DAVID CLARKE WOULDN’T have known Jack Livingstone well before helping out at a few Mayo training sessions earlier in the year.
Goalkeeping coach Paul Durcan was away for a week, so Andy Moran called on his former teammate for a dig out.
“He just seemed very assured,” Clarke remembers. “I’d say at the time, he understood his position. Rob (Hennelly) was the number one, and he was coming in, and he just seemed keen to learn.
“I remember there was a goal that went in the week before, and he came to me, ‘How can we do something about this at the next session?’ You could just tell straight away he wasn’t just turning up to training to train. He was turning up with a purpose.
“As much as I felt he understood his role in the squad, that showed to me he was thinking further ahead, that he wanted to get better as an individual and as a goalkeeper and build on himself.”
Former Mayo star David Clarke alongside Dorothy McDonnell and Matthew Carr, aged 4, pictured today in Ballina for AIB ahead of the 2026 All-Ireland senior football final. Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
Fast-forward a few months and Livingstone has usurped former Breaffy teammate Hennelly as number one and is rounding off a memorable debut season with an All-Ireland final appearance against Kerry.
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The 24-year-old marked his championship bow with a man-of-the-match performance against Monaghan in their All-Ireland SFC opener, and has been between the sticks ever since.
“Top class,” says Clarke. “He’s kept Mayo in a lot of games. He’s probably made more one-on-one saves or more point-blank saves than any goalkeeper in the championship. Probably did that alone against Monaghan. He was unbelievable that day. But really composed, really calm, good under a high ball.”
“A really interesting story,” he adds, detailing how Livingstone had to bide his time with Hennelly and John Vahey at Breaffy before their club transfers to Dublin, never mind getting a Mayo call-up.
“It’s amazing how things can change and develop. I’m delighted for him.
“He’s a real good, honest, committed and dedicated lad. Nice and calm, from what you can see on the pitch. He’s not an 18- or 19-year-old. He’s a man that’s holding down a job. He is mature. You can see that probably in his performances. He looks quite assured in everything that he does.”
The goalkeeper battle on Sunday is fascinating, with both Livingstone and Shane Murphy emerging from the shadows this season.
With goal chances aplenty presenting themselves under the new rules, Clarke expects them both to play central roles in terms of shot-stopping alone, before even considering kick-outs.
“Shane Murphy made two top-class saves against Dublin. From a Mayo point of view, hopefully that’s his two top-class saves in Croke Park done for this month! Jack had a quiet enough day against Louth, so hopefully he’ll have two in the back pocket that he might be able to pull out against Kerry.”
Andy Moran celebrates after the All-Ireland semi-final win. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
Leading the latest crusade for a first All-Ireland title since 1951 is Andy Moran, Clarke’s longtime teammate and friend. The duo climbed the Mayo ranks together from U15 onwards. Did he always see Moran in this position, managing the Green and Red?
“I’m not surprised at all. I think from the first minute he went into coaching, this was his goal. Did it come a bit earlier than he may have thought? Possibly. But he has done the different levels to get himself into this position, and he’s doing great at the moment.
“I definitely noticed a big shift in him at a stage, maybe was it ’15 or ’16. He changed jobs, he decided he was going into his gym business. Definitely in the back of his head, number one, was to become the best player he possibly could be. But with that as well, he probably had a long-term focus on coaching.
“He was a guy that thought a lot about the game. You could see that when we were players, but obviously, there’s a line that you don’t cross when you’re a player. He was always about small conversations, details, how can we do this a bit better?”
From inter-county retirement to the Mayo U20s, Ballaghaderreen, Leitrim and Monaghan, Clarke charts “a very natural progression”.
“I definitely think it was something he had thought about from quite a bit out, and he put his life and his affairs in order. He has a very supportive wife, and a strong business with that. He’s the type of guy that has huge energy to share.”
That’s clear to see, and will be key this week. While Clarke is more familiar with Andy the player, than Andy the manager, he imagines similarities in the build-up. “Positive, encouraging, focused – and he’ll have a bit of fun as well. He likes a bit of craic.”
And what about him? How is Clarke feeling on All-Ireland final week, five years on from his inter-county retirement in 2021?
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Clarke dejected after the 2017 final. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
“I’d say I’m a lot more relaxed than I was when I was playing,” the two-time All-Star laughs. “It’s good. I’m quite a bit removed from it.
“I’ll be honest, they were in the final the year after I retired. That was difficult and different. You were wondering, ‘Maybe could I have stayed on? Maybe I was the problem? They’re going to win this now, and I’m after stepping away.’ It’s probably real ego stuff, probably not the way you should be thinking, but that’s the honest thing.
“But I’m quite a long way away from it, I wouldn’t have played with a lot of the players that are going to be starting, I wouldn’t know them personally. I’m really back in supporter mode. I wouldn’t have gone to games a whole pile for years and now my children are getting a bit older, that’s got me back in.
