IT WAS SET up beautifully for Aidan O’Shea to have a cut back at the endless reams of criticism he has faced over the course of his playing career, that began when he was a teenage student in 2009.
For context, Kobe McDonald was just a year old when O’Shea made his debut in the Connacht Championship against New York.
Against Monaghan this year he played his 100th championship match. He may not have featured in the last three games, but his unstinting devotion to his county and belief that they could win an All-Ireland never wavered as he kept being picked by successive management teams.
Nobody would have felt he wasn’t entitled then to have a bite back.
But O’Shea doesn’t do that when he emerges from the showers a newly-minted All-Ireland champion.
The chance to do so is dangled in front of him by reporters. And he refuses.
“No, it’s not about me. Genuinely, it’s not about me,” he says.
“It’s never been about me. This is all about that group there. Mayo people.
“When James (Horan) came in, all those years ago (the end of 2010), we were on about trying to drive and change the narrative about Mayo people and Mayo football. And we did that to a certain extent. But we never got over the line.
“And it’s something that I was hell-bent on doing when I was a young fella growing up. I wanted it to be different. I wanted us to be taken seriously as a football county.
“And I knew All-Ireland would come. As I said, I wasn’t sure whether it was going to happen in my time. It’s never been about me. It’s always been about the greater good.”
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When it happened, O’Shea was able to have his daughters, Caragh and Romee, out on the field with him.
Just six months old, Romee won’t remember much of the day, but one thing she will see in the future is the video of the Mayo players lifting the Sam Maguire Cup. It was noticeable how O’Shea received as big a cheer as anyone else when his time came.
Aidan O'Shea lifts Sam. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
It’s not easy to leave home for training, with two daughters and his wife Kristin.
To do so requires total faith.
“That’s probably the thing that keeps you going. You want to put Sam Maguire in that dressing room with 41 players and all the backroom team. It’s an image you’ve had in your head for a long time,” O’Shea says.
“We’re lucky to be here on the final day and have it there. But really, that was what we’ve always been dreaming about. To stand around and look at guys you’ve soldiered with for a long time or a short time.
“And to finally be heading west on a train tomorrow. We always used to have good craic in the train home. But by God, we’re going to have serious craic tomorrow. And I just can’t wait. It’s just going to be an explosion.”
He echoed captain Jack Coyne’s speech when he said, “Mayo people can stand tall. They won’t be bowing their heads. They’ll look people in the eye for the first time in a long time.
“…And I hope Mayo people are infectious about it now. They’ve waited a long time to enjoy this moment. And hopefully they stand tall for the winter and enjoy themselves.
“I’ve never been in a room with so many people crying and smiling at the same time. It was an amazing experience. Yeah, it’s magic.”
There was another layer of poignancy that it came against Kerry, the county of his parents. His mother Sheila was from Killorglin and his father Jim not far away at Caragh Lake (hence his daughter’s name).
With Kobe McDonald afterwards, 18 years separating them. Tom O’Hanlon / INPHO
Tom O’Hanlon / INPHO / INPHO
His wife Kristin is from Fenit. He managed to locate everyone: his parents, sister Meabh, his brothers Seamus and Conor who also soldiered years with Mayo, at the end.
The next time he’s down in the Tankard Bar at Kenmare Bay, he’ll have his head held a little bit higher.
He made sure to mention how the stadium remained packed after the final whistle, the Kerry supporters remaining on for the Cup presentation.
“I think it’s important to acknowledge the Kerry supporters there waiting back after the game. You know, there’s huge respect shown and acknowledge what a moment that was for, I suppose, GAA and football fans, for me in particular, but across the country,” he said.
“It was a huge moment and I really appreciate that.
“(We were) just chatting there and a few of the young lads there, waiting for somebody to come in and say, ‘Oh, actually, something’s gone wrong here and we’ll take this away.’
“The can is in the middle of the room there and it’s an amazing feeling.”
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'The can is in the middle of the room there, and it's an amazing feeling' - Aidan O'Shea
IT WAS SET up beautifully for Aidan O’Shea to have a cut back at the endless reams of criticism he has faced over the course of his playing career, that began when he was a teenage student in 2009.
For context, Kobe McDonald was just a year old when O’Shea made his debut in the Connacht Championship against New York.
Against Monaghan this year he played his 100th championship match. He may not have featured in the last three games, but his unstinting devotion to his county and belief that they could win an All-Ireland never wavered as he kept being picked by successive management teams.
Nobody would have felt he wasn’t entitled then to have a bite back.
But O’Shea doesn’t do that when he emerges from the showers a newly-minted All-Ireland champion.
The chance to do so is dangled in front of him by reporters. And he refuses.
“No, it’s not about me. Genuinely, it’s not about me,” he says.
“It’s never been about me. This is all about that group there. Mayo people.
“When James (Horan) came in, all those years ago (the end of 2010), we were on about trying to drive and change the narrative about Mayo people and Mayo football. And we did that to a certain extent. But we never got over the line.
“And it’s something that I was hell-bent on doing when I was a young fella growing up. I wanted it to be different. I wanted us to be taken seriously as a football county.
When it happened, O’Shea was able to have his daughters, Caragh and Romee, out on the field with him.
Just six months old, Romee won’t remember much of the day, but one thing she will see in the future is the video of the Mayo players lifting the Sam Maguire Cup. It was noticeable how O’Shea received as big a cheer as anyone else when his time came.
It’s not easy to leave home for training, with two daughters and his wife Kristin.
To do so requires total faith.
“That’s probably the thing that keeps you going. You want to put Sam Maguire in that dressing room with 41 players and all the backroom team. It’s an image you’ve had in your head for a long time,” O’Shea says.
“We’re lucky to be here on the final day and have it there. But really, that was what we’ve always been dreaming about. To stand around and look at guys you’ve soldiered with for a long time or a short time.
“And to finally be heading west on a train tomorrow. We always used to have good craic in the train home. But by God, we’re going to have serious craic tomorrow. And I just can’t wait. It’s just going to be an explosion.”
He echoed captain Jack Coyne’s speech when he said, “Mayo people can stand tall. They won’t be bowing their heads. They’ll look people in the eye for the first time in a long time.
“…And I hope Mayo people are infectious about it now. They’ve waited a long time to enjoy this moment. And hopefully they stand tall for the winter and enjoy themselves.
“I’ve never been in a room with so many people crying and smiling at the same time. It was an amazing experience. Yeah, it’s magic.”
There was another layer of poignancy that it came against Kerry, the county of his parents. His mother Sheila was from Killorglin and his father Jim not far away at Caragh Lake (hence his daughter’s name).
His wife Kristin is from Fenit. He managed to locate everyone: his parents, sister Meabh, his brothers Seamus and Conor who also soldiered years with Mayo, at the end.
The next time he’s down in the Tankard Bar at Kenmare Bay, he’ll have his head held a little bit higher.
He made sure to mention how the stadium remained packed after the final whistle, the Kerry supporters remaining on for the Cup presentation.
“I think it’s important to acknowledge the Kerry supporters there waiting back after the game. You know, there’s huge respect shown and acknowledge what a moment that was for, I suppose, GAA and football fans, for me in particular, but across the country,” he said.
“It was a huge moment and I really appreciate that.
“(We were) just chatting there and a few of the young lads there, waiting for somebody to come in and say, ‘Oh, actually, something’s gone wrong here and we’ll take this away.’
“The can is in the middle of the room there and it’s an amazing feeling.”
**
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All-Ireland Final At last GAA Mayo