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Peter Sweeney

Peter Sweeney's Blog

Peter Sweeney is the Gaelic Games Correspondent with the Irish Daily Star Newspaper. He is a regular on television and radio and even though he isn't any good he still tries to play Gaelic football.

  • 2 Aug 2011

    Mayo trump the champs

    AS he made his speech having accepted the Liam MacCarthy Cup on the steps of the Hogan Stand on behalf of his Cork team, Sean Og O hAilpin spoke about the journey he had taken. “Is fada an turas é ó Fiji go Corcaigh agus ó Corcaigh go Pairc an Chrocaigh,” he roared, speaking about his birth on the Pacific island of Fiji. read more

    AS he made his speech having accepted the Liam MacCarthy Cup on the steps of the Hogan Stand on behalf of his Cork team, Sean Og O hAilpin spoke about the journey he had taken.

    “Is fada an turas é ó Fiji go Corcaigh agus ó Corcaigh go Pairc an Chrocaigh,” he roared, speaking about his birth on the Pacific island of Fiji.

    In terms of miles covered, Mayo’s footballers may not have come quite so far. But the journey they have taken over the past 12 months is none the less remarkable.

    Their last three games of 2010 ended in defeat – each more crippling than the one before.

    First was the League final dismantling by Cork in Croke Park. A loss in Connacht against Sligo followed before they were dumped out of the Championship entirely by Longford.

    When they struggled to get past London in their first Championship game of this summer, only falling over the line after extra-time, it looked as though another agonising season was on the cards for players and fans alike.

    Yet here they are – in an All-Ireland semi-final having beaten defending champions Cork at the weekend.

    It’s a remarkable story and Sunday’s 1-13 to 2-6 win over the Rebels, when they limited their opponents to just a single second-half point, was the biggest shock we’ve seen in years.

    Yet speaking to Mayo’s oh-so-calm manager James Horan it all seems perfectly logical. This team was always manned by good footballers so from there it was all about getting them playing with confidence and working hard.

    That’s exactly what they did against Cork, building on workman-like second half performances in terrible conditions against Galway and Roscommon.

    Before they met Cork the consensus was a brave display and something in the line of a four-point defeat wouldn’t be bad for Mayo and would leave them plenty to work on for 2012.

    Now they look forward to an All-Ireland semi-final against Kerry, a team they blew up against twice in recent finals, and it’s hard to know what to hope for or expect.

    They are a compact unit under Horan and certainly don’t look like the sort of team that will take tanking off anybody.

    A narrow defeat would leave their pride intact and put them standing on solid foundations for the future. But losing would also end their involvement in what is turning into a wide-open season.

    Winning, of course, would put them into the final and there’s a danger that the people of Mayo could lose the run of themselves again, which is never a good thing.

    The journey this team has taken so far this year has been amazing and the next step they take will be fascinating to watch.

Home Away Date Time Venue
London Leitrim 03.06.2012 3:00 Ruislip
Longford Wexford 03.06.2012 2:00 Croke Park
Louth Dublin 03.06.2012 4:00 Croke Park
Clare Limerick 09.06.2012 7:00 Cusack Park, Ennis or Gaelic Grounds, Limerick

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Home Score Away Score Date Venue
Roscommon 0-10 Galway 3-15 20.05 Hyde Park
Cavan 1-10 Donegal 1-16 20.05 Kingspan Breffni Park
Limerick 2-12 Waterford 0-7 20.05 Gaelic Grounds, Limerick
Westmeath 0-14 Louth 2-9 20.05 Navan

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