MAYO:HOME CAME the vanquished last evening. The skies over Castlebar were appropriately grey, the atmosphere more solemn than carnival.
Exactly on the appointed arrival time of 5.15pm, an express train from Heuston station disgorged the Mayo team and their management entourage into the teeth of a cold wind in the Mayo capital.
There was no fanfare, little banter. The wounds of yet another All-Ireland defeat were being licked quietly.
Yet, the mood picked up a little when the two coaches carrying the players and their mentors emerged on to Station Road. Knots of youngsters and quite a few adults lined the route to McHale Park, with flags and banners waving, albeit soggily in an increasing downpour.
The crowd of several hundred listened to several speakers, all of whom emphasised what “a fine, dedicated bunch of lads the Mayo team were”.
Perhaps the most optimistic prediction was made by the chairman of the Mayo GAA Board, Paddy McNicholas. “I promise you we will be back on the same day next year with an even bigger homecoming and we’ll have an extra passenger on board, Sam Maguire.”
The Mayo team manager James Horan expressed thanks for the large turnout and said he hoped the public appreciated the sacrifices players were making
“so that they could be as good as they could be to play football for Mayo”.
Midfielder Barry Moran asked supporters to stick with the team.
“Stick with us,” he pleaded. “We’re going to work hard. With the help of God we’ll be back again next year and, hopefully, it will be better than today.”