Colin relates 'the curse' to chilling effect on Channel 4's Countdown

THE infamous Mayo GAA 'curse' has been retold again on the airwaves, this time on Channel 4's iconic Countdown show.

Former MOTD2 presenter on BBC, Colin Murray, a native of Co. Down, related the tale this week on Dictionary Corner, spooking show host Nick Hewer in the process. Hewer described the tale as 'chilling'.

The curse is familiar to all Mayo fans and anyone with an interest in GAA, especially given the county's near misses on numerous occasions over the past few years. Add in the fact that the Chicago Cubs' 108-year-old drought was ended this year when they won the World Series, and Mayo's tale of failure when it comes to landing the ultimate prize is arguably one of the most famous worldwide at this stage.

Legend has it that the curse was imposed on Mayo when the 1951 All-Ireland winning team were returning home through Foxford and didn't stop to pay their respects at a funeral. The curse put upon them was that Mayo would not win the All-Ireland again until every member of that team was dead, apparently. Two who played in the 1951 final, Dr. Padraig Carney and Paddy Prendergast, are still alive.

Thanks to Colin Murray, Countdown and Paul McArdle, who recorded Murray's retelling of the tale and posted it his Facebook page, the curse has reached new audiences again. See Paul McArdle's video below.