Gaelic football’, the All-Ireland     aspect of it. You’ve to earn the     as we have it. That’s what
                                                                                                                                                                                                                     final is going to be a warzone of     right to play football and Mayo      we’ve done. We’ve taken every
                                                                                                                                                                                                                     bodies diving on every loose          definitely earn the right, they      game at a time and try to do
                                                                                                                                                                                                                     ball. Tyrone and Mayo have            work hard to earn the right to       the best we can, come to train-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                     served up some tense encoun-          play football and you’re going       ing every night, do the best we       JOINT APPROACH Tyrone joint-managers Feargal Logan, right, and Brian Dooher celebrate after
                                                                                                                                                                                                                     ters in the past and this is set to   to have to work equally hard to      can and see where that takes          beating Kerry in the All-Ireland SFC semi-final. Pic: Sportsfile
                                                                                                                                                                                                                     surpass all expectations.             earn that right to play football     you.”
                                                                                                                                                                                                                       But, Tyrone joint-manager           against them.”                         Still, when they were unveiled      so I didn’t probably, but that’s     final, but you never think about    further ahead because games
                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Brian Dooher is fully prepared          After their win over Kerry, the    as the new management last            just the way things happen,”         that at the time. You’re thinking   have been every couple of weeks.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                     for that.                             rest of the country might have       November, the chances of head-        Dooher said.                         about the next game and the         And it’s good from a player point
                                                                                                                                                                                                                       As a player who won three           been shocked, but Dooher’s           ing into an All-Ireland final might     “We didn’t imagine anything        next one after that.                of view because there’s less
                                                                                                                                                                                                                     All-Irelands and three All Stars,     managerial compatriot Feargal        have seemed highly remote.            and I suppose everyone wants           “You don’t have time and espe-    training probably, but it does
                                                                                                                                                                                                                     that kind of dirty work was his       Logan said it was crucial to grab      “I probably didn’t imagine that     to do the best that they can, they   cially this year, you definitely    create its own challenges from
                                                                                                                                                                                                                     calling card.                         the chance while it was there.       I’d be managing ten months ago,       want to get to an All-Ireland        haven’t had much time to think      a preparation point of view.”
                                                                                                                                                                             SHARING THE MOMENT
                                                                                                                                                                             Tyrone’s Cathal McShane
                                                                                                                                                                             celebrates with Kaitlynn Coyle
                                                                                                                                                                             after the recent All-Ireland SFC
                                                                                                                                                                             semi-final win over Kerry at
                                                                                                                                                                             Croke Park. Pic: Sportsfile

Tyrone’s mood is changing
                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Best Wishes to the
                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Mayo Senior Team
                                                    used to begin with him blithely asking, ‘what’s       prise in the county.                                  same semi circle way again as basketball play-
Column                                              the mood in the county?’                                Not like that in Tyrone, where business thrives     ers shot in the zone or outside for a big score.
Declan                                                It was the one question that terrified me. I        and ambitions courses through them.                     ‘The game is an amateur sport and in the 90’s
Bogue                                               would embark on an anecdote or two about a              And yet, they like to stick to their own.           those men had real jobs. We loved watching
                                                    player or a recent game and after that, the silence     Perhaps the best example of this is how dur-        real big strong men catch a ball or shoulder a
                                                    would ensue. Had I said too much?                     ing the boom, a crew of Carrickmore – known           man or a big hit. Nowadays they train, train,

 W
                                                      Not enough? I couldn’t speak for the Ferman-        locally as ‘Carmen’ people made a killing in          train and run, run, run. Dublin-Kildare Leinster

                                                                                                                                                                                                                             in the All Ireland Final
                    HEN I was a very young          agh Nation and the spotlight was harsh.               construction. One bought a holiday home in            final should never been played out on tv, to be
                    punk trying to make my way        So it was with spectacular trepidation when         Spain. Soon, half the town had properties in and      honest game should have stopped.
                    in this Godforsaken industry,   Mike Finnerty asked me to write a column about        around the same spot and it soon became known           ‘Ask any joe bloggs and there is no interest in
                    I bumped into the former        Tyrone. ‘Just tell us about the mood in the           as ‘Playa del Carmen.’                                county football. You could write a match report
                    Mayo team performance           county,’ he messaged. Oh boy.                           What’s the mood in the county? Well, I might        on the back of a stamp nowadays cause it is so
                    coach, Kieran Shannon, in         Tyrone. I’ve been living here now for eleven        introduce a club-mate of mine.                        bloody boring.
an Enniskillen pub in 2002.                         years, from an apartment in Omagh, to right             Recently during lulls in underage training, he        ‘Declan the game is an awful watch. Seriously
  Shannon’s relatives were all known to me,
being from the town. They soon made the con-
nection and I then latched onto him as an advi-
                                                    hard on the border in Aughnacloy, a place that
                                                    some others in the county call ‘El Paso’, with
                                                    everyone passing through on their way to other
                                                                                                          and I have been discussing the state of Gaelic
                                                                                                          football. My thoughts are that it is in a healthy
                                                                                                          state at present.
                                                                                                                                                                you are in cuckoo land if you think people are
                                                                                                                                                                excited about football.’
                                                                                                                                                                  After another raft of arguments from me: ‘I
                                                                                                                                                                                                                             from Maria Walsh MEP & Team
sor and mentor.                                     places.                                                 Not his. Nor can he be persuaded by con-            give up. Thank God for Love Island.’
  When he was growing up, his father Brendan          And I still haven’t figured them out.               structed arguments, facts and statistics.               And then Mayo-Dublin happened.
used to get a copy of The Fermanagh Herald            They can be the everything all at once. A more        These conversations continued into What’s             And then Tyrone-Kerry happened.
sent to his home in Cork. Shannon grew up           generous people you could not meet. And at            App messages between us. While some of this             And now, he is looking for a ticket for the All-
reading the exploits of the likes of Peter McGin-   the same time, harsh on shortcomings.                 was tongue-in-cheek, here are a sample of some        Ireland final, having sworn off county football
nity and Malachy O’Rourke in match reports.           Coming from Fermanagh, you soon realise             of his thoughts;                                      for the last few years.
He would know their club form intimately.           that there are generational forces at play. Our         ‘Defenders do not tackle nor defend hence the         On Sunday morning, he took it all back. He’s
  He was always mad keen to get into a deep         ancestors had a bounty of lakes to fish from and      reason why there is high scoring. The game is         in love again.
dive conversation around the pros and cons of       feed their families.                                  like basketball on a pitch. Comfortable on the          That’s Tyrone for you. I’d say it’s not far off                                                      maria.walsh@europarl.europa.eu 087 721 5415
Fermanagh football, in particular what the
operations were at county board level and what
                                                      It was an arable farming existence, only really
                                                    taking as much as you needed.
                                                                                                          ball is not a skill. Midfielders have to be able to
                                                                                                          run with the ball. The game is ruined, yes goalie
                                                                                                                                                                the Mayo mindset at times either.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            @mariawalsheu www.eppgroup.eu
improvements they could make.                         Even now, with the Quinn Empire in smoul-           is good because they now have to make an              Declan Bogue is a freelance GAA writer who lives
  Most phone calls over the preceding years         dering waste, there is a distinct lack of enter-      impact. Forwards are not tackled. They play the       in Aughnacloy, Co Tyrone.
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