Mayo’s 1-20 to 1-17 win over Kerry in the All-Ireland final at Croke Park finally ended 75 years of hurt, and Lee Keegan was part of a night that will be remembered for the scale of the county’s achievement as much as the result itself.
Seconds after the final hooter, Éamonn Fitzmaurice gave an immediate verdict on RTE from GAA Headquarters, and his praise underlined just how complete Mayo’s performance had been.
“Congratulations to Mayo. What a team, what a turnaround since the game in Roscommon, they were fantastic today,” he said.
That was the central message from a former Kerry manager who knows the pressures of the occasion better than most. Mayo did not simply edge a final; they produced a display that earned respect from every angle, including from the opposition camp.
Full value for their win
Fitzmaurice made clear that this was no fortunate success. In his view, Mayo were deserved winners and had done enough over the course of the game to justify lifting the Sam Maguire Cup.
“Full value for their win,” he said. “The way that they played, top class football.”
That assessment matters because it shifts the focus away from the emotion of the occasion and back to the football itself. Mayo were not just emotional winners after a long wait; they were, in Fitzmaurice’s words, a side that played the better football on the day.
Why this win meant so much
The scale of the moment was impossible to ignore. Mayo had gone 75 years without this title, and Fitzmaurice’s reaction reflected the sense that a heavy burden had finally been lifted.
He also pointed to the number of chances Mayo created, suggesting they could have made the margin even more comfortable.
“They probably had enough scoring chances to win two games,” he said.
For Mayo, that is exactly the kind of statement that shows the quality of the performance. They beat Kerry by three points, but the overall impression was of a team that controlled enough of the contest to leave little doubt about the outcome.
A respectful response from Kerry side
Fitzmaurice was also honest about the disappointment from a Kerry perspective. But even there, his immediate instinct was to recognise what Mayo had achieved rather than dwell on the negative for too long.
“Obviously disappointed from a Kerry perspective, but to see Mayo winning an All-Ireland after all the hurt, all the great teams they've had, you have to take your hat off to them,” he said.
That is the kind of reaction that gives a final its context. Kerry may have been on the losing side, but the broader story was Mayo finally getting over the line, and doing so in a way that demanded praise.
For Lee Keegan and Mayo, the significance is straightforward: a famous win, a historic ending, and a place in the county’s sporting story that will not be forgotten anytime soon.
