Tomorrow evening at Croke Park, Mayo play Donegal. And for Mayo people, the annual ritual of wild hope followed by fatalistic self-pity will begin in earnest. It is August. They have laid waste to Connaught. They have the Unstoppable Force playing at full-forward. They have a new management team. It is totally understandable if Mayo people are dreaming about winning the All-Ireland. Ex-players are saying it can be done.
And if they manage it, I feel comfortable saying it will be the most amazing single-season achievement in the history of Irish team sport. Better than anything Kilkenny or Kerry have ever done.
Okay, I know the words 'Mayo' and 'winning the All-Ireland' should never go in the same sentence, but hear me out.
We all know about '51.
But take that, and all the All-Ireland's that Mayo have lost since, and add this in-
If Mayo win the All-Ireland this year, it will involve beating Donegal, Dublin and Kerry (sorry Monaghan and Tyrone).
This Donegal team, this Dublin team and this Kerry team that scored 5-2 in 15 minutes. That's the winner of the last three All-Irelands. No team has ever beat such quality en route to Sam Maguire. No team is as haunted as Mayo.
Slaying ghosts + incredible victories = the greatest thing ever.
Whether or not Mayo can do it is another thing entirely, but if they manage it, fucking hell, it would be a MINDBLOWING achievement. In a span of six weeks, they will have to encounter the three best teams in gaelic football this year (again, apols Farney Army), three legitimate juggernauts, and beat them. In Croke Park.
Can you imagine?
Now it might all be derailed tomorrow. But the hype train starts here.
