Despite the heartache, I wouldn’t give it up for the world

Despite the heartache, I wouldn’t give it up for the world

by | Aug 16, 2014 | All Ireland Championship, FBD League, Guest Contributors, Mayo GAA, National Football League, The Fan's View

Welcoming long-time Mayo GAA fan and one of the most dedicated supporters we’ve ever met, Clíona O’Gara from Charlestown to the Club ’51 hot seat. Cliona sums up below how most of us feel when it comes to following the team, through thick and thin, from winter to summer.

There are days when being a Mayo GAA fan seems like the ultimate punishment for something you thought you didn’t deserve. Those moments after an All-Ireland final defeat when you feel like you’ve done something horrendous in another life to feel such gut-wrenching pain and heartache. That horrible pain you get when looking around Croke Park at the opposition’s fans celebrating, and thinking “this can’t be happening again”. Facing that dreadful journey down the motorway, seeing car flags on the road ahead, meeting other MO reg cars at the toll and everyone giving a sympathetic smile to everyone else. Stopping in Supermac’s in Longford, meeting more grieving fans and dissecting every ounce of the game with a complete stranger. Getting home, torturing yourself by watching the Sunday Game and going to bed thinking of what could have been. 
 
But even though being a Mayo fan has carried heartache on the third Sunday in September, I wouldn’t give it up for the world. We have a lot more good days than bad. I love the feeling when waking up on a cold, January Sunday morning and heading for an FBD game in Ballyhaunis or Ballinlough dressed from head to toe in your winter woollies. You look around and spot the usual 20 people that you know you’re gonna see at the rest of the games in every part of the country. You soon forget about the previous year and what might have been, and focus on what might be, and the blood starts pumping for a new season. The league flies by and before we know it, were wearing short sleeves and anticipating the championship. There’s no feeling like going to a championship game. Hearing the roars of the fans, feeling the shivers run down your spine when the National Anthem is playing, seeing those fans that have come late and cursing them for standing in front of you, but most importantly being there. Being there to watch your team, your county, your lads that you feel like you know personally from following them on twitter to Croker. 
 
Yes, not every day is a good one being a Mayo GAA fan but the good ones are nothing short of great. No, we haven’t landed that ultimate prize,; no, we haven’t seen our boys walk the Hogan stand and lift that cup we desire so much, but we will. In the meantime, we continue to get behind the team that has given us so many hours of enjoyment and entertainment. Mayo are very close to landing that prize and there will be a time when that final whistle will go in Croke Park and we will be All Ireland Senior Champions. We will experience that feeling that I’m pretty sure compares with nothing else for a GAA fan. We will cheer down the motorway, we will forget about our chips in Longford so we can get to Castlebar as quickly as possible and most of all, the journey of heartache over the years will all be forgotten.We won’t hold any grudges.

2014 may just be that year. Maybe.

 

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Planning for Game 5

Planning for Game 5

by | Aug 13, 2014 | All Ireland Championship, Mayo GAA

Here we all are again: for the 4th year in a row preparing ourselves for the trip east to cheer on our boys in an All-Ireland Semi-Final. It’s all very positive. But I’m very cynical as ye know.

It’s great to see us travel in such numbers and we comfortably outnumbered every other county there last week. But some of us tend to forget that we have two outstanding football teams still in action this year. Our minors… What a team. And it’s great to see the support in early for them last week. But if one more person asks me “how did the minors get on?” in the jacks of Croke Park after the minor game… If you cared, you would have been in on time. The pubs will still be there after the game, I promise!

Anyways, with that off my chest, it’s time to get to planning for Sunday week. The hotel is booked, the tickets are sorted, train tickets booked and…

Rail Strike

There’s only a bloody train strike!

Well there you go! We’ll have to take the hit and stay the night in the Villa Bella. The rumbles about a possible strike are sure to interrupt the plans of a lot of folk reading this although I do hope it doesn’t affect the numbers travelling. We hate to see anyone stuck so be sure to get stuck into our car pooling section! If you need a lift, post it up on our Facebook page and someone might be kind enough to bring you along (for a fair contribution to fuel and sambos, obviously!). In terms of parking, we’ll follow up with details closer to throw-in but the general rule of thumb is to get in early!

It’s a great time to be a Mayo fan. This excitement never gets old. I’ve spent all day reading articles, message boards, arguing with fellow fans, and watching classic games on YouTube. And there’s still 11 ruddy days to wait! So the overriding message for us has to be this: enjoy it. We are the envy of most other counties in Ireland. Only 4 teams get here every year, 8 including minor, and we have 2 teams representing us.

To stay in touch with the latest updates I would recommend the MayoGAABlog. The content is excellent, some great updates and links to articles in local and national media and some incredibly dubious conversation to boot!

I’d like to wrap this up by wishing the U21 hurlers the very best in their Connacht Under 21 B final in Athleague tomorrow. It would be a very welcome success with our seniors doing the business against Roscommon earlier in the year to win the Connacht title, not to mention  the minors’ second appearance in as many years in the All-Ireland minor C final where they look to retain their title. Also, well done to the Mayo Ladies team who qualified for the last 8 last Saturday after defeating Westmeath, and best of luck to them too as they take on All-Ireland Champions Cork in the next stage on Saturday in Tullamore.

