Liveline

00:01 0818 715 815. This is Liveline on RTE Radio 1. 00:07 Sponsored by Harry Corrie. Summer's here. Spruce up your bedroom for less with our sizzling summer sale offers at harrycorrie.com 00:27 Good afternoon, you are very welcome to Liveline. 087-484-8888 is the WhatsApp number. If you want to message me that way, you can email liveline at rte.ie or as always, give me a call on 0818-715-815. And Aidan O'Shea is on the line. Aidan, how are you feeling? 00:48 Not bad, yeah, not bad. It's Monday morning. I just got on the train in Houston station to... 00:54 A massive gag of Mayo people and Mayo Royal End Champions. Yeah, it's Monday afternoon, Aidan. I hate to break it to you. It was Monday morning a few hours ago. Still Monday morning to me. 01:06 How were the celebrations? 01:09 Magic, yeah, magic. The last 24 hours have been a bit of a blur since the final whistle. 01:15 But yeah, just unbelievable. We had an unbelievable journey from Crow Park to the hotel. for the banquet last night and had plenty of tough banquets but last night was definitely one to savour and enjoy so late night and early morning this morning went to Temple Street and it's just been a great great morning just on the train now and heading west and by all means the scenes we've seen online it looks like it's going to be some welcome home. 01:39 Yeah and what time are you expected back in Castle Bar? 01:44 We're due back, I think, around sixes, but I'd say now, I think it's Irish time, I'd say we could be seven, half, seven, eight, seven. 01:52 So you mentioned the crowds there already, and are there crowds of Mayo people cheering you onto the train even in Houston? 01:58 Oh, yeah. The whole way through the city there, there was male people and just generally people cheering us along the way, slapping us at lights. And then, yeah, there was a massive crew here at Houston Station for us as well. So, yeah, very special moment. So, again, we've had train journeys down and it's been keeping the head low. This one, we've enjoyed it getting on and enjoying the atmosphere. 02:18 I mean, you've obviously had a bit of time to look at the phone and see some of those images then of people celebrating back home last night. 02:25 How much does that mean to you to see what this means to other people in Mayo? 02:31 Yeah, it's magic. We're all like, jeez, I wouldn't mind being down there. But no, it's, yeah, obviously it's kind of like a release file that's kind of popped and a lot of emotion. People have been waiting for this moment for a long, long time. And yeah, it's unbelievable seeing the same flair. Main Street, Castle Barrett closed last night. Westport Bridge Street was closed. And people are just going mad. So I think work is out for a few days on air for sure down in the mail. 02:57 So the productivity will be low. I have no doubt. What does it mean to you then personally, Aidan, having been so close so many times before? 03:09 Look, it's not really about me. It's obviously really special to finally get over the line when you've been... 03:15 Battling to try and get this job done for a long time. But, you know, the last few months have been magic and the boys are just outstanding. Yes, the young boys have jumped into the squad and they've been a breath of fresh air. And to see the way they performed yesterday and got us over the line, it's just magic. It is magic. This is my 18th season. And I don't know, whatever, seven or eight finals now at this stage. But to finally be on the right side of it and bringing Sam McGuire into the dressing room and having those special moments with the boys, it's just magic. 03:43 At what point when you were watching those final few minutes did you allow yourself to believe it was going to happen or was it only at the Hooter or was it Tommy Conroy's point? 03:56 No, I think about five to go, we had, we just had a chance, I think, Rhino missed a free, and then Giorno hit the crossbar off the other side line, and I just said to the boys, like, we're five minutes here, if we don't, as long as we don't do anything stupid, which, you know, we've done in the past, I think we should be all right, but, yeah, you've got to remember, David Clifford's under the field, and he kicks an unbelievable two-point drop, I was right, and all of a sudden, it starts getting a bit tight, but, no, thanks to God, we saw it out, and, yeah, as you say, Tommy Conrad flicked the ball over, and, 04:25 Chaos ensues. It was incredible. I mean, people watching Inkelkenny, it was incredible for us. I say watching. I couldn't watch. After David Clifford scored that two-pointer, I kind of pottered about. I said, I cannot physically watch the television if they don't get over the line. But I remember watching television, though, a few years ago, Aidan, and I was watching you, and you were on that AIB show. Remember the Toughest Trade? Yeah. 04:50 You were in the States having a go at the NFL and you visited Porrick Carney when you were over there, the flying doctor. 04:59 How much did the legacy of that 1951 team, how important was their legacy to ye and to everyone in Mayo? 05:07 Yeah, well, as players, I mean, obviously, people outside of Mayo kind of make a laugh and a joke about, you know, the curse and them passing. But obviously, we would have got to know some of them down through the years. Paddy Primer, obviously, down in Kerry. 05:21 And obviously I was very fortunate to meet Flying Doctor when I was over in San Diego. And yeah, you know, it's obviously unfortunate. None of them are allowed to see today. But yeah, you know, we would obviously, there's pictures of them in our dressing room areas and in McHale Park. 05:40 For sure, you know, I went to the medals, the Flying Doctor's medals were returned to Mayo there a couple of years ago, and they're in a museum in Swinford. So, yeah, it's kind of a special... I thought about him last night, actually, when all was said and done, and he's plenty more medals than me, but nice that I can now say, on that show, I said, one of those Celtic classes would be nice, and at least now I can say I have one of them with him. 06:00 I mean, have you allowed yourself to think about the reality that for young lads growing up in Mayo, you're going to fill that space. You know, you're going to be those lads that they look up to who won that All-Ireland. 06:15 Hopefully, Aidan, for not as long as you were looking up to them. 06:18 Yeah, yeah. No, I think, like, Darius had it yesterday in his interview, like, and he was, Darius Barham was outstanding yesterday. He was asked about being overall, and he said, no, shoot, I've grown up watching Mayo being in All-Ireland finals, which, He has done, so it wasn't any surprise to him. So I think, you know, even that over the last few players there that unfortunately have stepped away over the last five or six years, I'm sure would have loved to have had yesterday's day. But they've helped embed that mentality of being in All-Ireland Finals and having an expectation of being in All-Ireland Final Day. And then yesterday is the fruit of that and young fellas coming through 18, 19 years of age. 06:52 winning it so it's incredible so it's massive but yeah you're right let's not hope it's 75 years again I don't think it will be Well listen how relieved are you that you can go the rest of your natural life Aidan and you'll never have to be asked about a curse again Well, no, it's funny, I start with Cillian, and, you know, if you look at any montage on RT or anything about Mayo, it's always probably Cillian or Aiden crying or whatever. Now, it'll be no more. It'll be a picture of Colin McDonald, Ryan, Gary Byrne, Jordan celebrating lifting Sam McGuire, and I just can't wait to see that over the next five, ten years. 07:27 It was an absolute joy to behold for 31 counties anyway on this island. And I suspect even some people in Kerry wouldn't have begrudged Mayo to victory. And we appreciate you taking the time because I know you're there in and amongst everybody on the way to Castle Bar and a train journey unlike the seven or eight others that you've had to go through after finals in the past. So thanks a million for talking to us, Aidan, and congratulations. 