MAYO'S supporters feted the team at the Burlington Hotel last night after the draw with Meath in the All Ireland final at Croke Park a few hours earlier.

Willie Magee, a Garda detective in Dublin, who will be remembered for many sterling displays for Mayo, put it succinctly. "Look! We haven't won an All Ireland title since 1951. Surely to heaven we can wait for another fortnight at least."

All around, as Mayo people basked in the pleasure of not being beaten, were famous faces from the past.

Among them was Eamonn Mongey, a member of the team in 1950/51 and two of his companions then, Father Peter Quinn, from Los Angeles, and Dr Padraig Carney, also from the United States, both of them back to grasp once again the glories of their youth.

Carney could not remember how many times he had flown back to Ireland from the US to play for Mayo, only to remember that Micheal O'Hehir of RTE, or Radio Eireann as it was then, dubbed him the flying doctor.

Carney felt that there would be little between the teams in the replay. "Meath has every reason to be proud of themselves for the way they played. I think that one or two little strategic points have to be addressed about the positioning of the centre half forward Colin McManamon; but I believe that they have enough determination and talent to win the replay and win it well," he said.

All around there was total belief that Mayo had not "left it behind them" to coin a phrase, but had, in fact, learned from an experience that will serve them well in the replay.

Among the players ready for the rematch was Pat Holmes, who admitted being slightly sore after a torrid battle with Meath half forward, Graham Geraghty, who had destroyed Tyrone in the semi final; but who had failed to have the same effect in direct opposition to Holmes.