Sure, sure, the ink has dried on the contract and Kobe McDonald is going to head over to try his hand at Australian Rules with St Kilda as soon as this is all over.
But Andy Moran has nothing to learn. He has brought McDonald along on foreign training camps and handed him a debut in a league game where Mayo were coasting, before making him one of their main men in this championship.
Back in 2012, Pat Gilroy started including Ciarán Kilkenny on his bench to give him the taste of the big time. Kilkenny subsequently moved to Hawthorn, but went with his heart in the end and returned home
His first start for Dublin came in that All-Ireland semi-final of 2012 – a loss to Mayo.
*****
2. The 1950 final
These two sides met in the 1950 All-Ireland final, won by Mayo on a scoreline of 2-5 to 1-6.
The match was refereed by celebrated Cavan footballer, Simon Deignan who just three years previous had played on the side that won the All-Ireland, beating Kerry in the Polo Grounds in New York.
He followed that up a year later with a win over Mayo, and Cavan’s final All-Ireland in 1952 when they beat Meath. He was the great-granduncle of Dublin footballer, Jonny Cooper.
Just 28 when he took charge of the 1950 decider, Deignan ran the rule over Mayo’s Eamonn Mongey, and Louth’s Sean Thornton. That season, all three played their club football with Civil Service in Dublin.
*****
3. Present day connections
There is a modern day connection with that 1950 final.
Sean Reynolds of Stabannon Parnells is on the Louth panel and will be in line to make some contribution to this game. His own great-granduncle Mickey played corner-forward on the 1950 team.
Former Louth player Liam Shevlin moved to Westport in recent years, and became a huge part of their first-ever Mayo championship win in 2022.
*****
4. A home away from home
The origin story of this renaissance of Louth football can be traced back to the early days when Gavin Devlin arrived alongside Mickey Harte in 2020.
One of the first things they spent time on was taking a long, hard look at their training facilities in Darver. They came to the conclusion that Darver needed to become more purpose-built with some of the trappings that the Tyrone duo were used to at the Garvaghey training centre.
That winter, extensive renovations took place. Walls were knocked down to make changing rooms far bigger. Communal spaces were expanded for players to dine together after training and imagery celebrating Louth past triumphs and players was placed all round the complex.
*****
5. A Horse of a man
In managing Louth this year, Gavin ‘Horse’ Devlin has challenged two shibboleths in sport and the GAA.
The first was to never go back. If it was a surprise that he and Mickey Harte finished up with Tyrone only to fetch up as the Louth manager a matter of weeks later, it was an even greater surprise that they left them to become the Derry management in time for the 2024 season.
After that assignment ended, Devlin was still well enough thought of in Louth to be appointed as Director of the county’s underage football sides and was in situ at the end of last season to succeed Ger Brennan, one in the eye for the logic that you should never go back.
Devlin with Harte during his first spell with Louth. Lorraine O’Sullivan / INPHO
Lorraine O’Sullivan / INPHO / INPHO
It had also become accepted wisdom that it was impossible to win in the modern game when you are reduced to 14 men. But by beating Monaghan after losing Sean Callaghan after just seven minutes of the recent All-Ireland quarter-final, they showed how it could be done.
*****
6. Early wobbles
One week stands out for both sides as they review this championship season.
On 26 April, Mayo lost the Connacht semi-final to Roscommon, played in Castlebar, by ten points.
Mayo fans stream out of Castlebar during the Connacht semi final. Tom O’Hanlon / INPHO
Tom O’Hanlon / INPHO / INPHO
Six days later, Louth went out in the Leinster semi-final to face Dublin. Once again, the margin was ten points in the Dubs’ favour.
Even at that, Mayo fell to another defeat four weeks ago to Tyrone in Round 2A.
Fair to say that neither county were fancied to make an All-Ireland final this season. But one of them will.
*****
7. The piano (accordion) man
Staying with that seismic day in 1957, Louth fielded that year without a clearly defined captain throughout the season.
It was only the night before the final when the selectors decided it should be Dermot O’Brien of St Mary’s Ardee.
Retiring after a broken finger in 1960, two years later he turned from amateur to professional musician with his showband ‘The Clubmen’ with O’Brien playing the piano accordion.
Their cover of ‘The Merry Ploughboy’ topped the Irish charts for six weeks in 1966.
*****
8. Mayo men in Louth
When Louth won their last All-Ireland title in 1957, they actually had two Mayo men togging out in an era when players moved freely without the expectation to commute to play with their home club.
Seamie O’Donnell at right half-forward played locally for Cooley Kickhams, but his club of origin was Ballaghadereen in Mayo. He later went on to play with Westerns in Dublin and Meath’s Navan O’Mahony’s.
In midfield, they had big Dan O’Neill who came from Castlebar Mitchells. At the time of the final he was playing for St Dominic’s, and when they lapsed he went to Naomh Mhuire, both clubs based in Drogheda.
Both men had won a national league title with Mayo in 1954.
*****
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9. Honours even
National profile is one thing, but both counties have actually won the same number of All-Ireland titles.
Louth’s triumphs came in 1910, 1912 and 1957.
Mayo’s arrived in 1936, 1950 and 1951.
One of them will get a chance in the upcoming final to land a fourth title.
*****
10. Do believe the hype
In the wake of the 2021 All-Ireland football final, the word around Mayo was that their fanbase had decided they couldn’t take it anymore. The reaction was of a support base shrinking, and calloused hearts manifesting as indifference.
Louth fans Alex and Zoe Halpenny. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
However, a Mayo reawakening together with support springing up in the soccer towns of Louth, means this All-Ireland semi-final will be the very first time in history that a game of this stature not involving Dublin, will be sold out.
During the week, some final batches of tickets went on sale online, and were mercilessly seized upon.