07:53 Thank you very much, Garen. Appreciate it. 07:55 Yeah, no, well, listen, we really appreciate you taking the call at 087-484-8888. If anybody else wants to get in touch with us by message, as always, give me a call on 0818-715-815. And of course, mentioned there of 1951 and... 08:12 We've got Patsy Higgins on the line and John Doonan, both of whom I understand were there. John, I might start with you. You were there watching that All-Ireland victory in 1951, were you? 08:25 Oh, I was. I was there with my brother, God rest him. 08:29 We had cousins in Glesneven and we walked to Clark and we'd spend a week up there before the match and we'd see the match and it was great it was a I always remember one thing I always remember was Tom Langan's great goal that decided it it was a Beckham bend like at a time when Beckham wasn't heard of you know he was really good and it was great he practiced the shot so he had one fella throwing a cushion at him in the hotel room the night before and he was telling them he could sidestep The great Paddy O'Brien, the mead fullback. 09:11 He was called Paddy Hans O'Brien. He had such great hands. 09:15 And it worked for him the following day. 09:17 So that was great. So you were how old then for that old Ireland? 09:22 I was 14 and 51. 09:28 How important was it? I'm thinking of 14, 13, 14, 15-year-old boys and girls in Mayo today. How important was it for you to see that? 09:36 Oh, it was. Well, I had been going to matches. I went to the Connacht final in 1946. 09:42 That's why I was only nine and had an old banger of a car that neighbours had and it came out after the war. 09:50 And I often ask people, where was the Connacht final played in 1946? And nobody can tell me. But it was played in Ballinasloe. And I don't think it was ever played there since. But I saw the famous Indy Kinney's father, Henry. He was the best centre field man in the country at the time. I think it was either the last match for Mayo. So that was it. 10:17 Tell me a little bit then about the heartbreak you've had to endure. Aidan O'Shea mentioned those tough train journeys back to Castlebar in the past, the seven or eight times he's had to do it. 10:29 What's it been like watching from the sidelines, seeing them get so close? And I'm thinking particularly maybe of that Dublin game a couple of years ago, the two goals, when really they could have won it and should have won it. But what's it been like as a fan? 10:42 The first heartbreak I really felt was I wasn't at the match but listening to it at home in 1948. 10:50 Cavan versus Mio and Mio and Cavan were 3-2 to no score at half time and Mio ran them to a point but they were beaten by a point I remember crying that day I was crying and I always left Crawford there feeling lonely it was awful to see we've played in 19 All-Irelands and we've won 4 it's not a great statistic But it's great to win yesterday anyway. 11:20 Yeah. Talk me through the feelings when the hooter went yesterday at the 70-minute mark. 11:26 I think the volume of the sound of the mayor roar, I don't think it was ever surpassed in Croke Park or ever will be, you know. 11:38 We had a huge lot of it. And to see people there with tears in their eyes, one man blessing himself and... 11:46 just in sheer thanksgiving you know it was great and then we weren't running away and like defeated we went down to the front and enjoyed everything we were there an hour after the game you know and I know you played a bit of football yourself as well club football but your brother who you mentioned he played for Mayo he did he played Mayo he was an awful young lad he was kind of a Well, if I may say so, he was kind of a prodigy when he was 12 or 13. 12:16 They put him on the Mio Minors at 15, and he played four years on the Mio Minors. Very few do four years on a minor team. And then he played for Mio on and off for years and played for Clare Morris. I played for Clare Morris for five years with the great Henry Dixon. Now, Henry Dixon was the great centre-half back who won his second All-Ireland medal in 1951. And it's such a different game. It was a catch and kick game. 12:45 And Henry Dixon, I was telling somebody, if Henry Dixon's grandmother was on the pitch, he wouldn't pass a ball to her, you know. 12:53 It was, you know, from the backs to the forwards and you'd never get the full back going up scoring the same as Keith Higgins and those lads could do, you know. It was stay of the air and watch your men. That was the game. 13:08 Yeah, but it was always enjoyable. 13:14 Go on, John. Sorry. 13:17 It was always enjoyable. I think the new rules are for the better, though. They're good, you know. 13:25 Well, I guess they suit teams like Mayo, who have a couple of lads who can score those two pointers. 13:32 Oh, yeah, yeah, sure. That's... 13:36 Ryan I don't know who's he's great and the Kearney lead and sure they're great you know it meant a lot yesterday it meant a lot get back I mean seven points down after 16 minutes was a bad a bad omen you know yeah but we got back and we won it I mentioned Patsy Higgins who is with us as well John and Patsy you were there as well in 1951 is that right indeed I was yes I was 14:06 Well, how important was yesterday for you? 14:13 Oh, Lord, it was a relief, to be quite honest. A big, big relief. I just want to say something to you for fear it might just go out of my head. Listening to Aidan O'Shea there for a while, you know, you think, would he be down, would he be disappointed? But what you must remember is it was Aidan O'Shea, Columbine and all these lads that started all this. 14:37 So, were you, I mean, were you convinced that they could get over the line then, Patsy? It's easy to say that after they did get over the line. How nervous were you? 14:49 No, I was a little bit nervous now going up, to be quite honest. And the thing, of course, that everybody was saying was... 14:57 everything will have to go right for Mayo, you know. And I had that in the back of my mind, but everything did turn out. But one of the things I want to say is now, we've all, we've three great forwards up there on the full forward line, but I think what it was yesterday was, it was a team effort. I mean, when you think of Paddy Clifford now, he nearly beat Dublin on his own the last day out. We put a young 19-year-old head on him, and he held him to one point. 15:28 at all he did he did yeah he did incredibly well despite the fact that Poddy Clifford himself didn't have a bad game and David Clifford was his usual self and he almost closed well he did close the gap and it looked like they might it looked like they might entirely close the gap as well in just the last couple of moments Sean O'Shea just came up a bit short with that two pointer how nervous were you Patsy when Sean O'Shea lined up for that two pointer 15:54 Oh, very nervous, very nervous. I nearly let her roar so that she might help me put the ball wide. To be quite honest. I did. Now, another thing that I thought of since was, I was a bit worried. The Hooser hadn't gone, and if you looked down into the old beach, half of them were on the field and the Hooser hadn't gone. But thankfully, they were only a few yards out and the Hooser went. But definitely I was worried there now in the last few minutes, the two pints could have happened, you know, and we had missed a little bit before. 16:30 It's like that old famous commentary from 1966, isn't it? You know, the crowd around the field, they think it's all over. It is now. 16:36 Oh, yes, yes, yes, that's right, yeah. Yeah, that was the way with revenge. I thought we'd yet, yeah, penalise. 16:45 Rita Trench as well, actually, was somebody else who was there in 1951. 16:48 That's right, yes. Oh, yes. She's up to town here. We were together last Friday. I think RT was, and we were down there in Balladyne, and we were interviewed. Yeah, and I think she was interviewed today. Oh, sorry, before the match yesterday. Yeah, she was there also in 1951. 17:06 Rita, the way Patsy describes, you're something of a spokesperson then for the town and the county, are you? 17:12 apparently i am not but patrick patrick can hold his own anyway but i'm at 88 i'm not i i'm just out getting through and that's about it um taking every day that comes but i can tell you yesterday was one of the best days of my life was it really outstanding it really was i mean you know i was there in 1951 like patrick said and um Like, you know, we won the game and it was great and it was marvellous, but there was nothing like the excitement like there was yesterday. 17:48 You know, and like that, like playing Kerry, we always heard it was impossible to beat Kerry in the All-Irelands in Crowe Park. But... 17:58 We always thought we'd win. We never went up thinking whether we were going to lose. Nobody loses on purpose. We always thought we were going to win. We were disappointed, of course, several times, but we got over it. And we were waiting for a day like yesterday for the last 75 years. And it couldn't have been better. It was outstanding. It was absolutely brilliant. 