‘They won’t laugh at us anymore’: Moran tells thousands of ecstatic Mayo fans

By Claudia Savage, David Young and Gráinne Ní Aodha, Press Association

Mayo manager Andy Moran has told tens of thousands of fans, “they won’t laugh at us anymore”, as his team brought home the Sam Maguire in a historic win for their long-denied supporters.

Moran thanked the crowd of all ages who filled MacHale Park stadium in Castlebar, carrying flags bearing the players’ faces, setting off flares, singing and chanting, and carrying Mayo for Sam number plates.

They chanted “Andy” as he took to the stage alongside the Mayo players after they ended a 75-year All-Ireland senior football championship drought.

The team’s dramatic triumph against Kerry in the men’s senior football final at Dublin’s Croke Park on Sunday finally put to bed one of sport’s most famous and long-running curses, sparking scenes of mass jubilation in Mayo.

Moran told the crowd: “They sneered at us. They laughed at us, but they won’t laugh at us anymore.”

Asked how he felt this morning, he said: “I was feeling good, there was a lot of media done, but when we crossed the border into Ballyhaunis, as Jack said, ‘Stick your chest out and be proud for being from Mayo’.”

He added: “We have 42 guys behind us who have literally given their heart, but they’ve given their heart not just for themselves or for anything else, they’ve given it from Ballaghaderreen to Charlestown to Belmullet to Kilmaine to Castlebar.

“They’ve given it for ye people and Kobe (McDonald) said something this morning, he said if we give ye energy, ye’ve given to us back and by God, did you give it to us back.”

Moran further stated: “People kept going to me – what did you imagine? And I just go, how would we know? We haven’t a clue.

“They were slagging us last night on the Sunday game I heard, in jest, having fun that we didn’t even know how to lift a cup, and it was the truth – we didn’t.

“It’s been 75 bloody years since we done it, so.

“Have I ever thought that I’d see MacHale Park full like this for anything else bar the Saw Doctors, I didn’t so.

“Listen, I really, really appreciate everything.

“We were here. We lost six finals, a couple of lads lost six finals with me, and we always had 4000-8000 people here.

“I knew it was going to be nuts, but guys, this is just incredible.”

Captain Jack Coyne, who called on Mayo people to be proud of their county in the conclusion of his victory speech in Croke Park, said as he looked out at the crowd on Monday: “Just look around here. Every corner of MacHale Park is filled with Mayo people, just so good to be back home with Sam Maguire.”

He added: “I’m just lost for words. I knew the crowd were going to turn out, just looking at this, it’s absolutely unbelievable.

“So just thank you from the bottom of our hearts every single one of us for turning out for us today.”

Mayo player Rob Hennelly led the crowd in a rendition of the now-famous Mayo anthem Green And Red Of Mayo by the Saw Doctors, that was followed by a further rendition of the song from TikTokker Garron Noone.

The players stopped to sign hats and jerseys for young fans as they filed out of the stadium.

Denise McMahon, from Ballina – one of the eager first cohort of fans, said they have been “waiting on Sam 75 years”.

“The panic is over now,” she said.

“We’ve done it, and we’re here, and we cannot wait for the bus to pull up and see the lads bring the Sam McGuire rightly back to Castlebar and Mayo.”

Repeated all-Ireland final losses down the years have seen the hopeful rallying cry of “Mayo for Sam” become part of the popular lexicon across Ireland – it was even chanted by former US president Joe Biden during a visit to his ancestral home county in 2023.

The myth of the curse ensured Sunday’s victory transcended Gaelic games and sent reverberations well beyond the island of Ireland.

Before Sunday’s remarkable scenes inside Croke Park, Mayo had not won the all-Ireland title in 75 years – despite reaching the final 11 times since 1989.

The losses were put down to a myth that the 1951 winning team had not shown respect to a funeral they passed on their homecoming route.

It is said a relative of the dead person placed a curse on Mayo that the county would not win the Sam Maguire until every member of the 1951 team had died.

It was reported that the last surviving member of the 1951 team died in 2021.

Mary and Tommy, who watched Sunday’s match in Croke Park, said it was “lovely” to see Mayo captain Coyne lift the cup in Dublin.

“We’ve came to see the dream realised for Mayo after a 75-year curse,” Mary said.

“It’s supposed to be a curse, but I don’t believe it, of course.”

Tommy said the defeated Kerry fans “stood by us, beside us until the cup was presented”.

Des Walsh, who also attended the match, said he “took it all in” as much as he could.

“I was prepared for it a little bit because I was thinking how I would react, but there is no answer at all because you don’t know until on the day,” he said.

“So it was just phenomenal to be there and to witness it.

“I’ve been at 11 all-Ireland finals, and this is of course the best of them. I’ve seen two draws, and my family was lucky enough, my wife and two kids were there as well, and we couldn’t miss this homecoming for the world.”

Walsh also brought a print out of his “Mayo tractor” emblazoned with the county’s red and green colours.

Asked if Mayo would be able to repeat their feat now the “curse” was overcome, he said: “We have that behind us, and we can, we’re hungry for more. Of course, we can.

“The wheels keep on turning like this tractor here.”

Friends Sophie, Caitlin, Lauren and Kayla, who were some of the first lined up in the stadium to get a front row view of the stage on the pitch, said their favourite player was Kobe McDonald, the standout forward who scored three points in his first All-Ireland appearance.

Asked how she found the match, lifelong Mayo fan Clare Chambers said “It was fantastic. Best day of my life.

“I was nervous as hell, but thankfully when the hooter went, it was fantastic.”

She added: “Just absolutely incredible, and even more so for my dad. You know, I hoped he’d see it and he did.”

Team members brought the Sam Maguire on a visit to children in Dublin’s Temple Street Hospital on Monday morning ahead of taking the train across to Mayo in the afternoon.