Andy Moran's selection as Mayo football boss sparks hype and considerable hope among the faithful
appointment as
Mayo
senior football manager has prodded a renewal of two idling characteristics long associated with Mayo fandom – hype and hope.
And though it is true neither ever tended to stir far from the surface, it is also true that the hype train hasn't been stuffed with hope when pulling out of the station at the outset of any season recently.
It is coming up on five years since Mayo contested an All-Ireland senior football final.
Between 2012 and 2021 Mayo played in seven Sam Maguire showdowns – including a replay. During those years, there weren't enough carriages to cater for all the hope.
READ MORE
But Mayo haven't managed to even negotiate a pathway back to an All-Ireland semi-final since 2021 – exiting at the quarter-final stages twice (2022 v Kerry, 2023 v Dublin), the preliminary quarter-finals once (2024 v Derry) and at the group stages this year following defeat to Donegal in their last game.
The condensed season is the most significant factor in altering the intercounty calendar; nonetheless, for three of the last four years, Mayo have packed up their tent for the year in June. The outlier was in 2023, when they were eliminated on July 2nd.
They last raised the Nestor Cup in 2021.
But Moran's appointment appears to have been warmly received by Mayo fans. If the county board's handling of
Kevin McStay's
exit felt cold, Moran's appointment feels wholesome.
The inclusion of his former Mayo team-mate Colm Boyle and highly rated coach Paddy Tally adds to the general air of positivity around the management.
'Andy was always a fan favourite during his playing days, Colm as well, so they will be starting from a place where people are really behind them and hoping they do well. They are both well-liked and hugely respected within the county,' says one Mayo county board official.
Former Mayo captain Andy Moran scored a staggering 22-226 in the green and red.
Photograph: Inpho
This will be the 11th different management team taking charge of the Mayo senior footballers over the last three decades since John Maughan's first term in 1996.
Maughan had two spells in charge, as did James Horan, while Pat Holmes returned too, but with Noel Connelly by his side in 2015. Mickey Moran spent just one year in the wheelhouse, John O'Mahony was the manager between 2007-2010, Stephen Rochford was there for three years while McStay also lasted three seasons.
Over those 30 years, Mayo won 13 Connacht senior titles – Horan was in charge for six, Maughan for four, O'Mahony one, Moran one and the Holmes-Connelly partnership one.
Remarkably, apart from McStay, Moran played with Mayo under all of those managers at some point.
He made his senior debut in 2003 and retired in 2019. He was named Footballer of the Year in 2017 and throughout his career, the former Mayo captain scored a staggering 22-226 in the green and red.
A two-time All Star, Moran won eight Connacht senior football titles, a Division One league crown and played in six All-Ireland finals.
He arrives to the position of Mayo manager at 41 years of age and by way of a three-year stint in charge of Leitrim and one season as a coach with Monaghan. He also had a spell as part of the Mayo under-20 management team in 2020 and was joint manager of his home club, Ballaghaderreen, in 2021.
But the Mayo dressingroom he will enter is very different from the one he walked out of in 2019.
His final game was an All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Dublin – among those who played for Mayo that day were Rob Hennelly, Lee Keegan, Chris Barrett, Colm Boyle, Donal Vaughan, Séamus O'Shea, Keith Higgins, Tom Parsons and Kevin McLoughlin.
In fact, of all the players who featured over the course of that game, only Matthew Ruane, Aidan O'Shea, Stephen Coen, Patrick Durcan, Diarmuid O'Connor and Fergal Boland played in Mayo's defeat to Donegal earlier this summer.
Kuba Callaghan of Ballaghaderreen (right) may be in line for a call from new the new Mayo boss. Photograph: Inpho
The make-up of Moran's squad is already eagerly anticipated, with one key question dangling with bells on – will Cillian O'Connor return?
O'Connor scored 0-6 last weekend as Ballintubber beat Charlestown in the Mayo SFC. In stepping away from the county team last November, O'Connor did not say he was retiring, so Moran might try to entice his former team-mate back to the fold.
It will also be interesting to see if others like James Carr, Pádraig O'Hora and Michael Plunkett could make a county comeback. Former underage star Liam Irwin has also returned home from a spell abroad and played for Breaffy last weekend.