“I’m just enjoying it and hopeful that these lads can win an All-Ireland title, that Mayo can be happy, hold our heads up and be proud about our football team. It would be emotional, I won’t lie, if we did win.”
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'Top class. He's kept Mayo in a lot of games' - The rise of number one
DAVID CLARKE WOULDN’T have known Jack Livingstone well before helping out at a few Mayo training sessions earlier in the year.
Goalkeeping coach Paul Durcan was away for a week, so Andy Moran called on his former teammate for a dig out.
“He just seemed very assured,” Clarke remembers. “I’d say at the time, he understood his position. Rob (Hennelly) was the number one, and he was coming in, and he just seemed keen to learn.
“I remember there was a goal that went in the week before, and he came to me, ‘How can we do something about this at the next session?’ You could just tell straight away he wasn’t just turning up to training to train. He was turning up with a purpose.
“As much as I felt he understood his role in the squad, that showed to me he was thinking further ahead, that he wanted to get better as an individual and as a goalkeeper and build on himself.”
Fast-forward a few months and Livingstone has usurped former Breaffy teammate Hennelly as number one and is rounding off a memorable debut season with an All-Ireland final appearance against Kerry.
The 24-year-old marked his championship bow with a man-of-the-match performance against Monaghan in their All-Ireland SFC opener, and has been between the sticks ever since.
“Top class,” says Clarke. “He’s kept Mayo in a lot of games. He’s probably made more one-on-one saves or more point-blank saves than any goalkeeper in the championship. Probably did that alone against Monaghan. He was unbelievable that day. But really composed, really calm, good under a high ball.”
“A really interesting story,” he adds, detailing how Livingstone had to bide his time with Hennelly and John Vahey at Breaffy before their club transfers to Dublin, never mind getting a Mayo call-up.
“It’s amazing how things can change and develop. I’m delighted for him.
“He’s a real good, honest, committed and dedicated lad. Nice and calm, from what you can see on the pitch. He’s not an 18- or 19-year-old. He’s a man that’s holding down a job. He is mature. You can see that probably in his performances. He looks quite assured in everything that he does.”
The goalkeeper battle on Sunday is fascinating, with both Livingstone and Shane Murphy emerging from the shadows this season.
With goal chances aplenty presenting themselves under the new rules, Clarke expects them both to play central roles in terms of shot-stopping alone, before even considering kick-outs.
“Shane Murphy made two top-class saves against Dublin. From a Mayo point of view, hopefully that’s his two top-class saves in Croke Park done for this month! Jack had a quiet enough day against Louth, so hopefully he’ll have two in the back pocket that he might be able to pull out against Kerry.”
Leading the latest crusade for a first All-Ireland title since 1951 is Andy Moran, Clarke’s longtime teammate and friend. The duo climbed the Mayo ranks together from U15 onwards. Did he always see Moran in this position, managing the Green and Red?
“I’m not surprised at all. I think from the first minute he went into coaching, this was his goal. Did it come a bit earlier than he may have thought? Possibly. But he has done the different levels to get himself into this position, and he’s doing great at the moment.
“I definitely noticed a big shift in him at a stage, maybe was it ’15 or ’16. He changed jobs, he decided he was going into his gym business. Definitely in the back of his head, number one, was to become the best player he possibly could be. But with that as well, he probably had a long-term focus on coaching.
“He was a guy that thought a lot about the game. You could see that when we were players, but obviously, there’s a line that you don’t cross when you’re a player. He was always about small conversations, details, how can we do this a bit better?”
From inter-county retirement to the Mayo U20s, Ballaghaderreen, Leitrim and Monaghan, Clarke charts “a very natural progression”.
“I definitely think it was something he had thought about from quite a bit out, and he put his life and his affairs in order. He has a very supportive wife, and a strong business with that. He’s the type of guy that has huge energy to share.”
That’s clear to see, and will be key this week. While Clarke is more familiar with Andy the player, than Andy the manager, he imagines similarities in the build-up. “Positive, encouraging, focused – and he’ll have a bit of fun as well. He likes a bit of craic.”
And what about him? How is Clarke feeling on All-Ireland final week, five years on from his inter-county retirement in 2021?
“I’d say I’m a lot more relaxed than I was when I was playing,” the two-time All-Star laughs. “It’s good. I’m quite a bit removed from it.
“I’ll be honest, they were in the final the year after I retired. That was difficult and different. You were wondering, ‘Maybe could I have stayed on? Maybe I was the problem? They’re going to win this now, and I’m after stepping away.’ It’s probably real ego stuff, probably not the way you should be thinking, but that’s the honest thing.
“But I’m quite a long way away from it, I wouldn’t have played with a lot of the players that are going to be starting, I wouldn’t know them personally. I’m really back in supporter mode. I wouldn’t have gone to games a whole pile for years and now my children are getting a bit older, that’s got me back in.
“I’m just enjoying it and hopeful that these lads can win an All-Ireland title, that Mayo can be happy, hold our heads up and be proud about our football team. It would be emotional, I won’t lie, if we did win.”
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