Latest news with #ToWinJustOnce
Irish Examiner
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
The Saw Doctors review: Fans got everything they came for and more
Rain, you say? What rain? It was biblical on and off all day and then it turns Balearic just in time for a blistering show from The Saw Doctors in Virgin Media Park (Musgrave Park). Earlier in the afternoon, who'd have bet on the sun Gods smiling down on us? Not a drop. All we saw was a thunderstorm of emotion for The Saw Doctors from a stadium full of fans who got everything they came for and more. "It's great to be back in Cork, it's been too long,' says Leo Moran. 'When they asked us to play, we said we'd do it as long as we could have Damien Dempsey here with us. He's celebrating a big birthday this week.' The whole crowd sings Happy Birthday to Damo'. Davy Carton of The Saw Doctors on stage in concert at Virgin Media Park, (Musgrave park) on Saturday. Picture: Eddie O'Hare And we're off, wth gems like 'Tommy K' and 'To Win Just Once'. They kick off at 8:30 sharp and we're bouncing from the get-go. There's a chaotic joy to a Saturday night Saw Docs gig that's really only comparable to, say, a singalong soiree with a mega-hit band like The Pet Shop Boys. Unlikely bedfellows perhaps, but these two acts have a pair of powerful weapons in common. They both have around 18 chart-topping hits, coupled with a dedicated army of devotees who love nothing better than an excuse to reach deep into the closet for their most colourful carnival costumes, fizzing up a Rio vibe that explodes like a musical rainbow. "We came down to Cork last night to get tuned in," says Leo. "So we had a couple of pints in the Castle Inn. We'll have to warn ye about the snuff. Don't do too much of it. It's very addictive stuff altogether.' Leo Moran of The Saw Doctors on stage in concert at Virgin Media Park, (Musgrave park) on Saturday. Picture: Eddie O'Hare In the Mecca of rugby that is Musgrave Park, it seems more than a little rock 'n' roll for the Saw Docs fans, many decked out in GAA shirts, singing along to hits like 'What Do Ya Think A That?' and 'The Green and Red of Mayo'. The emotional fires are also stoked up by the enduring bond between joint lead singers Davy Carton and Leo Moran. It's unusual in a touring band to have two people steering the bus, but these lads never once skid off track. The Saw Docs have seen their share of lineup changes over the years, but this enduring pair of schoolmates have a Springer-O'Gara rapport that quietly weaves its way through the evening, inspiring a bonhomie that unites the ramshackle and the regal, the Primark and the Canterbury, for a night of bonding as heartwarming as a WWI Christmas ceasefire in the trenches. They played a bagful of hits. With the classics 'I Useta Love Her', 'N17' and 'Red Cortina', along with gems like 'Joyce Country Ceili Band', 'Clare Island' and 'Howya Julia', our voices were literally gone from singing along. Fans enjoying The Saw Doctors concert at Virgin Media Park, (Musgrave park) on Saturday. Picture: Eddie O'Hare The set finished at a little after 10pm. Not one person headed for the gate. Encores galore, rolling on towards 10:30pm when the first droplets of rain threaten to spit, but just about mind their manners. And, they even cover 'After All' by the Cork legends Frank & Walters. What more could you want? Tonight the Gods are from Tuam. Joyfully exhausted, elated, thankfully we have the Sunday off to squeeze out our shirts (thankfully and surprisingly, not our socks), plenty of time to get ready for a fresh dose of reality, with a jukebox of West Coast coolness rattling around in what remains of our sobering minds. Read More Review: A homecoming for Macklemore as he shares Cork family links
RTÉ News
04-05-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
John Maughan: Transitioning Mayo in the market for Connacht silverware
Will Mayo beat Galway? In one of the GAA's storied rivalries, that question has no doubt been asked many times, and indeed long before The Saw Doctors flipped it the other way when alluding to the prowess of Belmullet's Willie Joe Padden. But the question is even more pertinent on the eve of this Connacht final meeting between the counties. Galway, it would appear, based on all-known form up to now, have the edge. They have a stronger squad and won't fear travelling to Castlebar in pursuit of a provincial four-timer. That said, you wouldn't fall off your seat if Mayo were to oblige and be handed the Nestor Cup just as the Angelus bell rings out nearby. There is no huge chasm between the sides. We mentioned form and that sometimes can go out the window when this pair collide. A packed house at MacHale Park can be a leveller but the smart money still lies with the Tribes. Depending on the outcome, a date with two of Donegal, Armagh, Tyrone and Dublin is on the cards for each in the All-Ireland group phase regardless. They'll worry about that after Sunday. But what of Mayo? Always hopeful, who keep coming back for more. Passionate support, who have known glorious highs and the depths of despair. The Saw Doctors in putting words to another musical composition, 'To Win Just Once' bring added expression to the county's 'famine' that now has rolled on to a 74th year. We're talking All-Irelands of course. One man who brought them close in the interim was John Maughan. The bounce of a ball on a hardened Croke Park surface denied them the win against Meath in 1996. Mayo fans don't need to be reminded about the replay. Maughan was also at the helm when Kerry, with not much fuss, twice got the better of the Green and Red subsequently. The Crossmolina native was a mainstay of inter-county management for over three decades. He was well-travelled and it was Maughan that brought an unlikely Munster success to Clare in 1992. He still remains passionate about the game, is still involved with his local club. Such enthusiasm is evident when he talks about the new rules. "The rules have done wonderful things for the game," he told RTÉ Sport. "There are close friends in Mayo, who I have coffee with every so often and they fell out