Closer to home for Moran, his Ballaghaderreen clubmate Kuba Callaghan scored 1-13 against Claremorris last weekend. Moran, who had previously retired, was actually part of the Ballagh squad for that game. Callaghan was the top scorer in last year's Mayo SFC.
But Moran's key move might yet prove to be persuading Tally to commit to the Mayo cause. The Tyrone man is one of the most experienced coaches in the country.
In 2003, Tally trained the Tyrone footballers under Mickey Harte when they made history by winning the county's breakthrough All-Ireland.
He later coached the Down footballers under James McCartan when they surprised most pundits by progressing all the way to the 2010 All-Ireland final. He managed St Mary's University of Belfast to a famous Sigerson Cup triumph in 2017 and subsequently joined Kevin Walsh's Galway management team for 2018.
He was Down manager from 2019-2021 before Jack O'Connor came calling. Tally was involved with Kerry from 2022-24. He had been included in their management team for 2025 but last November he stepped away to take charge of the Derry footballers.
Tally has already been to All-Ireland finals with three different counties – Tyrone, Down and Kerry. A fourth with Mayo – hype or hope? Time will tell.
GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Semi-Final, Croke Park, 2021. Mayo manager James Horan celebrates after the game against Dublin with his staff. Photograph: Inpho
Mayo managers 1996-2025
Kevin McStay 2023-2025
First SFC game – Connacht quarter-final:
Roscommon 2-8 Mayo 0-10.
Last SFC game – All-Ireland group stage:
Cavan 1-17 Mayo 1-14.
*Stephen Rochford stepped in as interim manager for the remainder of the championship after McStay fell ill following the Cavan fixture.
Silverware:
1 Division One National Football League title (2023).
James Horan 2019-2022
First SFC game – Connacht quarter-final:
Mayo 1-22 New York 0-4.
Last SFC game – All-Ireland quarter-final:
Kerry 1-18 Mayo 0-13.
Silverware:
1 Division One National Football League title (2019); 2 Connacht SFCs (2020, 2021).
*Mayo and Kildare also shared the Division Two league title in 2021.
Stephen Rochford 2016-2018
First SFC game – Connacht quarter-final:
Mayo 2-16 London 0-9.
Last SFC game – All-Ireland qualifiers:
Kildare 0-21 Mayo 0-19.
Noel Connelly and Pat Holmes 2015
First SFC game – Connacht semi-final:
Mayo 1-15 Galway 2-8.
Last SFC game – All-Ireland semi-final replay:
Dublin 3-15 Mayo 1-14.
Silverware:
1 Connacht SFC (2015).
James Horan 2011-2014
First SFC game – Connacht quarter-final:
Mayo 0-19 London 2-10 (aet).
Last SFC game – All-Ireland semi-final replay:
Kerry 3-16 Mayo 3-13 (aet).
Silverware:
4 Connacht SFCs (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014).
John O'Mahony 2007-2010
First SFC game – Connacht quarter-final:
Galway 2-10 Mayo 0-9.
Last SFC game – All-Ireland qualifiers:
Longford 1-12 Mayo 0-14.
Silverware:
1 Connacht SFC (2009).
Mickey Moran 2006
First SFC game – Connacht quarter-final:
Mayo 1-18 London 0-8.
Last SFC game – All-Ireland SFC final:
Kerry 4-15 Mayo 3-5.
Silverware:
1 Connacht SFC (2006).
John Maughan 2003-2005
First SFC game – Connacht semi-final:
Mayo 0-14 Sligo 0-11.
Last SFC game – All-Ireland quarter-final:
Kerry 2-15 Mayo 0-18.
Silverware:
1 Connacht SFC (2004).
Pat Holmes 2000-2002
First SFC game – Connacht quarter-final:
Sligo 1-13 Mayo 1-10.
Last SFC game – All-Ireland quarter-final:
Cork 0-16 Mayo 1-10.
Silverware:
1 Division One National Football League title (2001).
John Maughan 1996-1999
First SFC game – Connacht quarter-final:
Mayo 1-11 London 1-5.
Last SFC game – All-Ireland semi-final:
Cork 2-12 Mayo 0-12.
