Preview: Mayo hurling champions ready for All Ireland Final in Croke Park

Silent Night and Jingle Bells are easing into the rear view mirror and here we are in the second week of 2026 heading to Croke Park. What is the world coming to at all, a Mayo hurling team taking on a Tipperary team in an All Ireland Final?

Even the great Tipperary patriot, Charles J Kickham, born two centuries ago in 1825, whose beautiful flow of language captivated generations of Irish people after his book, ‘Knocknagow’, was first published in 1879, and which is often affectionately known as ‘The Homes of Tipperary’ would have been in awe of the men from Tooreen and the ‘pride of the little village’ spirit which was at the heart and soul of this stirring novel.

Modern technology can often distance us from this simple truth but the sense of place is still at the heart of the Irish psyche. When the ball is thrown in on Saturday evening at 5.15pm in Croke Park, football-mad Mayo folk will embrace the beauty of hurling, the most ancient of all our games, and we will be united in a fervour as we rally behind the current crop of Tooreen players as they seek to become the first team ever from the county to win All Ireland hurling honours.

Three years ago, Tooreen entered the All Ireland Final as rank outsiders against Monaleen from Limerick at a time when Limerick hurling was in the heart of its golden era. Few gave Tooreen even an outside chance and, yet, they were within a puck of the ball when the final whistle was blown and they lost out by 1-17 to 1-15 in a game they led right up to the closing minutes. They won hearts all over the island of Ireland on a night they brought such drama to Croke Park.

The acclaimed Clare journalist, Christy O’Connor, who was a member of the Banner county senior team for some seasons, commented after that game: “This was an absolutely brilliant game. The skill level of both teams, the first touch, composure on the ball, plus the quality of scores, was off the charts. As good as you’ll see in Croke Park. Two excellent teams. Epic stuff.”

SENSATIONAL

And so here we go again as another vista opens before us as even the wildest dreams of the men who started it all back in Tooreen in 1957 could never have envisaged such a scenario. Then again, Fr James Horan was the first President of the club and could this be the third ‘miracle’ of his astonishing life after Knock Basilica and Knock Airport?

It is fair to say that the current ‘run’ by Tooreen only took flight with their trip to London when they flourished with a superb display against St Gabriel’s who had high hopes of stopping the Mayo lads. The jigsaw pieces fell into place that day and they were in top form when eclipsing Meelick-Eyrecourt of Galway in the Connacht Final in Hyde Park, Roscommon.

Carrickmore from Tyrone fought the good fight in the semi final in Cavan two weeks ago before a sensational closing quarter saw Tooreen emerge convincing winners with eleven points to spare.

The starting team on the day was Bobby Douglas, Oisín Greally, Michael Morley, Stephen Coyne, Joe Boyle, Conal Hession, David Kenny, Shane Boland, Brian Morley, Eoin Delaney, Sean Kenny, Fergal Boland, Liam Lavin, John Cassidy and Kenny Feeney. The subs introduced for the second half were Sean Regan, Fionn Delaney, Daniel Huane, David Delaney and David Harrison.

There have been quite a few changes since the massive break-through of 2017 when Tooreen became the first Mayo team to win provincial honours after defeating Ballinderreen from Galway on a scoreline of 1-15 to 1-11 in Athleague on November 5. But the heart of the team remains as strong as ever and young players keep adding a fresh impetus to their relentless search for national glory.

Upperchurch-Drombane sail into the All Ireland Final as favourites after their narrow win over Danesfort of Kilkenny in the semi-final. Tipperary hurling is on a high after their unexpected surge to All Ireland glory when defeating Cork back in July.

GOODWILL

For the second time in three years, the Mayo champions will face a team from the holders of the All Ireland senior title as Limerick were champions back in 2023 when Tooreen ran Monaleen so close.

Like Kilkenny, hurling is a way of life in Tipperary. They are well used to the glory days from the burning heat of passionate summer afternoons in Thurles to watching the misty rains sweep over Slievenamon. From the broad majestic Shannon to the banks of the Suir dividing Tipp and Waterford at Kilsheelan and Carrick, the passion for hurling is deep in the psyche.

Still, it is fair to say that the goodwill and hearts of so many hurling aficionados all over the island of Ireland and overseas will be with Tooreen in Croke Park on Saturday evening as thousands will watch the game live on TG4 and listen to the broadcast on Midwest Radio.

Three years ago on the day after Tooreen’s magnificent display in Croke Park against Monaleen, I had a memorable call from my hurling friend Paddy Fitzpatrick near Tullaroan in Kilkenny. He was astounded with the quality displayed by the Mayo lads and his heart went out to them.

Paddy has already been on the phone to say that if Tooreen win on Saturday evening, he will celebrate the victory as much as he has done for the Kilkenny teams down through the decades.  That’s the love there is for the underdogs and this Mayo team in search of their place in hurling history.

PART OF YOU

Bill Kelly from Laois, writing in his lovely book of memories, Searching For A Place, published by The Leinster Express back in the 1980s, captured the essence of the small village in a special way. “Followers of a village team are often more passionate in their support. It is always about a sense of identification, you a part of them and they a part of you.”

Bill comes from a county that has only one All Ireland senior title to show for well over a century of hurling and football and that was back in 1915 (hurling). The team was captained by a Kilkenny man, Bob O’Keeffe from Carrigeen, Mooncoin, who later went on to become President of the GAA from 1936-38 and who presented the Sam Maguire Cup to Seamus O’Malley of Mayo in 1936.

Bill, from the hurling side of Laois, knew what it was like to walk the same country roads and feel that same sense of pride when the village team drink from the cup of success, even at county level. All of us from Mayo in Croke Park on Saturday evening will swell with that same pride when we see a team from the county carry the hopes and dreams and aspirations of a county on their shoulders. A Basilica, an Airport, and an All Ireland crown, Msgr James Horan would surely be in seventh Heaven! Tooreen and Mayo abú!

ANALYSIS: Who are Tooreen's All-Ireland final opponents?