"It's just unbelievable" — Karen McDonald on watching sons Kobe and Jordan bring Sam Maguire home
Karen McDonald, the proud mum of Kobe and Jordan, speaks to The Mayo News about the close bond of her two boys and the wonderful community in Crossmolina
“Kobe! Kobe! Kobe”
The hundreds of people gathered to welcome home the returning All-Ireland winning Mayo team in Crossmolina chanted as the teenage sensation took the mic.
The sun shone as the afterglow of such an historic victory was shared by a community, celebrating its clubmates Kobe McDonald, Jordan Flynn and Conor Loftus.
Karen McDonald, the proud mum of All Ireland winners Kobe and Jordan, told The Mayo News that the last three days have been “like a dream.”
“You don't want to wake up because you're thinking, 'Oh my God, if I wake up, is it going to be real?'”
His 'bodyguard'
The close bond between Kobe and Jordan has shone through all season and Karen glows as she says that her two boys are "very, very close. Jordan's a massive big brother. He's like his bodyguard. He's constantly watching out from him. He's very good to him.”
Jordan is a firmly established intercounty player and has kept watch over his 18-year-old brother stepping into the same jersey, with massive expectation and a national spotlight.
He has guided his younger brother throughout this truly historic season in Mayo GAA's history.
Growing up together and forging their football skills on the pitch in Crossmolina along with Dylan Flynn, the pride of parish in all three is clear for all to see.
Belying his age, Kobe spoke with poise and told his community that “Without Crossmolina there would be no Kobe McDonald."
Pride of parish
It wasn't only her own disbelief that struck her in the aftermath. It was watching the celebration ripple out through everyone who has ever pulled on a Crossmolina jersey, or stood on the sideline cheering one on.
"And what it is for everybody else, just watching our own home club, and all our friends and how excited they are for us," she says. "It's just — it's unreal. It's brilliant."
For all the scale of an All-Ireland final — Croke Park, the cameras, a county's hopes riding on seventy minutes — what stayed with Karen most was something smaller and closer to home: the faces she's known for years, all gathered in the one place, sharing in it.
"All our friends from years of coming here across Mayo. It's a great club, and there's a big family unit here. Everybody knows everybody.”
Just before speaking to The Mayo News, Karen was enjoying the warm embrace of family and friends at the homecoming.
“You see everybody's going round hugging and everything. It's brilliant.”
There is no doubt the homecoming will live long in Karen’s memory ahead of moving to Australia with her husband Ciaran McDonald as Kobe begins his career with AFL side St Kilda.