18:24 Do you think that the nature of this season helped Mayo, Rita? That they lost that game against Roscommon and that they were written off and that there wasn't maybe... there wasn't the same hype around the team early in the year that there has been before, that it really wasn't until a few weeks ago, until people really started talking about them as All-Ireland contenders. 18:46 Well, I suppose, well, All-Ireland contenders, but nobody ever thought, I think, that they were going to be All-Ireland winners. 18:53 No. 18:53 But, like, early on, I suppose, well, we were giving them a chance, like, because then this first year, you know, and, like, the young ones coming on, like, in all fairness, like, when they... When they started off with the team, they lifted the team and they lifted the county. You know, and like they could, those young ladders could do anything. You know, they could be in the backs, they could be in the forwards, but they were, you know, gathered up and down the fields like, you know, like greyhounds. And they were just doing their own thing. 19:24 And it worked, you know, and. Everybody was behind him. Oh, it was absolutely amazing. 19:31 I don't know, Rita, if you heard Aidan O'Shea, but he said, you know, he was fairly confident at the end, even despite David Clifford closing the gap, that they were going to get over the line. You know, he thought they'd do it. He's more confident than I was. I was watching at home and I thought, oh, my God, they're going to throw it away. I can't believe I'm watching this again. What was it like for you watching it? And what was it like when the Hooter went? 19:54 Oh, it's like watching it really, you know, like, you know, with experience from other finals, you know, we always kind of just felt it went a bit short. But, oh, I couldn't believe these, you know, who she sounded. I was afraid that David Clifford, you know, who were two points down, would get him at two points. Oh, gosh, to be back to, you know, like where we were before, but thank God that didn't happen. And Lord, it was a wonderful day for Mayo people. 20:26 It was really fantastic. 20:28 And another wonderful day today and a wonderful week ahead for lots of Mayo people, I'm sure, which is why so many of them, I think, are getting in touch with us here on Liveline. 0818 715 815. We're going to stick with this. We have to stick with this, but we'll be back in a moment. 20:45 Liveline on RTE Radio 1. 20:49 Live Line with Ciarán Cudahy on RTÉ Radio 1. 20:54 We're all shameless Mayo fans on Live Line today. Shameless Mayo fans up and down the country, whether people are actually in Mayo or from Mayo or have a connection to Mayo or claim they have a connection to Mayo. We're all rowing in behind the team after the heroics yesterday. And before the break, John Noon, who was at the game, along with Patsy and Rita, who we spoke to, in 1951 and was there again yesterday mentioned a grown men blessing themselves and falling to the ground and I think we all know who he's talking about because we've all seen the images already they spread like wildfire on social media and I saw them in the news last night and I saw them on the Sunday game and Shane Fitzgerald was that Mayo fan who was doing the blessing and the falling to the ground and he's on the line Shane you're very welcome to the show how are you feeling 21:39 How are you and your listeners? Great. Halfway to the West at the moment. Just coming through Strokes Town, getting ready for this evening and let the week begin. 21:50 How do I feel? I haven't got over it yet. 21:55 It's only beginning. 21:59 I think when we see Sam McGuire in McHale Park, Hastings McHale Park this evening, it'll be home. 22:07 You mean an awful lot to mayor people 22:14 How much would it mean to you, Shane, to see... 22:18 It's not just me. 22:20 It's not just me. I just look at Mayo have pilgrimed the way down through the years. We've lost a lot of games with disappointment. And... 22:38 But look, we've had strong United and we've had amazing, powerful players over the years. And now we've reached, you know, we've achieved our goal is to bring Mayo after 75 years, bring the Sam McGuire back to Mayo. 22:57 And so look, it's really special. And I'm looking here as I'm watching car after car after car, all heading west and all around the routes and the roads to the west. In small little villages and towns, there's flags out, there's bunting out, there's people standing out, clapping and supporting us all the way to the west. It's great. Thank you, Ireland, for the support you've given us. But look, every county out there has been a great year for the GAA. A lot of good five or six counties there have had some really special achievements. 23:32 You know, Lawns, Wiclow, you know, Roscommon, Westmead. 23:36 Yeah. 23:37 And there's more to come, please, God. 23:40 Listen, like I said, so many people would have seen the images of you. And so it's great to talk to you. And we appreciate you pulling over there around Strokes Down and County Riscobble. You're halfway back to the West on the way home. And Shane, enjoy the celebrations. And if anybody... 23:57 like Shane is a passenger in a car or is driving and wants to pull over is on a bus managed to get a ticket on the train I know somebody from Donegal who listened to Kenny who tried to get a ticket on that train and he sent me the evidence of it a little bit earlier no such luck those trains are sold out all day long Back to Castle Bar. But if you are in amongst that cohort of people, I'd love to hear from you as well. So 087-484-8888, the WhatsApp number for messages. Or as always, give me a call on 0818715815. 24:28 And Dr. Rachel Sheehan is on the line, who is with us as well. Of course, a member of the Mayo backroom team, the performance psychologist with the senior footballers. Rachel, how are you feeling this morning? This afternoon, should I say? 24:41 What's the atmosphere on the train there? 24:57 jubilant I suppose the lads are tremendously excited family and friends are on this train as well so they're getting to kind of share the day with those closest to them and yeah just really really great atmosphere the lads are just absolutely beaming as is everybody involved so yeah it's a great place to be I don't know I assume having never been on a train like that and having won or lost in all Ireland I assume it's 25:21 Despite the family and friends around it, it's probably a little bit of a break, is it? A little bit of a lacuna between all the mayhem of Dublin and the celebrations and the mayhem you know that's going to greet you when you get off that train in Castle Bar. 25:34 Yeah, I can imagine we're a little bit secluded or insulated at the moment. Dublin was, I'd say, manic last night, a little bit quieter this morning, although outside the hotel, it's absolutely hopping when we left. I have no idea what it's going to be like in Castlebar. And I'd say whatever I imagine won't actually get to the scale of it. 25:50 So we'll just have to cross that when we get to it, I think. 25:54 So can you explain then a bit more about your role, what it is with the team? 25:58 Yeah, so I'm the sports psychologist of the team. I started in October back at the very start, which is great. Sometimes in my role, you can sometimes be a late addition, but right in there from the very start. So I suppose my main role is I see the lads at least twice a week in person. I'm at... at least a training session and a match. If we don't have a match, then I'd be there up in Castlebar twice a week. I do group sessions with the lads every couple of weeks. With the recent run of games, I'd be doing it every off weekend, shall we say. So just myself and the players in a room doing all sorts of different sessions and topics. 26:31 And then I do one-to-ones and all of those are conducted remotely. I actually myself live in Tipperary, So be checking in with the lads via messaging during the week and setting up video calls, whatever works for them in terms of gaps with college and work. Just set up video calls, check in, see how they're doing in school, college, work, relationships. All of that stuff and then eventually we get to some of the football pieces as well. 26:52 So yeah, I'd be fairly clued in and checked in during the week. So what challenges then did you have to deal with this year in particular given the nature of the season, the ups and downs? I've already mentioned the game against Ruscommon when people essentially wrote them off right through to yesterday. 