Heroes' Wall officially unveiled at the home of Mayo GAA

Visitors to Hastings Insurance MacHale Park today for the clash of Mayo and Galway in the Connacht GAA senior football championship may catch a glimpse of the Laochra Mhaigh Eo – Heroes' Wall project.

The project, which helped to fund the transformation of the Hastings Insurance MacHale Park playing surface, was officially unveiled at an event at the grounds in Castlebar yesterday evening (Saturday).

The Laochra Mhaigh Eo – Heroes' Wall shows the great teams of 1936, 1950 and 1951, surrounded by tiles bought and personalised by supporters all over the world, to honour their own personal hero, whether that be a family member, loved one or friend.

Yesterday's unveiling event was organised to thank all those who had purchased a tile for the wall. More than 900 tiles were sold to supporters from all over Ireland and right across the globe, including Mayo people in the UK, USA, Australia, France, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, who can now enjoy viewing their own personalised tile which will be on display for many years to come in Hastings Insurance MacHale Park.

The project to fund the transformation of the playing surface through the purchase of tiles was so popular with supporters that the target of €300,000 was comfortably surpassed. Over €250,000 worth of tiles were sold, combined with a Sports Capital Grant of €50,000, and the whole project was designed and delivered within 12 months.

The chairman of Mayo GAA, Seamus Tuohy, commented: “The results of that support can be seen both on the Laochra Mhaigh Eo – Heroes Wall, which honours our past, and on a playing surface fit for our heroes of the future.

“The Laochra Mhaigh Eo – Heroes Wall is about more than just the playing of Gaelic games. It speaks to something much deeper in us. It a testament to the enduring commitment that Mayo people have to their families, their home, and their team. By supporting this project, those people have honoured that commitment on the wall and have given life to it on the field.

“Together, we have signalled that our pride in past greatness is only exceeded by the determination that our best days lie ahead.”

Mayo GAA would like to say a huge thanks to all who supported the project by purchasing a tile and to all those behind the scenes who ensured the project was completed in time for the reopening of Hastings Insurance MacHale Park. The fundraising aspect of the project was delivered by members of the Cairde Mhaigh Eo committee, who are the fundraising committee of Mayo GAA.

Speaking to the audience at the event, Tuohy announced that Mayo GAA will next be moving to transform the facilities for coaching and training at the MacHale Park campus as the next phase of its development project. The detailed plan for this project is being finalised and will be announced at an event later in the year.

Addressing the attendance, Touhy stated: “We want to provide the very best facilities for training and preparing our inter-county teams, for the coaching and development of our young players, and also to support the sporting and personal development of a wider range of young Mayo players throughout our county. With the amalgamation of the three associations dedicated to Gaelic games soon, we are excited about working together on that mission for young girls and young boys.

“We are going to deliver on that mission in phases, starting here at MacHale Park with the transformation of facilities and pitches for training and coaching the young players of the future. To deliver this shared ambition will require significant investment but we are determined to get this done and get it done right for all our Mayo young people, for those who come after them, and, like the Laochra Mhaigh Eo – Heroes Wall, in honour of all those who went before them.”