Story with the aul fella in tralee and the funeral?
Okay I’m so glad someone asked about this so here we go kids, let’s talk about the Mayo Curse:
The year is 1951, County Mayo have just won the All-Ireland Senior Championship against Meath. They’re on a high, they’ve got the Sam Maguire Cup in their possession, they’re kings and nothing can knock them from their throne.
UNTIL...the team are on the bus, heading back to Mayo and probably feeling pretty pleased with themselves when they pass an ongoing funeral and don’t stop to show the proper respect to the newly deceased. The priest conducting the funeral is so enraged that he curses the county to never win another All-Ireland until every member of the 1951 team is dead.
Sounds like bullshit, right?
Well, Mayo have reached the All-Ireland final NINE TIMES since 1951 and every time they’ve lost. This year (2020) Mayo are once again in the All-Ireland final facing Dublin. But more than the boys in blue are in their way.
It’s been almost 70 years but there is 1 member from the 1951 team still alive, Paddy Pendergast, living Tralee, Co. Kerry.
Now, I’m not going to sit here and say that the Mayo Curse is real but you have to admit there’s something there. And many believe that if poor auld Paddy is still alive come Saturday then the Mayo team don’t stand a chance.
Either way you can bet I’ll have my rosary beads out this week, praying that Mayo can overcome the curse (and the weather) to finally pry the Sam from Dublin’s grubby blue hands.
