September ’13 in Mayo, it’s All Ireland season.
Everybody I know has lost all reason.
People anxious, filled with anticipation,
expectation, excitement and agitation.
Tickets, tickets, ticket for sale,
make sure they don’t get stolen in the mail.
Buy, swap, sell or trade,
Hogan, Cusack or the Hill I’m afraid.
Kids singing the Green and Red of Mayo,
schools all decked out for the show.
Every town throughout the county,
have flags and bunting and talk profoundly,
of teams gone by, of 1951,
the jubilation last time we won.
Pundits, plaudits, praise but it’s Dublin they name,
But we say Mayo, come on, we can win this game!
On 22nd the hordes depart Mayo,
62 years is along wait you know.
People say we are cursed and yes it’s true,
We’re cursed with belief that Sam McGuire is our due.
With hope and dreams, Horan’s team is our salvation,
and Mayo’s win will be the talk of the nation.
We talk of injuries, strategies and game plans,
This time Mayo can get SAM, WE CAN! WE CAN!
The whistle blows, it’s time to start
30 men play football with all their hearts.
Wides, injuries, speed and skill,
Mayo try hard, Dublin move in for the kill.
Frees, penalties, points and goals,
The last kick of the ball, Mayo’s dreams fold.
Hearts pounding, roars and cries,
To no avail, our dreams for the seventh time die.
For 70 minutes our team battled bravely,
As Croke park looked on, some elated, some gravely.
62 years is now 63,
Again for Mayo, it’s not meant to be.
Grief and disbelief fill Mayo’s fans,
we slowly depart Croke Park stands.
Broken, devastated, we stare into the abyss,
shake our heads and think of Mayo’s near miss.
Our team, spirits crushed and defeated, are heroes to us,
their playing this season was glorious.
Years dedicating their time, bodies and minds
But still no fairytale ending, life is unkind.
And now we head home, into the west,
we cry, laugh, moan and even jest.
But all is not lost, our Minor team won
Their silver cup blinds us in the autumn sun.
As I now reflect, in the cold light of day
Mayo must be resilient, come what may.
Recession, emigration, families torn apart,
Football has bound us together and gave us heart.
This September is now history,
but for the future anything can be.
So we will continue to dream, we will not give up,
And Mayo will never stop trying to win that bloody cup!
