Remembering Mayo GAA legends of the past on a big match day

by Auld Stock

THE style of Gaelic football has changed dramatically over the past few years.

And not for the better, in my view.

God be with the days of the high fielding of the ball and the long range kicking of points.

I have vivid memories of Micheál O’Hehir describing the high leaping and catching of the ball by Mayo’s Paddy Prendergast, the prince of full-backs.

‘And here comes Ballintubber’s Paddy Prendergast, raking the skies with the safest pair of hands in Ireland,’ was often on O’Hehir’s tongue.

I saw Josie Munnelly scoring points from forty and fifty yards in McHale Park. He was dynamite with his left foot.

I remember the roar of the crowd, ‘give the ball to Joseen.’

In one game in the Ulster championship last year there were 170 hand passes.

The days of the foot pass appear to be a thing of the past.

Mick O’Connell, the legendary Kerry footballer, described the modern game as more like handball.

In the game of Gaelic football hand-passing is now completely overdone.

I grew up beside MacHale Park and I have vivid memories of Finn and Éamon Mongey, Josie Munnelly, Pádraig Carney, Mick Flanagan, Willie Casey, Paddy Prendergast, Tommy Byrne and many other Mayo stars of that era.

I was at the All-Ireland football finals in 1950 and 1951 when Mayo beat Louth and Meath to bring the Sam Maguire Cup to the Heather County.

I would dearly love to be in Croke Park when Mayo reach another All-Ireland final.

However, I am afraid my creaking bones won’t allow me that privilege.