Cardiac. Level. Excitement.

July 02, 2017

Cardiac. Level. Excitement.

Yesterday, Candee and I headed into nearby Castlebar to watch a Gaelic Football match between Co Mayo and Co Derry. The GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association) is on its way toward end-of-season championship play. Once again, Co Mayo - our home team, had put itself in jeopardy by losing the Connacht provincial final to their arch-rivals Co Galway a few weeks ago, and therefore must take the "back door" route to the All-Ireland Championship. This is a longer path, requiring more wins, but one they navigated successfully last year. The current team has been on the cusp of winning the All-Ireland for the last several years only to meet with heartbreak in the finals or semi-finals. There is some thought that this team may only have this year to win before an extensive re-building phase must happen. Remember, these athletes are all amateurs, playing for pride of parish, town, and county.

Yesterday the lads started out listlessly and it was hard to see a championship team in them. Wide kicks, sloppy defense, a lack of energy. They had some good chances, but the opposing goalie made a few spectacular saves. They came alive with just a few minutes left, scoring a dramatic goal and a few nice points through the goalposts, only to be matched by some good and lucky play by Derry. The game ended up level. And then Mayo exploded in overtime - a completely different team - winning the game with a margin of eleven points. You can imagine the home fans' response.

We attended our first two matches last year and found the level of excitement, both in a win and a loss, just overwhelming. The crowd is so engaged and knowledgeable and Mayo's backstory is incredible. If you didn't see it in last year's blogpost, or have forgotten, here it is in reprint:

The Tinker's Curse... In 1951, after winning the All-Ireland championship in Gaelic football, the Mayo team was returning home from Dublin and passed through the Co 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 high spirits from having won the All-Ireland, they continued along, angering the mourners. It is claimed that an old tinker women, variously the priest, 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, despite making the finals eight times...

As you might imagine, Mayo fans have a dark sense of humor and fatalistic acceptance of their lack of luck in the All-Ireland championship. Last year, via the torturous back door, the Mayo lads made it to the championship game. In true Mayo fashion, their opponent Dublin was substantially aided by two Mayo "own goals" whence the ball went into the goal inadvertently off a Mayo player. Scoring is accomplished thusly - a kick through the goalpost counts for 1 point; a kick past the goalie into the net counts for 3. It was a nail-biter, with Dublin maintaining a lead for much of the match, until the very end - with less than a minute to go in added injury time - when several extraordinary one-point scores by Mayo tied it up. The two own goals were the only ones secured by Co Dublin and gave them the 6 points they need to match Mayo's 15 as the whistle blew. Oh dark and cruel fate.

So, what happens now?

In a contest so important, a complete replayed match is held. So, three weeks later, Dublin and Mayo met again in Croke Park. It was a mighty battle once again, decided by one point at the end. Mayo's best scorer, Cillian O'Connor, had a last second shot at a tie, but it was a bridge too far to ask him for a miracle once again. The Tinker's Curse is kept alive...

Two 35 minute halves. Non-stop action. Immense physicality. Pride and commitment only an amateur event so tied to home and hearth could have. The best that Sport could possibly offer. Just absolute great and good fun.

C'mon Maigh Eo!