27:10 Yeah, I suppose most of the things we were dealing with were actually internal. We always discussed outside noise, but only so we knew it was there. So it's not something that we needed to shy away or be afraid of. But mostly any of our concerns were all internal in terms of, you know, the system that we were trying to play. Obviously, Andy and the management team were trying to reinforce kind of a new system within the group. And it was always about trying to integrate that system, being really adaptive, making sure lads knew their roles. They had loads of space and opportunity to question things and try and add their own elements to the playing system. 27:44 So it was more about becoming the team that we had set out from before Christmas rather than any challenges that might have been perceived, I think, in the outside world a little bit. And even with the... The loss against Roscommon, we had a great block of training after that that allowed us to really go after some of those kind of foundational elements that we'd been trying to lay from earlier in the season. So that block of training served us really well. And, you know, week on week, I think... it was fairly evident every training session we were actually getting better so the longer the season continued the more exciting it was because our style of play the belief and the sense of connection was just growing and growing every time we showed up in McHale Park and then that was becoming more evident on the pitch so the time really helped. 28:27 How much are you then preparing players or groups of players or even the entire team to deal with specific situations? You know... 28:38 We'll take yesterday as an example. You know, that you've got a five-point cushion, but it begins to be eroded. You know what I mean? And that there's a sense maybe of the momentum shifting towards Kerry and you've got to see the game out. Or in advance, you're conscious of how the hurling went the week before when the bookies' favourites just kind of laid down a marker early and it was game over really after 15, 20 minutes in everybody's mind. That you're... You're preparing the team. Listen, if that happens, if Kerry come out and bulldoze us for 15 minutes, it's not game over and here's how we respond. 29:10 Do you deal with that type of thing? 29:12 Oh, 100%. I mean, the greatest source of confidence is preparation. So I think almost every possible scenario you could think of off the pitch or on the pitch, we would have, as a management and backroom with the players, discussed and ran through in advance. So that goes from, you know, we did practice our own parade. We practiced the presidential handshake. So all of the stuff off the pitch we would discuss and rehearse. And then on-pitch scenarios, what happens if we lose three kickouts in a row? What happens if Kerry get a purple patch? And not just Kerry, obviously the previous opponents as well. 29:43 If we're down, if we're up, we discuss those scenarios in meetings. And then whatever we can work through on the pitch, we do. So when we get into a situation on the pitch, it's not novel. Look, we've planned for this. This is the system we're going to try and work with to try and get back on track. But to be honest... 29:59 Not huge changes, but lads really owning their role and not deviating from that when we're under a shift in momentum. So it's sticking with the system, sticking with the role and believing that, look, they've had their purple patch, we'll get ours as well. And if we're in it, you know, down the stretch, the lads are extremely well conditioned, both physically and mentally. So we've got a belief there that they'll get us over the line. 30:20 Sorry, I'm fascinated at this idea of practising the parade. Tommaso Shea, you wouldn't have been listening in the commentary before the game, was talking about how much he hated it. He just wanted the ball to be thrown in on an Ireland final day. He didn't like all the pageantry beforehand. He felt it was a distraction. So, like, how much are you... 30:43 Talking to the players as if this is just another match, it's 70 minutes and the same rules apply and the team who deserves to win will be the team who scores most. Or how much do you acknowledge this is a different match because of all the noise around it? 30:58 We would have had a discussion maybe a couple of weeks ago, myself and the players, around the distinction between what happens within the white lines in terms of performance and what happens outside the white lines. We would have discussed all the elements outside the white lines and how, depending on how much attention you put on those, how that can detract from performance. But we would always discuss them because... that the noise of the occasion is something that can affect performance within the White Lions. So we would discuss them, we'd plan for them as best we can, but also frame them as an absolute privilege. We're so grateful, so delighted to be in an All-Ireland final where all of that pageantry happened. 31:32 So even though it could be seen as an inconvenience in terms of their physical or mental readiness, we're just so privileged to be in that position and we'll adapt and rehearse and prepare as best we can for any of that stuff outside the White Lions. 31:44 And how much then do you also, can you, as a psychologist, lean on some of the more experienced players? We had Aidan O'Shea on the show a little bit earlier, who's there on the train somewhere with you. You know, that they've been through this before. I remember listening to Tommy Walsh talking about taking a half day on the Friday before an All-Ireland once with Kilkenny and then playing awful on the day and he never did it again. He just treated every Friday like a normal Friday. You know, you have lads who've been through it and they can say to the Kobe's or whoever this world, listen... 32:12 This is what worked for me in the past. 32:16 Yeah, well, a big thing with the group is the lads knowing themselves and being authentic to themselves. So if some of the lads like to say, in this example, a day off to unwind and they find that benefits them for performance, then drive on. If some of the lads say, no, I want to work a full day because it stops my mind from being idle. We try to let the lads know there's no right or wrong way to do this. It's about knowing yourself. And having the experienced lads there to point the way and let the lads know, look, there are different ways of going about this. And the value that those experienced players bring in the dressing room and on the pitch is absolutely incredible. 32:48 And the dialogues that they have that I probably don't even see with a lot of the players. 32:52 are hugely valuable to those younger players who are trying to figure things out and trying to determine for themselves how they could best prepare. But these things are always changeable. So I'm sure in time players will adapt and evolve individually as the team adapts and evolves as well. 33:08 Do you as a psychologist, is there a great freedom in working with those younger players? Oh, I think we might have lost Rachel there. We've lost Rachel there. She is on a train somewhere between Houston Station and Castle Bar. And anybody who's ever been on a train anywhere in Ireland will know that reception is patchy. It's incredible that we've managed to keep her. Actually, I think we have her back. Rachel, can you hear me? 33:34 Yes, I'm back. Oh, you're back. Yeah. Listen, the reception is going to be patchy, understandably, at different parts of the journey. But you were talking about, you know, the players being authentic to themselves. And if lads like to take the Friday off, that they keep doing it. And if lads don't, that that's what they do. Stick with what they know and what works for them. But with those younger players as well, like from a psychologist point of view, from your point of view... 33:56 do they come with less baggage like is it you know that yeah they're they don't have the scars of of past experience to to deal with yeah no i wouldn't say i wouldn't say the scars of past experience way too too heavily this year to be honest with the entire group although we did reference them to some degree in meetings earlier in the season why do you not think why didn't they 34:20 Well, like what was relevant to our team in 2025, 2026 was all the stuff that was happening to us this year. So way early on in meetings in October, November, we might have addressed things in the past. But in terms of taking learnings from that, that's all we want to do to learn and move forward. Whoever has won and lost in the past isn't entirely relevant to how we want to play and focus this year. So certainly there's an awareness there. But I wouldn't say it informs too much of what we were doing and working on as the season progressed. And I suppose the younger players there would epitomise that. you know, during their leaving cert or in first or second year of college. 