"My favourite player" - Mayo All-Ireland winner ended up on same team as childhood hero
The whole county of Mayo and everyone scattered across the globe who identifies as part of the Mayo diaspora is still coming to terms with what happened in Croke Park two weeks ago. For goalkeepers Jack Livingstone and Rob Hennelly it was a hugely special moment, winning the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship together.
The goalkeeper position has been much talked about over the course of this year. First, the return of Rob Hennelly to the senior county panel made big news after taking a break the year before.
Hennelly, a former Breaffy club man, now hailing from Raheny, made an instant impact, scoring two-point frees in the FBD League, as part of a wider strategy implemented by manager Andy Moran and his backroom team, to put more emphasis on shooting from behind the arc.
Mayo experienced a huge transformation, as they changed from one of the worst two-point shooting teams in 2025 to one of the best in 2026.
Hennelly seemed an integral part of this transformation, but after the heavy defeat at the hands of Roscommon, Moran gave young Breaffy talent Jack Livingstone the chance of his life.
And many would say - by God - did he take it. Livingstone showed on numerous occasions, what a fantastic shot-stopper he is. His saves were crucial in Mayo’s run to the All-Ireland quarter-final.
Livingstone has firmly put his marker down and will probably be the number one goalkeeper for Mayo for a while.
And Hennelly, who will forever fondly be remembered for kicking that equalising free against Dublin in 2021, had to sit down on the bench.
Not an easy time, as one can read between the lines of a LinkedIn post published by Hennelly: “For me, the wait is what made last Sunday mean so much. The hurt, the setbacks and the difficult days all shaped how I experienced that moment, and I think the same is true for so many Mayo people. While I certainly wouldn’t recommend my journey to everyone, it has taught me so much about myself and others. It taught me to keep showing up, keep learning, accept what’s in front of you, be a good teammate and value the people beside you.”
But another post on the same platform by former Mayo News journalist Ciara Galvin might have had a positive impact:
Galvin describes how she was tasked to go down to Breaffy National School to interview a few students ahead of the 2013 All-Ireland final.
She spoke to an 11-year-old Jack Livingstone back then, who said: “Rob Hennelly is my favourite player because he’s a great goalie and he’s from Breaffy. Mayo will win by two points. Hopefully I’ll get a ticket and go.”
Well, while the prediction didn’t come true, Livingstone got to be on the same team with his favourite player, who inspired him, 15 years later, to end Mayo’s 75-year wait.
What a lovely moment to remember.