Mayo defeat Kerry to win All-Ireland title and end 75-year curse
Mayo defeated defending champions Kerry 1-20 to 1-17 at Croke Park on Sunday to win the All-Ireland final and end a famous 75-year wait for the Sam Maguire Cup.
The westerners finally broke one of sport’s most notorious droughts with a thrilling victory over the pre-match favourites.
Generations of heartbreak were washed away in Dublin, ending a wretched run of 11 consecutive championship final defeats.
Breaking the legendary 1951 curse
The county’s agonising barren spell stretched all the way back to their last Gaelic football triumph in 1951.
According to local legend, a priest cursed the winning squad after their boisterous homecoming celebrations on the back of a lorry disrupted a funeral.
That folklore dictated the title would never return to the west coast while any member of that fabled team remained alive.
Dr Mick Loftus, the final surviving member of the 1951 side, passed away in 2023 to set the stage for this historic weekend.
Overcoming the defending champions
Standing in their way were the 39-time record winners, who mounted a late surge to desperately test their opponents’ nerve.
However, the challengers held firm to secure a memorable three-point victory and spark wild celebrations among their travelling supporters.
The triumphant captain delivered an emotional message to the loyal fans who had endured decades of bitter disappointment.
This is the stuff of dreams, so to every Mayo boy or girl around the world, dream big things because everything is possible and we showed that today.
Jack Coyne
He added that the squad always kept the faith through the darkest moments to finally reach the pinnacle of the sport.