34:51 A lot of them have gone through, obviously, minors and 20s, so they know what's going on in Mayo. But they do bring a freshness and exuberance and innocence and a freedom, which Andy very much encouraged. Among all the players, young and old, no matter what you have brought to Mayo in the past, there was a little bit of a blank slate this year where you could go out and be free to express yourself. Obviously, within the system, but it was a system that very much encouraged freedom and expression. 35:14 Yeah, talk to me about that balancing act between having a system and processes in place, but still that the players feel empowered on the pitch, that they're not slavish to it. I always remember, you know, kind of Jim Gavin when things weren't going well for Dublin, the handful of times they didn't go well when he was manager. But, you know, he would kind of be sitting in stony silence on the sideline and his view was let them work it out themselves. Yeah. 35:44 Yeah, sure. 35:49 to try and figure things out as they go. But I think a key thing there is you can't deviate from the system until you have a system there to begin with. So you need lads singing from the same hymn sheet before they can adapt. Otherwise, you get 15 individuals adapting in a different way. Whereas if we know, look, this is the framework in which we want to play when we're in possession and when we're out of possession, then the lads know how they can express themselves from that. Whereas if we don't have that foundation, they're expressing themselves in all different directions and we're completely misaligned. So the key thing really well integrated and then from that the expression can flow and then the lads can connect better as they express themselves as opposed to one lad going off in one direction, someone going off in another direction. 36:27 So you definitely need the foundation and the system integrated before the creativity can be fostered. But from the very beginning, that was something that Andy and the management team were encouraging, that creativity and that expression. 36:38 So as somebody then with a dog in the fight, skin in the game and all of that yesterday, could you enjoy it? 36:46 Oh, I was trying my best. It could be a little bit nervy there when you're watching because, you know, there's a lack of control. You're just sitting and observing. I will say, you know, the early deficit, we faced that so many times. We were getting off really, really good shots early on, just a couple of dropped short and a few wide. So I knew we were actually in a good spot, and eventually a couple of the balls would go between the bars, which is exactly what happened. And the lads have such a relentless hunger. It's fun. 37:16 Finally, Rachel has found another black spot in terms of reception somewhere between Houston and Castlebar. Listen, we might try and get her back, but she's been very giving of her time, given she is in amongst it. And as she said herself, a little bit of a hiatus as well for the players. They're just family and friends on the train after the mayhem of Dublin and the mayhem of Castlebar that awaits. Back in a moment. 37:42 Live Line on RTE Radio 1. 37:47 Get in touch on WhatsApp 087 484 888. 37:54 We've got a lovely email in as well, lifeline at rte.ie. I am from Mayo and I've had many a sad day in Croke Park and elsewhere following the Mayo teams over the years. And I was just a toddler when they won in the early 50s. So this is the third All-Ireland I have been around for. It was a wonderful and surprising win and the wild celebrations were wonderful to watch. I'm sure Castlebar will be manic tonight, but I'm at an age now when it would be too much for me. But Joe goes on to say, let us spare a thought for all the counties that have never won in All-Ireland. And there are 14 of them from Antrim to Wicklow. 38:25 The same spirit lives in those counties and the same hard work is being done behind the scenes by volunteers who have never had their day in the sun but continue on. to dream. Well, all of those counties, I suspect, up and down the country, bar one, bar Kerry, were cheering for Mayo yesterday. And even Kerry fans, even I saw the great Jack O'Shea, I think, during the week, suggested that he wouldn't begrudge Mayo at All-Ireland. And it was great to see some of those fans. So many of those Kerry fans as well stick around in Croke Park to offer their congratulations. 38:57 It was just a brilliant day from start to finish, an absolutely brilliant day. And Mairead is on the line as well, who was watching in London. Is that right, Mairead? 39:06 That's right. Hi, I'm from Limerick, but I'm married to a Mayo man. And to see that, for him to experience that joy yesterday was just so wonderful. And for all the Mayo people, especially the diaspora all over the world, because I know we look at Donegal and Mayo and all the people that had to immigrate over the years. I had an email from New York last night, someone that worked with me. It's just so special times. I experienced those times back in 2018. We reached 45 years for Limerick to win the LRN. 39:38 I was home for the LRN last weekend. I was home at the homecoming. New people have got all that to look forward to today and those memories. It's just fantastic for them. It's so, so special. 39:49 Yeah, even as you say it there, and I thought of it yesterday, you know, Joe Connolly's famous speech, one of the greatest, the greatest speech ever given by a captain, where he talked about people from Galway all over the world. And it could have been written and could have been said of any county in the west of Ireland, couldn't it? 40:07 It really, really could. And the captain's speech yesterday was so incredibly amazing and special and I think you just spoke to Rachel there. The round of applause and special shout out to Caroline Curd, the braids behind the Limerick success, I will say. Like, Rachel sounds like she's been doing the same for Mayo. And by God, you could tell, you could tell that they had done head work, the way they spoke, the confidence. And I think when talking to Mayo people over the years, they lacked that confidence, they lacked that belief. 40:42 And, you know, I'm with my husband for nearly 22 years, and every year just watching, oh, here we go again, here we go again. I'm so down. There's four numric women married to four male men. We started to keep in touch. We said, oh, God, our poor men. Like, will they ever see us? And for us all to be so happy, for the men we loved to experience that was just so, so special. You know, male people all over the world, I hope you are having the best, best time today. 41:13 And no matter where you are, with your people, because it is your people. You know, I had to get on the plane on the Tuesday afternoon in 2018. And it was the first time I didn't want to get on the plane to come back to London. It was the first time I felt homesick. I never felt homesick except that time, because you want to talk about it. You want to celebrate it. I came back into work expecting everyone to go, congratulations. And no one was even talking to me about it. But I would say, from being over here, the coverage that the BBC gave to the hurling last week and the football yesterday has been wonderful for the sport. 41:47 We watched the game at home yesterday. We went to our local pub last night and the whole pub was going to clap and he was shaking his hand. Because they'd been watching it and they knew what it meant. So having that exposure for our national sport that's part of our culture, that's such a big, big part of who we are, is just amazing. 42:09 It's been absolutely incredible. It's lovely to hear of places outside of Ireland as well celebrating. Tell me about your husband, I'm sure, was just as delighted for you in 2018 as you are for him today. Did he slowly become embittered by all those Limerick victories? 42:27 He did, he did, he did. I bought him one year and Limerick laughed and I said, you're never coming to a match with me again. But no, he was delighted and he wrote something that night and it really stuck to me. He's like, to experience this joy and someday I'll experience it. I'm just so happy. 42:47 Ah, listen, Mairead, I'm so happy you called in and I really appreciate it. 42:54 Thank you so much. Yeah, it was great. 42:58 And people have gone before them, you know. Like, Pat's dad's passed away. And all the people have gone before people. They just love this day so much. Me-o-boo. Liberic and me-o-boo. 43:15 Fantastic year. We have two old artists at our house. We never thought we'd see it. So it's just brilliant. We'll celebrate it, I tell you. We're going to love this year. It's fantastic. 