Stop the social media blackguardism of Mayo GAA
by Auld Stock
GOOD luck Kevin McStay on his appointment as manager of the Mayo senior football team.
The new manager deserves every inch of support from the County Board and Mayo supporters.
Managing any senior football team is a daunting task.
One thing the new manager can certainly do without is the barrage of criticism fired at football bosses by anonymous contributors on social media.
It is time to put a stop to this type of blackguardism. I have previously referred to this matter as it is something I find very distasteful.
If people feel they have a legitimate grouse about the manner in which the Mayo senior foothall team is managed they should be big enough to stand up and express their views in public.
Otherwise they should keep their mouths shut.
Our Mayo footballers, despite their best efforts, have not realised their ambition of winning the Sam Maguire Cup.
They have, however, brought much honour to our county.
So let’s rally around the new manager and give him and his squad of players one hundred per cent support.
By doing this we can be regarded as genuine Mayo supporters.
And genuine Mayo people as well.
Onwards and upwards to our Mayo footballers and their new manager.
Auld Stock was privileged to be present at the All-Ireland senior football finals in 1950 and 1951 when Mayo beat Louth and Meath and Sam was brought to Mayo on two successive occasions.
I travelled to Dublin on an old steam train in the company of the great Josie Munnelly, Frank Scully, Paddy Basquill, Mick and Seánie Flynn, Jimmy ‘Gosh’ Flynn and Michael John Byrne.
The stationmaster in Castlebar at the time was John Lang, grandfather of John Lang, Galway, the eminent ear, nose and throat specialist.
John’s grandmother was a member of the Hoban family, Castlebar, and a cousin of the late Brian Hoban, Gallows Hill, Castlebar, and the late Dan Hoban, Castlebar and Newport.
Fr. Máirtin Lang, son of John Lang, stationmaster, was a fine footballer and played with Castlebar Mitchels and Mayo.
At a time when there was a lot of poverty in Castlebar, Mrs. Lang was a very charitable person. Living close to Castlebar railway station, she was always on hand to give advice to local young emigrants.