MAYO GAA COLUMN: Jim Gavin, heartbreak and pouring concrete

It's Monday morning as I type this, before the workday starts, and being honest, I could have done with another hour or two in bed.

Four games over a weekend will take it out of a person after a busy work week. But what a delightful first world problem to have.

With the Presidential election on the horizon, canvassers were out in force, and when I arrived in Crossmolina to join the Catherine Connolly crew just before midday, the place was already buzzing.

Canvassing is very far out of my comfort zone; I’m notoriously poor at asking for help or favours, and asking for votes is no different. Particularly outside a county semi-final venue, where I felt more than a bit awkward.

This election offers a poor choice to the electorate, but having admired Connolly since her election to Galway City Council in 1999 when I lived in the city, and recognising that she’s not a “perfect” candidate (who is?), I still want a President with genuine empathy who cares about the most vulnerable, not just the wealthy.

It was an argument I found myself making several times over the weekend. I’m no salesperson, but if I convinced even a few people to vote at all, I’m happy enough with that.

Some reactions, though, were eye-openers. 

“I’m still voting for Jim Gavin,” declared one dyed-in-the-wool Fianna Fáiler. “Even though he’s only a b****x.” (Before the day was out, I was thinking along similar lines, but more on that anon).

“We don’t need a President,” snarled another woman. Fair enough, I thought. No point in arguing. Some will say the Parish of Backs has always been a law unto itself!  

It was a relief to take up a more familiar position inside the ground. Always the far side, opposite the stand, for the best view of Nephin. Despite the traffic, the crowd was surprisingly smaller than expected, and the game itself wasn’t much of a spectacle.

The most notable thing was the clinical ease with which the Stephenites dispatched their neighbours, who looked like they’d all slept through their alarms.

Those of us hoping for a ding-dong North Mayo derby were left disappointed; it wasn’t even a contest. The liveliest Knockmore contributors were on the sideline, aside from Pearse Rutledge in midfield, who never stopped trying.

There was no atmosphere either. “I’ve definitely been at more exciting funerals,” one Stephenites man lamented on the way out, clearly disappointed at the lack of opportunity for a bit of rabble-rousing. Job done for Ballina, barely a sweat broken.

CRUSHING DISAPPOINTMENT

The big game of the weekend for me was Ardagh versus Kiltimagh. Ardagh has the dubious distinction of being the only club I ever played for, and while I have no current involvement, I have huge admiration for the phenomenal work done there in recent years to develop both facilities and football.

It’s no small task, nestled between the three North Mayo giants, to find success, and a win would have meant a historic first Junior Final appearance.

Alas, it wasn’t to be. In a rip-roaring encounter with plenty of talking points, Kiltimagh got over the line, thanks in no small part to a superb display from goalkeeper Jamie McNicholas, who contributed far too much to the game for my liking.

On 62 minutes, the ball was in the back of the net to seal a two-point Ardagh victory, until we realised the referee had blown for a breach. Not even after most All-Ireland final losses have I felt such crushing disappointment. Jim Gavin’s name was once again taken in vain.

Ardagh will rue the opportunities they failed to take in the first half but as one neighbour said, Kiltimagh are “a seasoned intermediate team.”

And as Edwin McGreal, formerly of this parish, put it on the Mayo Football Podcast: “You have a team just trying to take care of business versus a club trying to fulfil a lifelong ambition of winning a Junior title.” Such is football.

It can be a cold business, with little room for sentimentality. It will be a long winter in Ardagh, but you wouldn’t bet against them putting that pain to work next year.

JOY AND ENTHUSIASM

I missed the game of the weekend -  Westport versus Crossmolina - but I’m looking forward to watching it back. What stood out, though, was Crossmolina full-back Kevin Mulherin was magnanimous in his post-match interview, in which he spoke of the sheer joy of playing with this young team.

It was a gorgeous piece of audio and well worth a listen. What excitement they’ve brought to the senior championship this year. Expect great things.

Sunday brought a belated birthday brunch with a good pal, who was hoping for an Ardnaree victory later in the day. I took my coffee-fuelled self to Castlebar, and being uncharacteristically early for once, joined the canvass for half an hour before settling in for the Mayo LGFA Senior Club Final.

It was unfortunate for the women that their final in MacHale Park was so overshadowed by the weekend of men’s games. To their credit, the Mayo LGFA executive worked hard to ensure the girls got their day in HQ, but it was a little disappointing to see such a small turnout, despite no direct clashes with the men’s fixtures.

That said, what the crowd lacked in numbers it made up for in enthusiasm.

POURING CONCRETE

It was a game of two halves in every sense. Knockmore dominated the opening quarters, but a different Westport team emerged after half-time. It had drama, skill, and plenty of physicality, and will leave Knockmore with no shortage of regrets. It will also have given new Mayo manager Diane O’Hora and her team, who were present, plenty of food for thought.

To wind up the weekend, it was back home for the last semi-final of the day - Ardnaree against Moy Davitts. I’d had a hunch Ardnaree might spring a surprise, proving once again that I’m either a massive jinx or know nothing about football.

When Moy Davitts started cruising in the second half, attention spans behind me began to wander.

“I hope to f**k it lashes rain tomorrow,” said one fella.

“Why the f**k would you be hoping for rain?!” came the response.

“I don’t want to go pouring concrete,” pleaded the first.

“For your own gate?!” came the incredulous reply.

After that win, there definitely won’t be a gate hung in Foxford for at least a week.

At the time of writing, the finals are scheduled for next weekend, leaving only a week’s turnaround despite a gap of three weeks afterwards. It is a result of the Storm Amy postponement,  and perhaps it’s just due to over-caution, and but it would have been nice if these finals had a bit of room to breathe, and for the teams involved to be able to recover and enjoy the build-up.

And for the rest of us to catch a breath!