Enjoy the build up!

MayoMark

Face The Ball Prediction League Week 12

Face The Ball Prediction League Week 12

by | Aug 11, 2014 | Prediction League Tables, Prediction Leagues

Face The Ball Prediction League Week 12

Facetheball prediction league logo

Mayo Club 51 Leader board —- Start Week : 1
Your position: 

    Total Week 13 Week 12 Week 11 Week 10 Week 9 Week 8 Week 7 Week 6 Week 5 Week 4 Week 3 Week 2 Week 1
1 Dan 1114 51 82 54 71 119 135 91 175 46 106 26 73 85
2 macdanger 1096 45 80 55 75 124 105 95 180 79 102 0 73 83
3 Ciarano 1095 51 82 55 70 119 83 118 161 44 102 28 73 109
4 mclouga9 1078 48 83 54 79 148 76 88 165 20 128 29 76 84
5 endaredondo 1068 48 54 44 75 150 86 96 179 20 130 28 75 83
6 sam no.4? 1047 49 84 57 74 129 49 95 188 76 80 28 50 88
7 nerdyfi 1038 51 82 57 78 95 100 93 178 45 70 26 76 87
8 MsLaineyHughes 1035 29 83 29 75 89 132 125 182 74 81 0 24 112
9 the V-man 1029 47 55 59 80 129 107 122 151 74 100 0 45 60
10 Seamus 1022 49 83 55 48 97 76 138 181 44 100 25 44 82
11 Sinabhuil 999 22 69 60 81 154 71 103 187 48 70 27 49 58
12 dcr22B 992 48 81 27 47 96 102 88 184 43 130 26 43 77
13 mayomagic 989 47 55 57 72 147 103 91 161 45 76 0 50 85
14 Mayor McCheese 982 48 80 56 48 97 103 90 191 45 70 27 44 83
15 Fleadh Cheoil 980 47 55 57 48 76 84 92 189 74 72 28 74 84
16 MikeyBhoy51 979 52 84 54 80 92 75 90 150 43 102 26 46 85
17 Padraic McHugh 978 48 56 30 46 123 135 99 184 20 128 0 26 83
18 gomonaghan 963 49 69 49 47 70 105 101 176 45 100 26 44 82
19 Citywest1984 961 20 83 29 47 153 74 85 193 75 71 0 44 87
20 ONeill 959 49 55 56 73 56 113 118 187 46 74 0 54 78
21 RiainPierce 951 48 53 23 75 78 134 95 156 45 102 29 25 88
22 Nodlag5 951 22 35 22 35 92 131 117 169 45 103 26 71 83
23 kcawley 944 49 81 57 28 95 86 70 169 73 77 29 45 85
24 Sarahf458 940 44 84 27 77 101 105 91 185 20 75 0 46 85
25 horansmen14 939 51 82 56 50 79 132 90 183 44 72 0 45 55
26 Lar Naparka 939 47 53 56 75 92 27 116 161 48 110 28 45 81
27 Yew tree 935 47 54 26 56 124 101 94 187 20 99 26 23 78
28 Maloney74 924 47 80 56 79 121 28 103 193 44 69 0 45 59
29 Mick51 923 48 80 54 77 97 116 90 189 20 54 27 45 26
30 MaigheoAbu 922 44 79 26 23 95 103 96 183 46 98 29 46 54
31 mayo.mick 916 44 55 57 78 48 102 89 161 45 96 0 54 87
32 Black Cards Ahoy 915 50 83 56 46 47 111 90 186 46 74 0 45 81
33 MickC 895 49 55 44 80 76 86 122 158 49 49 26 24 77
34 digherdeepandthrowherwellback 889 22 35 22 35 92 86 95 174 46 96 0 75 111
35 MayoGodHelpUs 881 48 51 27 47 30 104 145 159 73 70 0 45 82
36 142 MO Sam 856 22 54 22 58 101 47 73 153 20 118 57 50 81
37 Newport 838 47 79 29 50 75 47 119 166 44 53 26 24 79
38 Johnnyrebel 836 49 30 29 52 122 48 92 158 44 101 0 25 86
39 AlanP 824 48 53 55 70 81 50 103 130 20 113 0 47 54
40 mayo4ever 808 24 51 27 25 95 27 115 190 75 101 26 0 52
41 Catriona 799 22 35 26 76 67 110 52 169 20 73 20 44 85
42 thecailinrua 789 22 54 30 78 46 85 90 154 46 49 27 50 58
43 currane100 784 22 35 22 35 93 86 90 162 45 74 20 45 55
44 RogerMilla 774 22 35 51 35 46 43 103 169 73 73 0 44 80
45 supersars 684 22 35 22 35 46 43 52 169 46 102 0 26 86
46 therocketncw 675 22 35 22 35 46 43 52 169 46 75 0 49 81
47 cafferkey 642 22 35 22 35 46 43 52 155 23 89 20 45 55
48 amayofan 560 22 35 22 35 46 43 52 85 23 45 20 50 82
49 Dooriels Finest 558 22 35 22 35 46 43 52 85 23 45 20 50 80
50 mortified 557 22 35 22 35 46 43 52 85 23 45 20 50 79
51 kaysers 475 22 35 22 35 46 43 52 85 46 89 0    

 

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