The Mayo Curse is Lifted
I follow the hurling more than the Gaelic football, but I did watch yesterday’s memorable All-Ireland final between Kerry and Mayo which attracted a TV audience of over a million people. Bear in mind that the population of the Republic of Ireland is just 5 million.
Kerry were strong favourites ahead of the game, but it was underdogs Mayo (who played in all-white kit) that prevailed, deservedly, by 1-20 to 1-17.
This result is huge news because it is 75 years since Mayo won the All-Ireland title – they had been beaten finalists six times since 2012, including 2020 and 2021. The last time they won was in 1951. The Mayo colours were much in evidence in Maynooth last night as people celebrated their team lifting the Sam Maguire Cup along with the lifting of the Mayo Curse. I don’t think any members of the Mayo team will be buying their own drinks for a long time!
I like this very wholesome picture showing Mayo’s Jordan Flynn and Kobe McDonald on the pitch at Croke Park after the end of the game. That moment will stay with them for the rest of their lives.
Incidentally the Irish name for Mayo, Maigh Eo, means “Plain of the Yew Trees” and the Maigh is also responsible for the first bit of “Maynooth”.
In the Dark 
July 28, 2026 at 9:54 am
Croke Park takes 82,000 to fill it.
Since it is the all-Ireland final, you should take account of the viewers and the population in Northern Ireland too. The population is 2 million. I don’t know how many watched.
July 28, 2026 at 10:15 am
Croker was certainly full on Sunday. I think viewers in the North get the broadcast on RTÉ so are probably included. I don’t know whether those figures include overseas figures either. It was broadcast in Australia, for example.
There are strong football teams in the North: Tyrone won in 2021 and Armagh in 2024.
July 28, 2026 at 11:31 am
In Northern Ireland it was shown on BBC2. I would imagine that elsewhere in the North it was on RTE.