‘Another week of slagging’ for true-blue Dub Jimmy

Anton McNulty

With ten minutes to go, Dublin native Jimmy Meehan had started to rub it in to his Mayo-mad family. The Dubs were marching on to another All-Ireland final at Mayo’s expense.
Leading by seven points, and with the Hill roaring them on, Jimmy was sure that Jim Galvin’s men would finish off the game and meet Kerry on the third Sunday in September.
“I thought we had it won, and I was telling the family, ‘We have it, there is no way Mayo are coming back’,” he laughed. “But by the end of the game I was at the edge of my seat and my heart was in my mouth. I thought Cluxton would have done it at the end like he did in the final [in 2011], but we’ll have to do it all again.”
A native of Cabra, Jimmy, a ‘true blue’, is married to Aisling Duffy from Westport and they live with their six children in Charlestown. Of his six children, only his son James (8) will be wearing the blue – but Jimmy reckons it is only out of sympathy for his old man. His daughter Megan (13) plays football for Charlestown and is a passionate Mayo fan.
There was plenty of banter in the run up to the game, and it was a very tense household during the 70 plus minutes of football on Sunday. “The match had everything, there was drama, controversy and a really tense finish. I thought we had it, but the girls were having none of it. They had faith in the team that they would come back. Megan was shouting and roaring at the television, and at one stage I had to tell her to calm down.”
With a replay now ahead, Jimmy is resigned. “I will have to put up with another week of slagging,” he admits.
Jimmy has been living in Mayo since 1999 when he started work as a chef in the Knockranny House Hotel in Westport and the family moved to Charlestown over two years ago. He believes he is the only Dub around Charlestown showing his colours, and says he has been getting plenty of stick from his neighbours.
“I had to go into Charlestown after the game, and the place was awash with red and green.  I was the only person with Dublin flags on the car. I thought there would be a riot … but there is a great atmosphere around the place.”
Looking ahead to the replay, he said Aisling is confident of a Mayo victory but he’s not too sure. Showing he is not shy in throwing the odd dig in Mayo’s direction, he cheekily said he was confident of a Dublin victory in the replay ‘if the referee is not in Mayo’s pocket this time’.