IT WILL BE 22 years next month since Andy Moran played in his first All-Ireland senior football semi-final (v Fermanagh, 2004), and 2o since the fresh-faced 22 year-old substitute sidled up to the-then Mayo manager Mickey Moran during their epic game against Dublin and implored him to put him on.
Legend has it that Andy promised to score a goal if Mickey sent him in. Andy was true to his word, Mayo won, and the rest is history.
This Saturday evening Andy Moran returns to Croke Park as Mayo manager, hoping to lead his native county into their first All-Ireland senior final for five years.
If they beat Louth, it would be Moran’s fifth championship win in his first season in charge and, undoubtedly, be the finest hour of his short tenure.
But Louth have plenty to play for too, not least the prospect of reaching their first All-Ireland senior final since 1957.
Seven years earlier, a star-studded Mayo team got the better of a legendary Louth side in the 1950 All-Ireland final to win the second of their three Sam Maguire Cups.
It was the first time the counties crossed paths in championship football and this coming weekend will be just the third time they share a football pitch in this competition.
Their only other championship duel was three years ago when Mayo won a lacklustre round-robin group game in Castlebar.
So both camps will be looking elsewhere for motivation this week as they count down to the biggest game of their seasons, so far.
Andy Moran acknowledged as much when he was asked how the lack of any real or recent history between all involved might inform Mayo’s preparations this week.
“The journey we’re on, not to sound too passive about it, the rivalry is with ourselves,” mused the Mayo manager.
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James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
“These boys want to play for Mayo, they want to play for the jersey, and they want to really represent what’s good about themselves and what’s good about Mayo.
“I don’t think it matters who the opponent is. It’s the thrill they got representing Mayo against Meath, the thrill they got out of representing Mayo against Cork.
“I don’t think they’ve felt that in a long time, and that’s where we need to keep them.
“Whoever we’re playing, I think, at the end of the day, is irrelevant to us.”
Mayo’s upwardly mobile manager has made no secret of the fact that he wanted the team he took over last August to rebuild their connection with their supporters this season.
It was a connection that was strained and damaged in the wake of the 2021 All-Ireland final defeat to Tyrone as a decade of ifs, buts, and maybes on September Sundays finally took its toll.
Recently though it’s been obvious how many Mayo players have gone out of their way to acknowledge their supporters during games when emotions were running high, and afterwards when celebrating big wins against the likes of Meath and Cork.
“I was keen on it myself,” smiled Andy Moran. “And Boyler [Colm Boyle, now a team selector] was a fist-pumper, so that’s probably just in us.
Mayo manager Andy Moran after beating Meath. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
“But I think the boys did really miss the connection with the crowd. 2021 was what 2021 was, and it’s taken a long time to get people back in our corner. And I don’t think it’s fully there yet.
“The boys know what they have a lot of work on to deal with the present right now, but into the future they have a lot of work on as well to keep that connection with the kids around the place.
“If you have the kids on board, and they see something to look up to, they’ll bring their parents along with them.
“It’s just about can they get to their full potential,” he added.
“What that potential is we don’t know yet. I thought they could be a good Croke Park team, but I didn’t know until that game against Cork was over. It’s the same next Saturday.
“It’s can you maximise what you’re doing all the training for, and if you can do that, you’ve got a chance to win any game of football.
“So that’s what we went after. I don’t think the boys have done that absolutely to the best of their ability over the last three or four years. That’s what we chase them down with.”
Right now nobody is too sure where Mayo’s floor or ceiling is, or if they are ready to add Louth’s name to their recent list of conquests.
Andy Moran struck a pragmatic tone when he was asked if he was confident about his team’s chances of reaching a fifth All-Ireland final in 10 years.
Andy Moran during the victory over Cork at Croke Park. Bryan Keane
Bryan Keane
“I’ve confidence in our players that they’ll do what they say they’re about to do,” replied the man who was chosen as the Footballer of the Year back in 2017.
“Confidence is just, how did the first five minutes go? How did the first 10 minutes go? Where did the first breaking ball go?
“Like, could Louth have really envisaged that a man would get sent off [against Monaghan] after six minutes?
“But do I have confidence that these boys will do what they say they’ll do? When we come up with a plan, will they go in and try to implement the plan? Absolutely.
“Do I think they’re fantastic players? I do. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t. But confidence about ‘finishing jobs’ and ‘semi-finals’, I don’t kind really go into that.
“I’m confident that these fellas will execute what they say they’ll execute and if they do that then they’ve a good chance of winning.”
