Mayo hurling on the rise as David Kenny eyes Croke Park glory

RTÉ News​

31-05-2025

Kerry versus Mayo, 2014. It's likely your mind immediately drifts back to Limerick's Gaelic Grounds rocking to the beat of an All-Ireland football semi-final replay encounter for the ages.
David Kenny certainly hasn't forgotten that extra-time epic. He was a promising young footballer at the time, between All-Ireland minor (2013) and U-21 (2016) wins with his county. He lined out in both of those finals.
But he was also a hurler at heart and when he talks now about Kerry versus Mayo in 2014, he's moreso thinking of their Christy Ring Cup semi-final encounter that year.
Still a teenager, Kenny was already a senior Mayo hurler.
The Ring Cup amounted to hurling's second tier at the time, as the Joe McDonagh Cup hadn't yet been established, and Mayo were right there at the forefront of the teams pushing for silverware.
"We were up at half-time in that Christy Ring semi-final," recalled Kenny. "The game was in MacHale Park, so we had home advantage, I can't remember why that was for a semi-final but it was the case. We just lost out on that one in the end."
Kenny's recall isn't fully accurate. Kerry were well ahead at half-time but Mayo did outscore them in the second-half by 1-13 to 0-6.
Kildare went on to beat Kerry narrowly in the final and subsequently played Westmeath in a promotion/relegation game to see who would compete in the 2015 Leinster SHC.
Just over a decade on, Mayo hurling has slipped back considerably from those heights. There are all sorts of reasons for that, one of which is the pull of football for talented young dual players.
Whilst Kenny was happy to stick with hurling, other talented stick men opted to go down the football route. It's a tale as old as time in football dominated counties.
"Shane Boland, our corner-forward, his brother is Fergal, who is with the footballers," said defender Kenny. "Fergal's a brilliant hurler too. Jack Carney is another man who was a brilliant hurler growing up. Jack Coyne, corner-back with the footballers, he's a very good corner-back, still plays hurling. He'd be extremely sticky.
"It's hard to see, as a hurling person, that quality and that talent not being available but it happens all the time, not just in Mayo."
The great Keith Higgins managed to straddle both codes for a while. When his football career was over, he returned to hurl exclusively and captained Mayo to the 2021 Rackard title, their last at the grade.
For all of the difficulties that the Mayo footballers are currently experiencing, an invite to join them is still seen as a golden ticket for any young dual performers in the county. There are only three senior hurling clubs in Mayo after all, four if you include the St Ciaran's amalgamation which comprises players from more than half a dozen junior clubs.
Kenny is optimistic about the future of hurling in his county though. They had a pre-final meet and greet in Tooreen recently and there was a big turnout. He has noticed more younger players getting involved generally.
And if the flagship senior county team could return to the Ring Cup, they would become an even more attractive proposition.
Mayo fell at the final hurdle last year, losing by four points to Donegal. Neighbours Roscommon are the opposition this time. If their Round 1 encounter in the group stage is anything to go, when Mayo beat the Rossies by seven points, this could be their day.
"We'd absolutely love to go back up to the Ring Cup but obviously Roscommon are thinking the same thing," shrugged Kenny, a schoolteacher at St Jarlath's College in Tuam.
"Roscommon are a great side, physically very strong. They're also very good in the air. They have lads like Brendan Mulry and Sean Canning inside, speed merchants. They've got a lot of threats but we'll do our best to hold them down."