Silverware:
3 Connacht SFCs (1996, 1997, 1999).
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
21 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
Popular GAA star and girlfriend announce pregnancy AND first baby's expected birth date in emotional post on Instagram
They were congratulated by another GAA star who is expecting FEB NEWS Popular GAA star and girlfriend announce pregnancy AND first baby's expected birth date in emotional post on Instagram LOUTH footballer Ciaran Byrne and girlfriend Emma have revealed they are expecting their first baby. She revealed the wonderful news in a post on Instagram alongside a photo of the sonogram. 3 Ciaran Byrne, right, is expecting his first child with girlfriend Emma Credit: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile 3 The mum-to-be shared a photo of a sonogram Credit: Instagram/emmareilly71 Advertisement 3 She also shared a pic of her cradling a baby pump Credit: Instagram/emmareilly71 She also shared pics of her cradling a baby bump on the beach as well as the tot's expected birth day of "February 2026". The news was celebrated by followers on Instagram, with Derry footballer Conor Glass commenting: "Congrats" Mayo talisman Aidan O'Shea - who himself is expecting with wife Kristin - said: "Congrats guys". Advertisement Another follower said: "Ah huge congratulations Emma! You look unreal" while a fourth said: "Aww congratulations you pair gorgeous mumma to be x" Becoming a dad will make for a dream start to 2026 for the Louth footballer after what was a sensational 2025. Byrne and co. made history by winning the Leinster senior football championship, bringing to an end Dublin's 14-year stranglehold on the trophy. However, 2026 will be a new beginning for the Wee County after manager Ger Brennan left his post and took over at the Dubs. Advertisement Brennan was revealed as successor to Dessie Farrell, who stepped down after the All-Ireland quarter-final loss to Tyrone. Louth will be led into 2026 by new manager Gavin Devlin and assistant Peter Dooley. In a statement, the Wee County wished their departed boss for when the two sides meet. Inside Sharlene Mawdsley's 'delicious' yet atypical Tenerife holiday with GAA star boyfriend Mikey Breen It read: "From all at Louth GAA, we wish our former manager Ger Brennan – who guided us to our historic Leinster Championship win in 2025 – the very best of luck with his native county Dublin. "Wishing you every success… (except when you're playing us) Advertisement "We will be forever grateful for his work during his tenure as Louth boss "Beir bua agus beannacht Ger" The 37-year-old is a two-time All-Ireland winner with the Boys in Blue and was a teammate of Dessie Farrell himself. He was also a teammate of Paul Flynn, who backed his former colleague to thrive in the job - however surprised he was to see him get it. He told RTE Radio 1: "To me it just seemed a little bit ad hoc. Advertisement "It's funny when you're looking in, there wasn't even an awareness that there was a process ongoing. "It just kind of was happening in the shadows a little bit. Not sure exactly who the county board spoke to or what options were there." 'HELPFUL' However, Flynn backed Brennan to bring "humility" to the role. Flynn added: "I think it's going to be important for everybody in Dublin GAA because the team he's inheriting is not the team that Dessie inherited. "There's a lot of work that needs to be done at the squad level, and at the underage level where we're not competing, so there's not that conveyor belt that people thought was never ending in Dublin. Advertisement "It's actually more akin to the team that Pat Gilroy picked up when he had to take on the challenge to try and build character in the group to start with and then layer on the quality. "I'm sure Pat, a good club man of his will be there as a mentor whenever it's needed. "I'm not sure if he's even going to be involved of any nature but he'll certainly be there to guide Ger. "That'll be helpful because what Pat did when he came in was really about resetting things and trying to work from the bottom up."
Irish Examiner
21 minutes ago
- Irish Examiner
Former Mayo footballer Diane O'Hora confirmed as Ladies senior football manager
Former Mayo footballer Diana O'Hora has been confirmed by Mayo LGFA as the senior Ladies football team manager after she was ratified at Thursday night's county board meeting. The three time All-Ireland winner and All-Star O'Hora is one of Mayo's most decorated players and has an extensive coaching and managerial background having managed teams at both club and county levels. O'Hora spent two seasons with Kildare were she took them to a Leinster and All-Ireland Intermediate title, Division 3 title and in 2024 took Kildare to a Division 2 final which saw the Lilliwhites earn Division 1 status for 2025. The season ended with a hard fought battle against Laois which saw Kildare retain their senior status for 2025 with O'Hora stepping down at the end of the 2024 season. Speaking on the appointment Mayo LGFA Chairperson Sinéad Stagg said 'We are thrilled to confirm Diane as our new senior manager. Diane's deep knowledge of the game, her experience at the highest level, and her lifelong commitment to Mayo football make her an outstanding choice to lead our senior ladies team.'
