At the pitch
The headlines say it all. A shocker at McHale Park last night, with perennial Connacht champs Mayo getting spanked by their neighboring rivals Co Galway. Perhaps Mayo was looking too far forward to the Connacht finals and this semi-final match was taken for granted. But the lads looked listless and disorganized and Galway was the aggressor on play after play. And I thought the officiating wasn't particularly balanced. But that's just the Yank in me talking. It is my impression that most Irish fans claim the outcome is based solely on the play on the pitch and are pretty admirable sportsmen regarding the outcome. "The other lads had a better night," would be the most typical response you might find.
Mayo fans and Galway fans filled the stands without regard to loyalty and you would find a sprinkling of the Galway burgundy in the midst of a sea of Mayo red and green. I saw none of the boorish behavior recently seen in the European soccer championships which have been marked by violence and rioting, most notably involving Russian hooligans. Even in leaving the stadium I heard no obnoxious boasting.
Somewhere in the neighborhood of 15k fans cheering on their county lads
Ireland is divided into four provinces: Leinster, Munster, Connacht, and Ulster. Counties play for the honor of representing their province in the "All-Ireland" championship which is held at Croke Park in Dublin. It is hard to overstate Irish emotional investment in the GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association). All the athletes are amateurs. No multi-million dollar contracts. No boorish arrogant behavior (well, maybe those Kerrymen...). It really seems the purest expression of sport - real heroes playing for pride of place and respectful of tradition.
The GAA was founded in 1884 and for many years played an important role in the march toward independence for Ireland from Britain. At a time in which the British tried to remove every single vestige of Irish culture - the Penal laws forbade the practice of Roman Catholicism, schools were closed, the speaking of Irish was punished, priests were hunted down and killed - the GAA facilitated communication throughout the island, another aspect of Irish life that was closely controlled by the British oppressors. The GAA also allowed the Irish to express some cautious rebellion against British rule, mostly through passive resistance to directives, and its players and leaders provided brave role models for a population that had been held in brutal subjugation for 400 years.
One of the most definitive events occurred during a match at Croke Park - Bloody Sunday, in which the British drove armored vehicles on the pitch and opened fire, killing 14 innocent match attendees. It was in retaliation for the assassination of 14 British agents the night before by a group led by Michael Collins. This year, as the Irish have celebrated the 100 year anniversary of the Easter Rising, there has been a fair amount of controversy as to the tactics employed by leaders like Collins. Some would say that independence would have been inevitable and armed conflict wrong. Others support the tactics, guerrilla tactics really, used by some segments of the Irish Freedom Fighters. I have a simple opinion of the matter. It seems highly unlikely that the British would willingly walk away from a land and people that had yielded such rich plunder for their empire. Again, the GAA allowed the Irish people to have pride and to communicate the plans for rebellion island-wide. It was an honor to be at this GAA match last night.
The Tinker's Curse... In 1951, after winning the All-Ireland championship in Gaelic football, the triumphant team was returning home from Dublin and passed through the Mayo town of Foxford. As they passed through, they encountered a funeral procession for a tinker, also known as a gypsy or traveler. Polite behavior would dictate that they would stop in respect of the deceased while the procession passed. In their high spirits from having won the All-Ireland, they continued along, angering the mourners. It is claimed that an old tinker women put a curse on the team that Mayo would not win another championship until every man on that team was dead. Two men remain alive. And Mayo has not won a championship in sixty-five years...