43:25 Fair play, Mairead. Fair play. Listen, thank you so, so much. And listen, it wasn't just the pubs of London that were celebrating. It was pubs up and down the country, I tell you. 43:35 Oh, it was. 43:36 And you know... Go on. 43:37 Exactly. And people that we haven't heard from in a while or we'd have met over the years were ringing and were texting. And we had... Caroline, she's from here, but she lives in Armagh. I mean, she failed us last night. It was quite late now. But, like, she was just so ecstatic. She was like, who else for me oh, I can ring? And there's a guy that we know from another pub in Tooting. We call him Mayo Tom. And Mayo Tom would have been just so ecstatic last night. We'll probably see him over the next few weeks. But, like, you just think of those people. 44:08 And you think of all people. Like, you know, it takes a village. People that took people to training, the trains, the clubs, the parents, the guardians. you see how much work that goes in underage and all the way on, you know, and that's what the GE is all about. It takes so many people to get people there. And that's for everyone. And me, oh, people, I just saw it to the earth. Like, I lived in Kerry for years. I supported Kerry for years. I love Kerry. There's pictures of me going back to 2006, maybe, with Pat was in the mirror, I started to turn my coat yesterday. 44:44 Had to. I just wanted this day to happen for him so much. 44:49 And just Mayo people everywhere just enjoy it. Enjoy it safely, but have the best time. And these are really, really special times. 44:57 Yeah, they absolutely are. And special times, I'm sure, in Mayo, because Tom Burke is on the line from J.G. O'Malley's in Westport. 45:05 Tom, describe the scenes in Westport to me last night. 45:09 Oh, hi, Garen. How are you? Westport's I don't think anybody's gone to bed yet. Everybody partied right through the night. It was alive. Our main street, Bridge Street and Westport, it was pedestrianised yesterday and there was hundreds and hundreds of people out singing, dancing, crying, laughing. It was magic. It was really magic yesterday. 45:32 Were you working through the match? Were you trying to watch it? Did you manage to get away and watch it entirely? Were you there? 45:40 Believe it or not, I wasn't there. I broke my leg. I was watching it at home. 45:46 So I was watching it at home, but I went in. I went in after the madness when it wasn't too crazy. And I had a couple of pints. So plenty of tears and plenty of beers. 45:57 How did you break your leg? 46:00 Fell off a mountain bike. 46:03 Yeah, yeah. All right. Well, go on. It was worth it. It was worth it for... 46:09 To be there last night in Westport, it was magic. 46:13 I suspect it's going to continue right throughout tonight and possibly into tomorrow, is it? 46:19 Yeah, yeah. The team are supposedly coming to a hotel in Westport tonight. They're staying in Westport. And the party is just continuing. It's already getting busy again here. It's getting crazy. 46:31 I've never seen anything like it. 46:32 So when you were watching it then at home with the leg up, talk to me about those last few minutes, because this is what I'm fascinated by, how people in Mayo survived those last few minutes. Because as I said, I think, to Aidan O'Shea earlier, I actually walked away from the television when David Clifford got... I didn't see the... 46:53 the Kerry 2 pointer that came up short and Conroy's point because I couldn't watch it and I have no skin in the game no connection to either county and I couldn't I thought they're going to do it again they're going to contrive to lose this again I cannot believe what I'm watching what was it like for you watching it well I cried twice in my life once when my dad passed away and the other time was yesterday I just I emotionally I just broke down I couldn't hold back the tears it was it was so many years 47:24 of hardship and suffering, and to see the lads finally get it over the line, I just, I broke down. I was bawling. I was crying like a little kid, and I was so happy. I just, I couldn't believe it. And that was, I think, for every man and woman in Mayo, we... 47:44 You know, we just couldn't believe it. It was magic. I'll never forget it. 47:49 What would it mean? You can tell what it means to you. We can tell what it means to, you know, Mairead and her husband in London and how emotional she was. 47:59 You know, Aidan O'Shea was talking about it. What do you suspect it's going to mean to younger boys and girls? Do you think of kids growing up imagine themselves to be that team of the 1950s or that team, Dermot Flanagan got an all-star on in the 1980s and the team that came so close, kind of 90s and 90s and onwards, that now they've got All-Ireland champions to look up to. 48:25 Yeah, I think that every boy and girl in Mayo now will aspire to be All-Ireland champions and They'll be on the pitches again next week training and dreaming and hoping that they might be someday in Kobe's shoes or, you know, they're walking up those famous steps, picking up that cup. It's inspirational and I'm sure every single child in Mayo will want to be in their shoes someday. 48:56 Tom, listen, stay with us because we have Paul Doyle on the line as well, who's a publican as well, but not in Westport, in Castle Bar. He runs Rocky's Bar in Castle Bar. But Paul, you're a Kerryman, so I don't know, is it commiserations or congratulations? 49:12 Oh, it's congratulations all the way. 49:15 I'm here 25 years and what I've seen the poor Mayo supporter go through is unbelievable. And now, after they've beaten the best, they can call themselves the best. 49:26 And I've got to say, I expected this. Ah, go away. 49:29 That's easy to say now, Bob. Go on. Why did you expect this? 49:34 Well, they're a young team and Kerry have been lucky, it's got to be said, in their last two games. They've had decisions that have gone for them. And without them, there might be a different team in that All-Island Final. And yesterday, the beauty about yesterday, too, was you don't hear anybody saying about a dodgy decision or a referee or a bad call or there was a fight or a dirty punch or anything like that. It was such a great, clean game on how football should be played, you know. And a great credit to both teams. 50:05 And such a relief. My daughter now, she was at the match yesterday. she's Mayo through and through, like, and it's great that, you know, she'll never forget that experience. 50:16 Never. 50:17 But next year's a different story. 50:19 I was going to say, were you cheering for Mayo yesterday? 50:23 I've got to say I was. Okay. Were you really though, Paul? 50:27 Oh, 100%. I couldn't watch the last 10 minutes. I was here working in the bar. 50:32 I say when England are playing at a World Cup, I tell people I cheer for them. And then suddenly when someone scores against them, I find myself jumping around the living room. So, I mean, you tell me now, what were your real emotions when Sean O'Shea was lining up that two-pointer to make it a draw in the last minute? What were you really feeling? 50:53 Yeah. Well, I've got to say now, I was hoping he was going to miss it. That's the truth about it now. Because Kerry are going for 40, for Christ's sake. They can miss this one, I think. Jack O'Shea was a pure gentleman after it. He said it's good for football and that Mayo was a better team. He had all the right things to say about them. And the fact, of course, that it was a good football game. But you can see that The outpouring of emotion is just crazy, you know, and it's bittersweet. 51:28 Your previous caller, she was talking there about relatives that haven't seen Mayo win in North Island. It brings a, you know, I get a lump in my throat because I've lost some dear friends the last few years, good GM, and they haven't seen this, you know. And it's just so, it's bittersweet, you know. 51:48 Yeah. 51:50 You know, it's going to be a thin Christmas, I think. 