Mayo has ended a 75-year wait for an All-Ireland Gaelic football title, securing a victory that has resonated across Ireland and beyond. The team’s win over Kerry, historically the competition’s most successful side, marked the conclusion of a long period without the coveted Sam Maguire Cup.
The triumph was celebrated by many, including former President Joe Biden, who had previously expressed support for Mayo during a 2023 trip to Ireland. Biden, whose great-great-great-grandfather left Ballina, County Mayo, for the U.S. in 1851, posted on X shortly after the win, stating, "Today, the dream becomes reality." He added, "Congratulations to my friends in Mayo. You earned this victory. Enjoy every minute. Sam is coming home."
Canadian Premier Mark Carney also extended his congratulations. Like Biden, Carney has familial ties to Mayo, having visited distant cousins in his grandparents’ village in the county. The Gallagher brothers from the band Oasis, whose mother hails from Mayo, also shared in the celebrations.
The end of a long-standing ‘curse’
The victory is widely seen as the breaking of a popular myth known as the "curse." This superstition suggested that the Mayo team would not win another All-Ireland title after their 1951 victory, following an incident where their homecoming parade reportedly disrupted a funeral. A priest was said to have declared that the team would never win again as long as any member of that 1951 side lived.
This "curse" has been compared to similar superstitions in U.S. baseball, such as those associated with the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs. The last surviving member of the 1951 All-Ireland winning team passed away in 2021, just two weeks after Mayo lost their 11th successive final. For many, this event was seen as a sign that the curse had finally been lifted.
Despite the folklore, players from the 1951 team have refuted the story, and the priest involved has never been identified. The mythology, however, continued to grow as Mayo’s years without a title accumulated. Even a 2018 papal intervention, where Pope Francis signed a Mayo jersey, did not immediately lead to a win, as the team lost subsequent finals in 2020 and 2021.
The 2026 final, however, presented several auspicious signs for the superstitious. It was Mayo’s first appearance since the passing of Paddy Prendergast, the last member of the 1951 winning team. The final also fell on Reek Sunday, a day when thousands make an annual pilgrimage up Croagh Patrick, a mountain associated with Saint Patrick, with many pilgrims wearing Mayo jerseys.
Another detail noted by some was the colour of the jerseys worn by Mayo. To avoid clashing with Kerry’s green and gold, Mayo wore a specially designed white jersey, mirroring the colour worn by the victorious 1951 side. These elements contributed to a sense of fate surrounding the match.
A hard-earned achievement
The final, held at Dublin’s Croke Park, saw more than 80,000 fans in attendance. The young Mayo team’s victory, with a score of 1-20 to 1-17, led to emotional scenes, with fans and players alike expressing disbelief and joy. Player Matthew Ruane described his emotional reaction to seeing clips of the celebrations, stating, "I genuinely broke down just looking at them."
The win is a testament to the team’s efforts, with manager Andy Moran relying on the fearlessness of youth. A notable player was Kobe McDonald, an 18-year-old in his first season for Mayo, named after NBA superstar Kobe Bryant. McDonald played a significant role in the final, pressing Kerry high and executing shots from a distance.
Gaelic football, an amateur sport, sees players compete for pride. McDonald is set to depart for Australia to begin an AFL career after being signed by Melbourne side St Kilda. His father, Ciaran McDonald, a former Mayo player, had to balance his Gaelic football commitments with his full-time job as a pipelayer. Kobe McDonald wore a wristband inscribed with "one chance" during the final, a nod to his NBA namesake.
The funds generated from ticket sales for GAA events are reinvested into local clubs across Ireland, which are often central to community life, especially in rural areas. The All-Ireland title has been contested since 1887, involving all 32 counties on the island of Ireland, as well as teams from London and New York.
Source: nbcnews.com
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Joel Kavanagh is a Sports News Writer at News-GB. He started on a Midlands sports desk. He focuses on rugby union, golf and boxing and is known for clear, deadline-driven reporting. He holds a degree in Journalism from De Montfort University and completed an NCTJ diploma. Now based in Leicester, he plays amateur rugby and follows the fight calendar. “In sport news, the first ten minutes decide everything.”