Mayo's new breed driving stalwarts' final push for glory

There are few cliches as oversaturated in sport as The Last Dance, ever since the Netflix series about Michael Jordan came out back in 2020. And yet, with every passing season, a new team emerges that fits the template.

For Mayo in 2026, now managed by legendary ex-player Andy Moran; they are propped up by two stable columns. On one side, there is a new crop fuelling their quest for silverware with the reignited appetite that comes with youth.

Then on the other, those who have been there before, seen it all, and bought the green and red headbands as proof.

For every Kobe McDonald there's a Cillian O'Connor. For Jack Livingstone, a Rob Hennelly and so on.

Even if the westerners' bid for success falls short this weekend, they are well positioned to keep their progress on an upward trajectory.

Admittedly, their year so far has been a bit of rollercoaster, even by their own topsy-turvy standards.

A stern league run saw them miss out on a place in the final on points difference to Kerry, having only lost to the eventual finalists, Kerry and Donegal, in the league phase, both of which on the road.

From there, expectations were high entering the Connacht championship, having not lifted the Nestor Cup since 2021.

However, having dispatched London over in Ruislip, a second half onslaught by near rivals Roscommon in Castlebar ended those hopes and forced Moran into leaning even more into his younger cohort.

Goalkeeper Livingstone was handed a first start between the sticks against Monaghan, with Diarmuid Duffy, Hugh O'Loughlin and Darragh Beirne all being called in from the off.

With it, the experienced Hennelly, Paddy Durcan and Aidan O'Shea were among those who dropped to the bench, alongside Diarmuid O'Connor, who is yet to start a championship game for Mayo this year.

It proved to be a fruitful show of faith by Moran, as they snuck past Monaghan in a thriller in Clones and were too strong for Meath and Cork in their march to the final four.

The uptick in optimism and excitement is juxtaposed with the sense of dread that had crept in after their Connacht elimination.

Writing on this very site, former Mayo wing-back Lee Keegan described the mood as sombre in the aftermath of their loss to the Rossies.

"There's no question that the mood is low here in Mayo since Sunday. It's bad enough to be beaten narrowly by Roscommon but to be blown out of it so emphatically is another thing altogether.

Any tentative optimism that had been built up during the league has been obliterated."

"It's fairly well accepted there's not going to be any championship silverware in Mayo in 2026. The Nestor Cup was probably the height of our ambition this summer and that's gone now."

"Sunday was as bad a Mayo performance as I've seen in a long time, completely devoid of leadership, energy, bite and structure."

All that has changed now, where a sense of palpable excitement has set in, which Keegan also described in this week's column, even if "there isn't the same gut-wrenching tension that consumed the county in the weeks ahead of big Croke Park games back in the 2010s."

Will that suit the bridesmaids of the previous decade? The naivety of youth could be claimed as a major driving force.

Former mercurial attacker Conor Mortimer spoke to RTÉ Sport during the week, and was keen to stress how a flourishing young crop can drive improved standards in camp.

"It's great in one sense", he explained.

"But on the other sense for the guys who were there, these guys coming in and whipping snapping around the best, knowing they could potentially take your spot.

"It just puts you back on your toes, which in the long term, helps everybody.

"I think essentially, when you get your opportunity, if you don't perform and a young fella comes in and performs, there's no going back. In particular, if the game is won and they are influential in the game.

"But all that brings an increase in standards and training, it brings an increase in everybody."

Their most recent trip to Croke Park, and that defeat of the Rebels, was arguably the strongest argument in favour of Moran's gamble on the stars of tomorrow.

Of the starting 15 that day, only Enda Hession, Stephen Coen, Jordan Flynn and Ryan O'Donoghue played in the 2021 All-Ireland final defeat to Tyrone, alongside substitutes Tommy Conroy, Conor Loftus and Matthew Ruane.

And yet, it was the fresh new breed who took charge of the contest.

Kobe McDonald proved a handful scoring 0-04, including a stellar two pointer, while Darragh Beirne kicked 0-07, with two scores from outside the 40-metre arc in a player of the match outing.

Jack Livingstone was impenetrable between the sticks and Sam Callinan and Donnacha McHugh were among a stingy defence that forced 14 Cork wides.

Even their new captain, Jack Coyne, deserves an honourable mention. Slightly more grizzled at 25, he has grown in confidence in a role that carries a weight of expectation.

On the other side of that coin, you have an aging group hoping to break the hoodoo and taste silverware before the curtains draw on stellar careers. Neither of the O'Connor brothers were involved in the matchday squad for the quarter-final, while Rob Hennelly and Aidan O'Shea were unused substitutes.

Between that quartet, who all featured against London at the start of the campaign, none have started a knockout game in the All-Ireland series, with O'Shea limited to just 28 minutes of action.

This would have been incomprehensible in their pomp, but with passing of time comes the need to evolve, which Moran is happily encouraging. No longer tempted to stick on O'Shea just to cause headaches for opposing defences, the Mayo manager is willing to trust the current crop and gameplan to come out on top.

And to that, so far, so good.

Mortimer played alongside Moran in the esteemed Mayo forward line of the 2000s, and has full confidence in the manager's abilities.

"He's made them hard calls because that's essentially why he's in the job.

"And there's no favouritism. He picks who's performing and it's all about for the betterment of Mayo and the team.

"It's not about any individuals."

That collective renaissance could be enough to see Mayo into a ninth final this century, thus capping off a stellar opening year in charge for Moran.

And yet, unlike many of their quests in the 2010s, the men from the west arrive into Dublin in a 50-50 clash against a Louth side with momentum, thus adding an extra layer of intrigue to a rare and fascinating contest at GAA HQ.

Watch the All-Ireland Football Championship semi-finals, Louth v Mayo on Saturday from 5.30pm and Dublin v Kerry on Sunday from 3.15pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow our live blog on all matches on RTÉ.ie/sport and RTÉ News app and listen to commentary on RTÉ Radio 1

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