RTÉ News
an hour ago
- RTÉ News
Andy Moran wants 'best players in Mayo' playing for county
New Mayo manager Andy Moran says his immediate objective is to get the best players in the county playing for the Green and Red, which he suggests "might not have always been the case" in recent years. The former Footballer of the Year was ratified as the county's new boss this evening, with former team-mate Colm Boyle and recently departed Derry manager Paddy Tally arriving as part of his ticket. Moran takes on the role following a turbulent season, in which Mayo failed to progress beyond the group phase, after which Kevin McStay - who took ill in the wake of the group stage defeat to Cavan - and Stephen Rochford were "relieved of their roles" according to a contentiously worded statement. The eight-time Connacht medallist stressed that one of his priorities was getting Mayo's best players back on the pitch - notably Cillian O'Connor and Padraig O'Hora, who opted out ahead of the 2025 campaign. "The key thing is to get the best players in Mayo playing for Mayo," Moran told RTÉ Gaelic Games correspondent Marty Morrissey. "Which, quite unusually over the last couple of years, mightn't have always been the case. We need to get the best players playing. "In terms of young talent, there's a crop of Under-20s there that just missed out narrowly against Louth this year (in the All-Ireland semi-final). There's a crop of minors coming through that are really talented, who lost to Armagh in last year's All-Ireland semi-final. "There's been a few Connacht titles (at underage) and a few green shoots over the last couple of years, which is great to see. It's about how we keep being competitive with the strong players we have and embedding these young players in amongst it. That's going to be the major role for the management team over the next couple of years." While Mayo remain in Division 1 and reached a league final in 2025, they have failed to get past the All-Ireland quarter-final stage in the past four seasons as Galway have hogged the Nestor Cup. One perceived weakness in 2025 was a difficulty in racking up scores - especially two-pointers - under the new rules. Adapting better to the new rules will be a focus for the year ahead, says Moran. "We're back to the basics. As we know, Galway have won four Connacht titles in a row. Before we even get to talking about All-Irelands and '51 and all this stuff, the big thing is we need to get back to work. Get back to basics. We need to build on some of the good work that Kevin (McStay) and Stephen (Rochford) have done last year. And we need to get better at every aspect we're chasing. "Where can we get better? I think the new rules are great to coach. The lads on the FRC don't need any more plaudits. They're probably embarrassed by the plaudits they're getting at this stage. But we can see it's a way better game. It's a way better product. "From a coaching/ management [perspective] it's a way better game to coach. Hopefully, myself, Colm Boyle and Paddy Tally can help out the Mayo players to really exploit the new elements of the new game and get back to being competitive at the latter stages of the championship, if we can." The Ballaghaderreen man takes on the senior management gig just six years after his inter-county retirement. In the mean-time, he spent three years as Leitrim manager, guiding them to promotion to Division 3 in his final season in 2024. Last year, he was a high-profile presence in Gabriel Bannigan's management team in Monaghan, the county defying initial gloomy predictions to power back to Division 1 in fine style before reaching an All-Ireland quarter-final in the summer. While Moran says he "loved" both those roles, his main ambition was always to take on the top job in Mayo. "I loved both counties. I loved both teams. But at the end of the day, this is where I'm from. This is I suppose where your heart is. Whenever the opportunity comes, you kind of have to jump at it. "Was it always an aim? Yes, it was always an aim. But do you think about that when you're managing other teams? You don't. You're really stuck in the moment, you're trying to get the best out of them players while you're there. And then some day, if you're deemed good enough and take your home county, that's great. "I always had great role models growing up in the likes of John O'Mahony and the likes of James Horan coming in in 2011 and John Maughan before him. I've always had my eye set on coaching and managing. "So, yes, you always think some day you'd love to get a rattle at it. Until that day arrives, I suppose it's a pipe dream. But it's come true today and we're back in the Mayo dressing room, so it's great."