51:52 Yeah, you're thinking of what yesterday would have meant to them. 51:56 Absolutely, yes. Absolutely. And there's a loss around the county. So I could well identify with that lady on the phone talking about her. She suffered losses and, you know, thinking of them. 52:08 Yeah. 52:09 Well, Paul... But next year's a different year. But anyway, we'll survive this year. 52:15 Yeah, you won't be grudging the one, but the one will do. 52:19 That's the one we'll do, yeah. But Sam Maguire is going to get worn out in this county. I'll tell you, you know, that's for sure. 52:27 He'll want a nice easy 12 months in Trilly or Killarney after that. Listen, Paul, we appreciate you taking the time as well because I'm sure you're flat out in Castlebar, the Mayo team. en route as we speak and we did talk to Aidan O'Shea earlier who is on that train Rachel Sheehan as well the team psychologist on the train as well and they're expecting to be in around tea time in Castle Bar and as Tom Burke says then they're expecting them in Westport a little bit later this evening so Kew Wild celebrations right across the county of Mayo we'll stick with this but back in a moment 53:02 Live Line on RTE Radio 1. 53:07 Live Line with Ciarán Cudahy on RTE Radio 1. 53:12 0818 715 815. If you want to give me a call or you can message me on WhatsApp 087 484 888. And Loretta Blewett is on the line. Loretta, how are you feeling? 53:23 I'm tired and emotional, Ciarán. 53:25 Why would you be tired and emotional today, Loretta? 53:28 Just had to get stuck into the celebrations, you know, listening to all your other callers there. 75 years. We are going to have to embrace these celebrations like no man's business. So just in case we have to wait another 75. Hopefully we won't, but we have to make sure we celebrate in style now for the next few weeks. 53:47 So what did celebrating in style look like last night with the good crack? 53:51 Oh, it was absolutely brilliant. You know, I still have my headband around my neck this morning, so... It was just brilliant. Walking around like zombies and meeting people in Mayo jerseys all night last night was just brilliant. Had to embrace it, so it was great fun. 54:07 You're about the fourth person who said this morning on Live Live today, which starts at a quarter to two, but it just gives you sense maybe of how late everybody was up. 54:19 Absolutely. I think we all missed this morning. We're only in the morning now, so it was a late start. 54:27 So are you somewhere en route back home or where are you in the world? 54:30 En route back home now, yes. And it seems like an awful long journey getting back to Mayo, although in fairness it normally is. So the traffic, the tolls are still full in Enfield and people beeping the horn and Mayo flags and Mayo painted cars everywhere. So we're all on the journey back together. I'd say most people are heading for Castlebar, but I have to go and pick up my car. 54:54 almost two-year-old now who's been in her Mayo jersey since yesterday, so I'm not sure we've missed Castlebar. It's brilliant, look, and the Kerry people, in fairness, were very magnanimous in defeat yesterday, but sure. 55:09 They were barely supporting their own team. Everyone wanted Mayo to win yesterday. 55:14 That road home, I mean, you've done that journey so many times. You've done that journey so many times after a defeat. 55:25 How different is it? How lonely a journey is that generally? And how does it compare to the journey home today? 55:31 Oh, it's absolutely... I was just thinking yesterday... when I was on the way up, my first All-Ireland, my father brought me too, was in 1996, and we played Mead, and that epic game that turned into a bit of a messy cut, and it was brilliant, so my first introduction to Crow Park was a spicy affair, but to be up there yesterday, and my dad died last November, and he always swore me I would never win in All-Ireland while he was still alive, so he died in November, and we were very emotional yesterday thinking about him, he was a a great club man of Knockmore, a great GAA man. 56:07 And look, we've lost a lot of great soldiers in male football and supporters over the last few years. I was thinking of John O'Mahony yesterday, a man who I was very friendly with and very close with, and he would have been so emotional yesterday after that great win. And of course, Andy, Being a club man of himself as well was just special. So thinking of all the Omanis yesterday too. 56:31 And that's the thing, isn't it? I mean, every single person in Mayo will have young people in their lives, maybe like your daughter, who they think will grow up now looking up to this team. And they'll have people who they've lost over the last 5, 10, 15, 20 years. And they'll be thinking and would have been thinking yesterday how much it would have meant to them. 56:52 Oh absolutely and I hope and pray that we won't have to wait another 75 years but you know this team will go down in history for now and I know there was a lot of people and you had some guests on your show earlier who were at the All-Ireland in 1951 we remember that team. And of course, Mayo wore the white jerseys that day and they wore them yesterday as well. So maybe we should have been wearing white jerseys in the All-Ireland. 57:18 Well, Rita, you wore them in a league match, I think, against Kerry earlier in the year and you got hammered. 57:23 Oh, don't worry about the league. Forget about the league. 57:27 But I was talking to Tommy Thiernan as well today and his dad and his brother went to the All-Ireland yesterday and they were 10 and 12 when Mayo last won the All-Ireland good Mayo men. And they were able to be together yesterday after 75 years watching the All-Ireland and seeing all the defeats and been there yesterday for what was a very emotional day for so many people. So it was brilliant. So now, you know, even though Tommy slags me and Hector slags me about being meat men, they're really Mayo men at heart. 57:58 But see, that's the thing. There was 31 counties cheering on Mayo yesterday. And... 58:07 nobody from Kerry wanted Mayo to win that game but even afterwards you know when you listen to Jack O'Shea and you saw the fans in the stadium as well they realised that what they were watching was special despite it not being the result they wanted Absolutely and like look to be honest they won 39 All-Ireland I know we broke their 40 streak but like they'll get there eventually Loretta 58:34 Yeah, they will, God love them. Poor creatures. I'm sure, I feel sorry for them, but I'm sure they'll get there. Look, when we're going for our 40th as well, I'm sure someone will put a spanner in the works. But we met the Bomber Liston last night and he was absolutely delighted that Mayo won. I'm sure they'll be disappointed with Kerry's performance yesterday. I'm sure a lot of Kerry fans will be disappointed. But look, if they want to come up and celebrate in McHale Park this evening, or come to Ballinat during the week, we'd be more than welcome welcoming the Kerry supporters to come up and see how we party in Mayo. 59:10 Maybe they could give us a couple of tips as well, you know. We might need some tips from these legendary teams on how to celebrate, but I think we'll give it a good go anyway. 59:19 I'm sure you will. And your famous cousins were watching it too. 59:22 They were now. They got in on the act as well, I see, on Instagram. I'm sure they were having a big watch party and having the celebrations in... 59:32 in america and i heard uh michael ring on the on the radio earlier and he says we've had popes and we've had presidents and we've had um prime ministers visiting mayo but the biggest visitor of all of these fans so we'll hopefully keep our hands on them for as long as possible but you know look this is a good young mayo team now and uh now they'll have to taste the success hopefully they'll they'll want more and more of it 59:56 Well, listen, Loretta, we'll let you back on the road, back to the celebrations or what smallest part of the celebrations you can partake in today, this afternoon, not this morning anymore, Loretta, in case you're due back at lunchtime to pick up your daughter. 60:15 Listen, Leo Moran is on the line as well of the Saw Doctors. 60:20 Leo, you know, the entire country watching that match yesterday, it felt I think almost a million people on average tuned in. I don't know what the peak audience was, but nearly 90% of people watching TV were watching that game. And when the final whistle went, they listened to the green and red of Mayo as well, pumping over the speakers in Croke Park. 60:42 Leo I don't know do you get sick of your own music but I mean you'll be listening to a lot of that and the Mayo people will be listening to a lot of that over the next few weeks I'd wager. 60:52 Well over the last few years it has caught me by surprise a few times after the game but I 60:57 I have to say, I was expecting it yesterday. 