As the Sam Maguire Cup passed the Shannon today many will wonder why it took so long. Whatever the thought process or tales of superstition that emanate from the past one thing is certain, Mayo are deserving All Ireland Champions and no one will deny them the privilege and the honour it brings to its county and people far and wide.

As the heat of competition eases and you assess  the result one thing comes to mind, overconfidence in Kerry and their right to a 40th title. Ask anyone in sport the dangers of overconfidence and you’ll be told many a tale. 

In Meath in 2001 in the All Ireland that particular game, it was assumed Meath would send Galway packing. A selector at the time was trying to talk the team down to the hard facts of reality, the game had still to be played and won. He had three All-Irelands in the bag and knew what he wan talking about. 

Another footballer of the 1967 era, the captain Peter Darby from Trim spoke of the overconfidence in Meath that year. The other guy was Colm Coyle and I can remember it like yesterday. Meath had disposed of Kerry that year in the semi-final and whipped them to near humiliation. During the game Meath players were passing to each other to shouts of Ole,  Ole, Ole in the stands.

Galway whipped us in that All Ireland in 2001 and if you went back to 1998 they beat Kildare who were hot favourites. They were outsiders to the great Kerry man Mick O’Dwyer, them  manager who had brought the Lily Whites to the final that year and carried the tag of favourites. Kildare go back nearly a hundred years since last winning an All Ireland, 1928, so spare a thought for them. Joe Brolly gave them a spiteful comment in Monday’s Independent, it wasn’t one of his better opinions.

Coming back to yesterday, I spoke to a couple of seasoned Gaels in Navan last week who thought it was a forgone certainty that Kerry would win. The day before I met up with two Mayo based natives living in Navan but still fanatical Mayo men. They had a quiet confidence and not saying too much, probably decent card players! The point: overconfidence in the minds of a lot 0of people in the run up to the game.

Thousands gathered at McHale Park in Castlebar as their esteemed guest arrived in Mayo after a 75 year wait carried aloft by manager Andy Moran and captain Jack Coyne. 

Mindsets are important and Andy Moran did refer to it. Kerry had struggled to get by Dublin when the luck ran was with them. On 16 minutes at 1-05 to Mayo’s one point and cruising, they missed four good chances of scores. It looked over. Mayo’s two point missiles cracked the illusion that Kerry were unbeatable and then stuck to the task. Their tackling in the forwards and stopping the Kerry team from easily finding possession with a man to man marking yielded frees and scores when needed. This team was putting it up to Kerry and began to turn their way, just an incredible belief in themselves.

Mayo’s whole attitude and hunger to win could not be matched and although Kerry still fought back they couldn’t convert opportunities they had. They were struggling and when David Clifford’s two pointer went narrowly wide, the writing was on the wall. The final ‘insurance point” in the final minutes allowed a sense of achievement that had not been felt for 75 years. It was simply euphoric as the final hooter sounded and the rest is history that will live in the minds and hearts of many.