of love with the game. These are lads who would have gone to see Mayo in Ruislip and New York and then they just stopped going. Boredem and Gaelic football went hand-in-hand. Any decent games became fewer and fewer and in time they were mixed in with seven or eight bad ones. "Thankfully this year, because of the changes, we've had much better football with the reality now that a Division 2 or 3 team can have a chance against a Division 1 side. Take Offaly (whom Maughan did manage) for example. They will look at what Meath did to Dublin and say 'why can't that be us'? There is hope back at inter-county level. If teams in the lower divisions can hang in there, there just might be hope for them." But what hope does he give Mayo against Galway and beyond? He feels there is "one major performance" in Kevin McStay's side, this after a Connacht final run-in which produced little to get excited about. Before that there was topsy-turvy league campaign that ended with a below-par showing against Kerry in the Division 1 final. "On the evidence of our last couple of performances in the two championship games against Sligo and Leitrim, on both occasions we certainly played poorly," Maughan lamented. "The game at MacHale against Sligo was quite alarming and we came out somewhat distressed after watching it. Look, you have to give credit to Sligo and Leitrim, they played wonderfully well but as a Mayo supporter you'd assume we would have a little bit more comfort against both. We expected a wider margin of victory against opposition who have had their own struggles in recent times." Looking for the glass half-full angle, Maughan added: "Certainly, there are questions but I hear anecdotally that Mayo have been training hard with one eye firmly fixed on the Connacht final. I'm hoping that that is the case. "I've mentioned our recent struggles but in Mayo-Galway encounters over the last 25 years the points differential has been 2.7; Martin Carney, my statistician was able to alert me to that. "Right now we might just be outside the top four or five" "It augurs well for a big game and I think it will be a close encounter and one that will generate a certain amount of excitement." In this new footballing order, perhaps it is folly to come out with cast-iron predictions but when pressed on how far Mayo can travel in the weeks, their former boss would be happy if provincial silverware was to be the tangible return from the season. When asked as to whether Mayo are genuine All-Ireland contenders, "not right now" was his response. Maughan elaborated: "Right now we might just be outside the top four or five. On the evidence of that Croke Park performance and the two games since that would be my honest answer. But I still go back to that one big performance. "We are firmly focused on trying to rescue a provincial title out of this team. If we were to do that we would consider it a reasonably successful year, insofar as we got to a league final and maintained our Division 1 status. "Preventing Galway from winning a four in a row, that has been the focus because there is an element of transition taking place. We are bringing in younger players. It may take a couple of years; we have a decent Under-20 side (Connacht winners) and the minors were in a recent All-Ireland final. It's about looking to the future. "Winning a Connacht title would leave us satisfied. Right now if we were to beat Galway that would be great. Anything other than that would be a bonus." Whatever about the future, one player who is key to the present after soldiering for many years in the county colours, is Aidan O'Shea. The Breaffy man, who will be in 35 in June, has been one of Mayo's standout performers this year. And Maughan was not shy in waxing lyrical about O'Shea's contribution so far. "He has been quite brilliant in every game, albeit in the game against Leitrim he was well marshalled by young Clancy (Kieran) at corner-back, who gave him enough of it. "Against Sligo, had he not been on the field the chances are Mayo would have been beaten. I thought we were a bit premature in taking him off in last year's Connacht final. We were in control of that game going down the home stretch, three points up when he was taken off. Maybe he was goosed at that stage? He certainly didn't appear to be and when he went off we became a little bit rudderless, ended up losing by a point. "He's hardly ever injured and is in wonderful physical shape. He has delivered in every single match he has played. I have nothing but admiration for Aidan O'Shea this year. If we have any chance on Sunday, he's one guy, Ryan O'Donoghue being the other, we need huge performances from." And so to those across the border. Pádraic Joyce's Galway, desperate to banish the memory of last year's All-Ireland defeat. One that got away? Yes. Alongside Donegal, Kerry and Armagh, the Tribsemen, for now, are the main contenders to land Sam. One former inter-county boss believes they can take that extra step come July, and in assessing their credentials, said: "We're up against a Galway team that are playing with a swagger and have awesome talent, particularly up front. There is a rumour circulating that Shane Walsh may not play, so the two-point option for Galway will be somewhat limited because he's a star. You go back to the league game against us in February and all those two-pointers he kicked, he nearly beat us on his own. "Rob Finnerty the last day was absolutely incredible against Roscommon and Matthew Tierney is playing the football of his life. Damien Comer is lurking in the background. John Maher is playing super football. They seemed to have solidified from last year, playing with a swagger and a confidence that I haven't seen in a while. They are in the shake-up to win the big one. "Pádraic Joyce has freshened up his backroom team. I hear it's a happy and content camp. One thing on the agenda for Galway and it's not a Connacht title. They have the talent; they have man-markers, outside shooters, a solid midfield, and have huge depth in their squad. In the league they managed to unearth a few new players. I wouldn't bet against them."
