History books tilted in Mayo's favour ahead of trip to Omagh
Andy Morans army will make their way to Healy Park for this All-Ireland meeting with the scales of history weighted in their favour
The meeting of Mayo and Tyrone on Sunday certainly invokes a sense of déjà vu for many involved.
Just last June, Mayo headed to the lion’s den in the wake of the painful defeat to Cavan in MacHale Park. They were under the stewardship of Stephen Rochford, who was standing in for an ill Kevin McStay.
The morale of some in the fanbase was in the gutter, but the Green and Red put on a show for those loyal supporters who made the trek.
Ryan O’Donoghue, as always, was scorer in chief, while Jack Coyne and Enda Hession were able to stifle the threat of Darren McCurry and Darragh Canavan.
Ultimately, a much-improved display from the horrors of a fortnight prior, when they were beaten by Cavan, paved the way for a seven-point win, extending Mayo’s largely positive head-to-head record against Sunday’s adversaries.
In the history of the GAA, these two proud footballing fraternities have locked horns seven times in championship action.
The 2025 win in Healy Park was the first meeting outside of Croke Park and was Mayo’s fifth win in their seven meetings, having only lost twice.
Of course, one of that pair of defeats came on the biggest stage of all in 2021, when the Green and Red were forced to look on forlornly as Pádraig Hampsey lived their dream, heading up the steps of the Hogan Stand to take Sam Maguire back to Ulster.
However, Mayo fans can take some solace from prior meetings. A top-drawer Michael Fitzmaurice display, where he contributed half of the points, paved the way for victory in their first tango in the 1989 All-Ireland semi-final, on a day where the Green and Red reached the final for the first time in 38 years.
They would have to wait until 2004 for the next clash of clans, as Alan Dillon’s six-point haul was the difference. Four years on, Mickey Harte’s side would get one over on the Green and Red for the first time in spite of the scoring exploits of Dillon and Conor Mortimer.
Flash forward to 2013, and the two counties were on a collision course once more, this time with a place in the decider on the line.
Alan Freeman was unplayable that day as James Horan’s men went on to the final against Dublin.
On August 6, 2016, the teams enjoyed their last joust before the 2021 final, and saw Mayo, this time guided by Rochford, able to prevail by the bare minimum, with a certain Cillian O’Connor contributing all bar five of Mayo’s return.
Time will tell if history will favour Mayo as they head north once more.
However, Mayo will be hoping to tilt those numbers even further in their favour, booking their quarter-final spot in the progress.
AUGUST 13, 1989
All-Ireland Championshipsemi-final
Mayo 0-12 Tyrone 1-6
Gabriel Irwin; Jimmy Browne (C), Peter Ford, Dermot Flanagan (0-1); Michael Collins, TJ Kilgallon, John Finn; Seán Maher (0-1), Liam McHale (0-1); Michael Fitzmaurice (0-6, 5f), Willie Joe Padden, Noel Durkin (0-1); Kevin McStay (0-1), Jimmy Burke, A Finnerty.
Subs used: Brian Kilkelly(0-1) for Finnerty, Greg Maher for S Maher.