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Louth and Mayo: The ten essential morsels of trivia you need
1. Kobe – One and done?
Sure, sure, the ink has dried on the contract and Kobe McDonald is going to head over to try his hand at Australian Rules with St Kilda as soon as this is all over.
But Andy Moran has nothing to learn. He has brought McDonald along on foreign training camps and handed him a debut in a league game where Mayo were coasting, before making him one of their main men in this championship.
Back in 2012, Pat Gilroy started including Ciarán Kilkenny on his bench to give him the taste of the big time. Kilkenny subsequently moved to Hawthorn, but went with his heart in the end and returned home
His first start for Dublin came in that All-Ireland semi-final of 2012 – a loss to Mayo.
*****
2. The 1950 final
These two sides met in the 1950 All-Ireland final, won by Mayo on a scoreline of 2-5 to 1-6.
The match was refereed by celebrated Cavan footballer, Simon Deignan who just three years previous had played on the side that won the All-Ireland, beating Kerry in the Polo Grounds in New York.
He followed that up a year later with a win over Mayo, and Cavan’s final All-Ireland in 1952 when they beat Meath. He was the great-granduncle of Dublin footballer, Jonny Cooper.
Just 28 when he took charge of the 1950 decider, Deignan ran the rule over Mayo’s Eamonn Mongey, and Louth’s Sean Thornton. That season, all three played their club football with Civil Service in Dublin.
*****
3. Present day connections
There is a modern day connection with that 1950 final.
Sean Reynolds of Stabannon Parnells is on the Louth panel and will be in line to make some contribution to this game. His own great-granduncle Mickey played corner-forward on the 1950 team.
Former Louth player Liam Shevlin moved to Westport in recent years, and became a huge part of their first-ever Mayo championship win in 2022.
*****
4. A home away from home
The origin story of this renaissance of Louth football can be traced back to the early days when Gavin Devlin arrived alongside Mickey Harte in 2020.
One of the first things they spent time on was taking a long, hard look at their training facilities in Darver. They came to the conclusion that Darver needed to become more purpose-built with some of the trappings that the Tyrone duo were used to at the Garvaghey training centre.
That winter, extensive renovations took place. Walls were knocked down to make changing rooms far bigger. Communal spaces were expanded for players to dine together after training and imagery celebrating Louth past triumphs and players was placed all round the complex.
*****
5. A Horse of a man
In managing Louth this year, Gavin ‘Horse’ Devlin has challenged two shibboleths in sport and the GAA.
The first was to never go back. If it was a surprise that he and Mickey Harte finished up with Tyrone only to fetch up as the Louth manager a matter of weeks later, it was an even greater surprise that they left them to become the Derry management in time for the 2024 season.
After that assignment ended, Devlin was still well enough thought of in Louth to be appointed as Director of the county’s underage football sides and was in situ at the end of last season to succeed Ger Brennan, one in the eye for the logic that you should never go back.
It had also become accepted wisdom that it was impossible to win in the modern game when you are reduced to 14 men. But by beating Monaghan after losing Sean Callaghan after just seven minutes of the recent All-Ireland quarter-final, they showed how it could be done.
*****
6. Early wobbles
One week stands out for both sides as they review this championship season.
On 26 April, Mayo lost the Connacht semi-final to Roscommon, played in Castlebar, by ten points.
Six days later, Louth went out in the Leinster semi-final to face Dublin. Once again, the margin was ten points in the Dubs’ favour.
Even at that, Mayo fell to another defeat four weeks ago to Tyrone in Round 2A.
Fair to say that neither county were fancied to make an All-Ireland final this season. But one of them will.
*****
7. The piano (accordion) man
Staying with that seismic day in 1957, Louth fielded that year without a clearly defined captain throughout the season.
It was only the night before the final when the selectors decided it should be Dermot O’Brien of St Mary’s Ardee.
Retiring after a broken finger in 1960, two years later he turned from amateur to professional musician with his showband ‘The Clubmen’ with O’Brien playing the piano accordion.
Their cover of ‘The Merry Ploughboy’ topped the Irish charts for six weeks in 1966.
*****
8. Mayo men in Louth
When Louth won their last All-Ireland title in 1957, they actually had two Mayo men togging out in an era when players moved freely without the expectation to commute to play with their home club.
Seamie O’Donnell at right half-forward played locally for Cooley Kickhams, but his club of origin was Ballaghadereen in Mayo. He later went on to play with Westerns in Dublin and Meath’s Navan O’Mahony’s.
In midfield, they had big Dan O’Neill who came from Castlebar Mitchells. At the time of the final he was playing for St Dominic’s, and when they lapsed he went to Naomh Mhuire, both clubs based in Drogheda.
Both men had won a national league title with Mayo in 1954.
*****
9. Honours even
National profile is one thing, but both counties have actually won the same number of All-Ireland titles.
Louth’s triumphs came in 1910, 1912 and 1957.
Mayo’s arrived in 1936, 1950 and 1951.
One of them will get a chance in the upcoming final to land a fourth title.
*****
10. Do believe the hype
In the wake of the 2021 All-Ireland football final, the word around Mayo was that their fanbase had decided they couldn’t take it anymore. The reaction was of a support base shrinking, and calloused hearts manifesting as indifference.
However, a Mayo reawakening together with support springing up in the soccer towns of Louth, means this All-Ireland semi-final will be the very first time in history that a game of this stature not involving Dublin, will be sold out.
During the week, some final batches of tickets went on sale online, and were mercilessly seized upon.
It’s going to be an occasion for the ages.
*****
Check out the latest episode of The 42′s GAA Weekly podcast here
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A Closer Look all ireland semi final GAA Gaelic Football Louth Mayo