61:01 Yeah, it's an amazing privilege to be part of the big day. 61:07 How does that work from an artist's point of view? I mean, do you know that your song is going to be the one that will be played if particular teams win? 61:16 Well, we have a fair idea that Green and Red and Mio would get played and a fair idea that N17 would get played if Galway were to win. So, yes, it's not official or anything, but... It's kind of accepted, I think, at this stage, for the moment anyway, maybe. Maybe some other song will overtake us in time. 61:35 So, I mean, I would think of the Sword Art as, you know, it's a Galway band that's from Toome and everything, but it's not just the Green and Red and Mayo. You know, I think that the Hay Rap song and everything was there, you know, will Galway bait Mayo, not if they have Willie Joe and everything. 61:51 You know, Clare Island and all of that. Like, would you see yourselves more as a West of Ireland band or how do you think of yourselves? 62:01 Well, we have a great relationship with Mayo and Mayo is a wonderful place to go and visit. You always get great hospitality. It's beautiful. There's great action up there. We love Westport. We love Clare Island. We love going to Castle Bear. 62:15 You know, we go to Clare Morris quite often. 62:18 We have a great relationship with Mayo people. Lots of Mayo people are married in Chewham, work in Chewham. Loads of Mayo people came to school in the boarding schools in Chewham. So the connections are very, very numerous. 62:31 So I don't know if you were listening to Morning Ireland this morning, you saw any of the clips, but Sarah McInerney was presenting and I thought it was actually, it was absolutely shameless because she is a proud Galwegian and she presented that show wearing a Mayo jersey. 62:45 I'm not quite sure how she did it, but I mean, what about you? Were you cheering for Mayo yesterday? 62:51 Oh, absolutely. I'd say it was only maybe 1% off the joy I would have got a Galwa head one. 62:57 Really? Yeah. 62:59 Yeah, I was so excited and delighted for a meal because they deserve it. They've been there so often, had so much disappointment. 63:06 And they were brilliant yesterday, so absolutely, I'd be 100% behind them. Absolutely delighted over the moon. 63:12 Well, not just you, Leo, many more besides. And I mentioned it when I was talking to Oliver Callan earlier that we were going to be talking about this today. And I was asking people to get in touch and to message or to phone in. We actually got a photograph sent in to us by Ruth Mongie, who is on the line. And it was a photograph of Ruth wearing what? Ruth. 63:38 I'm still wearing it, Ciarán. 63:41 What is it? 63:41 I didn't even take it off last night. It's my dad, Eamon Mongey. It's his 1951 All-Ireland medal. 63:51 I'm so emotional. It's so precious. They won two in a row. 63:57 Sign of a great team, as he always said, to win two in a row, but we won't start talking about that yet. 64:06 I mean, what they achieved was extraordinary, and what the team achieved yesterday was extraordinary. 64:13 And that team of 51, really all they ever wanted to do was pass the baton on to the next generation. And they waited, and we all waited, and we all waited. 64:26 And I think they'd all be delighted today. They're all going to be up in heaven and they're going to be lepping around the place up there because that's all they ever wanted to do was to hand it on to the next generation of great male footballers. So it is hugely emotional. We're absolutely ecstatic after all the heartache over the years. 64:45 Yeah, I asked Aidan O'Shea about how relieved he was going to be to be able to go the rest of his life without ever being asked about curses again. 64:53 I'm sure you likewise will be relieved that this has been put to bed and it's gone, done and dusted. 64:59 Oh, and I know. The funny thing about it is that, like, over the years, I don't think it was really until about the 90s that that idea of the curse surfaced. Because talking to Dad and talking to the likes of Paddy Prendergast and Pora Carney and Peter Quinn over the years, said we never remember we never remember a funeral in foxford and we don't even remember that you know story surfacing and they did their best to quash it for all the the male teams that came after them to kind of say guys this is the monkey on your back but it's not true you gotta go out and win it and it was a but then again never let the the truth get in the way of a great story. 65:40 And it is a great story in many ways. 65:45 It was a great story, but it's great to see the story come to an end. It had had its day. 65:51 I suspect you won't take that medal off at all today, will you? 65:54 Absolutely not. Absolutely not. And my sister went off at the other one into work today. And we also have his National League medals and we have the Connacht. He had five Connacht medals medals as well. So we had all the medals out last night and we just celebrated in style. But they were a phenomenal team back then in 1551. 66:19 Very much, I thought, ahead of their time in the way that they strategised about the game. I mean, I really got that in bucket loads from them over the years. And I think, you know, yesterday's team, they were on fire, absolutely on fire. I have never seen guys run so much as they did. You know, Kerry Guy would be waiting for a kick out and next minute you'd have one of our guys running all the way across the pitch and being in there and getting the ball. 66:50 I mean, there was just no yielding. They had such passion. So, I mean, it was hugely, hugely well-deserved. But my heart was in my mouth after the first 10 minutes. I really thought, oh my God, I really... heading for an annihilation. So it was even sweeter when it came to what it did at the end. 67:09 Yeah. Sweet. Superb. You mentioned it. 67:12 All the adjectives have been used by this time to describe that Mayo team and that Mayo performance and who knows, maybe they'll do back-to-back All-Irelands as well. Maybe a bit unfair to ask them about that today. Maybe later in the week we'll get to that. not today maybe next week Ruth listen enjoy the celebrations or what is left of them and thanks a million for sending in the photograph a lovely message and I'm sure as you said your dad and all his teammates left and around wherever they are in celebration as well back in a moment 67:45 Live Line on RTE Radio 1. 67:50 Live Line with Ciarán Cudahy on RTE Radio 1. You can listen back on the RTE Radio Player app. 67:58 Now we kicked off the show today hearing from Aidan O'Shea as he got onto the train in Houston station heading for Castlebar. One amongst many, many Mayo people on their way towards their home county to take part in the celebrations and Liam is on the line as well. Liam, where on the road are you? 68:17 I'm on the N5 and I'm just 15 kilometres from Castlebar near Bellavary and we're already stopped. 68:26 Sorry, you're stopped in traffic. 68:29 Stopped in traffic, absolutely, on the N5. I've never seen anything like this before. There's people coming from Swinford, Ballina, from Kilchamore, all over. 68:38 Unbelievable. Usually it would be a source of frustration being stuck in traffic like that, but there's something nice about it, isn't there? 68:48 Absolutely. Everybody's delighted. Absolutely. 68:51 Are you looking forward to the celebrations tonight? 68:53 I am. I mean, I was at three finals. I was at two with Meade, one of which we should have won, except for your man McEnany, and another against Kerry before where we never saw the ball in the second half. So I'm really, really, really delighted to be in this one. 69:10 What does it mean? I mean, we can see what it means in terms of the celebrations if this 15-kilometre tailback's already at sight. 69:17 Castle of Bar, what does it mean for the people in Mayo to have gotten over the line? 69:22 Well, I mean, my father and grandfather all belonging to me were Mayo and we just had this passion and this belief that we were actually going to do it. I mean, Mayo is a beautiful county. It's just full of, you know, full of lots of stuff and... 69:40 You know, from that point of view, you know, this is the icing on the cake. 69:47 The icing on the cake. 69:48 Listen, Liam, we appreciate you getting in touch and letting us know the traffic situation to other people on the road because I know lots of people are listening. We'll know about it as well. Enjoy the celebrations. Enjoy the celebrations. The message to everybody who is on the road home to Mayo today. That's our lot on Liveline. Jack Murphy produced. Dave Gibson was on sound. Alex Lopatin was our BCO. Louise Duffy is up next. The Mayo Mafia themselves taking over. I'll be back tomorrow. 70:17 Live Line on RTE Radio 1. 70:20 Sponsored by Harry Corrie. Summer's here. Spruce up your bedroom for less with our sizzling summer sale offers at harrycorrie.com. 70:29 0818 715 815 stays open until 3.15pm or email live line at rte.ie.