Joe Brolly tells of Mayo heartbreak after All-Ireland loss to Cavan
Cavan pulled of one of the surprises of the Championship so far last Sunday as they beat Mayo in Castlebar.
Big outsiders in the betting for the game, the Breffni County produced a stunning display to shock Kevin McStay's side as they ran out winners by 1-17 to 1-14. It was their first championship victory over Mayo since the 1948 All-Ireland final.
Raymond Galligan's men's win was all the more impressive as they were without talisman Gearoid McKiernan, who missed the game through injury, while midfielder Barry Donnelly and corner-forward Seán McEvoy both went off injured during the first half.
But the result proved costly for Joe Brolly, who had backed Mayo to win on a multiple bet he had put on with a friend across a number of GAA matches over the course of the weekend.
The All-Ireland winner explained on his Free State Podcast: "I'm the GAA guy. He's the horses guy, I don't know anything about horses. But I'm the GAA guy.
"We're really careful with it. Built up a lovely kitty. It's a lovely kitty. So we're sitting with it.
"I said, look, I am telling you every fibre of my being is screaming to me that Limerick hurlers are going to beat Cork.
"I said 'I know this in the way that a man knows when he's in love that Limerick are going to beat the Cork hurlers'.
"They're stinging from last year. This is one of the greatest dynasties that's ever been, never mind in hurling or f***ing Gaelic football or anything else. A truly exceptional, frightening, demolition job of a team that can play it whatever way you want to. And I said, they're going to beat Cork. Great odds.
"And I said, why don't we pad it out? We'll fire in a few more certs. He said, 'we'll build it up'.
"We brought the whole package up to 11/1 with Down footballers to beat Clare and that was a good one
"Down footballers to beat Clare, which we had surprisingly good odds on, I think because it was in Clare.
"Tipp to beat Waterford in the hurling. Tipp always beat Waterford in the hurling.
"And then the fourth vote. I said, like, come on 'there's absolutely no way that Cavan can beat Mayo in MacHale Park in Mayo'. I said it to him and he said, 'even I know that and I don't know anything about football, but you're right'.
"Tick the box. Off he went, he's the wee online thing with the bookies. 11/1 for the package.
"And there they came rolling in. There they came rolling in. Down slaughtered Clare, Tipp beat Waterford. He said, 'fair play to you Brolly'. He said, 'Limerick are already sort of 1-3 to no score up against Cork'.
"And then the word runs through from McHale Park. Cavan are stuffing Mayo.
"Martin Carney, the great Martin Carney, the inimitable Martin Carney, one of the great people of the GAA apparently, he was raging after the match because the Mayo super fans are all out in the pitch getting the autographs of the players after being beat by Cavan. Like, f*** me.
"He says, 'those people out there, I wouldn't be surprised to see them climbing the Himalayas naked waving a Mayo flag'.
"Oh, bloody Mayo. We put two-thirds of the kitty on. Substantial kitty. This was a good kitty. A very, very good kitty.
"The only risky one was Limerick and Cork. People would say I mean, come on, Limerick. I was so certain. That was the foundation of the bet.
"That was the foundation. I didn't even tune in to Midwest Radio for the Mayo game, so certain was I.
"To be fair, I love the Cavan boys. And I've always had a great grá for the Cavan clubs and the Cavan people. I was truly delighted for them."
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