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Andy Moran happy to see connection rebuilding with Mayo supporters
IT WILL BE 22 years next month since Andy Moran played in his first All-Ireland senior football semi-final (v Fermanagh, 2004), and 2o since the fresh-faced 22 year-old substitute sidled up to the-then Mayo manager Mickey Moran during their epic game against Dublin and implored him to put him on.
Legend has it that Andy promised to score a goal if Mickey sent him in. Andy was true to his word, Mayo won, and the rest is history.
This Saturday evening Andy Moran returns to Croke Park as Mayo manager, hoping to lead his native county into their first All-Ireland senior final for five years.
If they beat Louth, it would be Moran’s fifth championship win in his first season in charge and, undoubtedly, be the finest hour of his short tenure.
But Louth have plenty to play for too, not least the prospect of reaching their first All-Ireland senior final since 1957.
Seven years earlier, a star-studded Mayo team got the better of a legendary Louth side in the 1950 All-Ireland final to win the second of their three Sam Maguire Cups.
It was the first time the counties crossed paths in championship football and this coming weekend will be just the third time they share a football pitch in this competition.
Their only other championship duel was three years ago when Mayo won a lacklustre round-robin group game in Castlebar.
So both camps will be looking elsewhere for motivation this week as they count down to the biggest game of their seasons, so far.
Andy Moran acknowledged as much when he was asked how the lack of any real or recent history between all involved might inform Mayo’s preparations this week.
“The journey we’re on, not to sound too passive about it, the rivalry is with ourselves,” mused the Mayo manager.
“These boys want to play for Mayo, they want to play for the jersey, and they want to really represent what’s good about themselves and what’s good about Mayo.
“I don’t think it matters who the opponent is. It’s the thrill they got representing Mayo against Meath, the thrill they got out of representing Mayo against Cork.
“I don’t think they’ve felt that in a long time, and that’s where we need to keep them.
“Whoever we’re playing, I think, at the end of the day, is irrelevant to us.”
Mayo’s upwardly mobile manager has made no secret of the fact that he wanted the team he took over last August to rebuild their connection with their supporters this season.
It was a connection that was strained and damaged in the wake of the 2021 All-Ireland final defeat to Tyrone as a decade of ifs, buts, and maybes on September Sundays finally took its toll.
Recently though it’s been obvious how many Mayo players have gone out of their way to acknowledge their supporters during games when emotions were running high, and afterwards when celebrating big wins against the likes of Meath and Cork.
“I was keen on it myself,” smiled Andy Moran. “And Boyler [Colm Boyle, now a team selector] was a fist-pumper, so that’s probably just in us.
“But I think the boys did really miss the connection with the crowd. 2021 was what 2021 was, and it’s taken a long time to get people back in our corner. And I don’t think it’s fully there yet.
“The boys know what they have a lot of work on to deal with the present right now, but into the future they have a lot of work on as well to keep that connection with the kids around the place.
“If you have the kids on board, and they see something to look up to, they’ll bring their parents along with them.
“It’s just about can they get to their full potential,” he added.
“What that potential is we don’t know yet. I thought they could be a good Croke Park team, but I didn’t know until that game against Cork was over. It’s the same next Saturday.
“It’s can you maximise what you’re doing all the training for, and if you can do that, you’ve got a chance to win any game of football.
“So that’s what we went after. I don’t think the boys have done that absolutely to the best of their ability over the last three or four years. That’s what we chase them down with.”
Right now nobody is too sure where Mayo’s floor or ceiling is, or if they are ready to add Louth’s name to their recent list of conquests.
Andy Moran struck a pragmatic tone when he was asked if he was confident about his team’s chances of reaching a fifth All-Ireland final in 10 years.
“I’ve confidence in our players that they’ll do what they say they’re about to do,” replied the man who was chosen as the Footballer of the Year back in 2017.
“Confidence is just, how did the first five minutes go? How did the first 10 minutes go? Where did the first breaking ball go?
“Like, could Louth have really envisaged that a man would get sent off [against Monaghan] after six minutes?
“But do I have confidence that these boys will do what they say they’ll do? When we come up with a plan, will they go in and try to implement the plan? Absolutely.
“Do I think they’re fantastic players? I do. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t. But confidence about ‘finishing jobs’ and ‘semi-finals’, I don’t kind really go into that.
“I’m confident that these fellas will execute what they say they’ll execute and if they do that then they’ve a good chance of winning.”
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