Andy Moran’s selection as Mayo football boss sparks hype and considerable hope among the faithful

Andy Moran’s appointment as Mayo senior football manager has prodded a renewal of two idling characteristics long associated with Mayo fandom – hype and hope.

And though it is true neither ever tended to stir far from the surface, it is also true that the hype train hasn’t been stuffed with hope when pulling out of the station at the outset of any season recently.

It is coming up on five years since Mayo contested an All-Ireland senior football final.

Between 2012 and 2021 Mayo played in seven Sam Maguire showdowns – including a replay. During those years, there weren’t enough carriages to cater for all the hope.

But Mayo haven’t managed to even negotiate a pathway back to an All-Ireland semi-final since 2021 – exiting at the quarter-final stages twice (2022 v Kerry, 2023 v Dublin), the preliminary quarter-finals once (2024 v Derry) and at the group stages this year following defeat to Donegal in their last game.

The condensed season is the most significant factor in altering the intercounty calendar; nonetheless, for three of the last four years, Mayo have packed up their tent for the year in June. The outlier was in 2023, when they were eliminated on July 2nd.

They last raised the Nestor Cup in 2021.

But Moran’s appointment appears to have been warmly received by Mayo fans. If the county board’s handling of Kevin McStay’s exit felt cold, Moran’s appointment feels wholesome.

The inclusion of his former Mayo team-mate Colm Boyle and highly rated coach Paddy Tally adds to the general air of positivity around the management.

“Andy was always a fan favourite during his playing days, Colm as well, so they will be starting from a place where people are really behind them and hoping they do well. They are both well-liked and hugely respected within the county,” says one Mayo county board official.

Former Mayo captain Andy Moran scored a staggering 22-226 in the green and red. Photograph: Inpho

This will be the 11th different management team taking charge of the Mayo senior footballers over the last three decades since John Maughan’s first term in 1996.

Maughan had two spells in charge, as did James Horan, while Pat Holmes returned too, but with Noel Connelly by his side in 2015. Mickey Moran spent just one year in the wheelhouse, John O’Mahony was the manager between 2007-2010, Stephen Rochford was there for three years while McStay also lasted three seasons.

Over those 30 years, Mayo won 13 Connacht senior titles – Horan was in charge for six, Maughan for four, O’Mahony one, Moran one and the Holmes-Connelly partnership one.

Remarkably, apart from McStay, Moran played with Mayo under all of those managers at some point.

He made his senior debut in 2003 and retired in 2019. He was named Footballer of the Year in 2017 and throughout his career, the former Mayo captain scored a staggering 22-226 in the green and red.

A two-time All Star, Moran won eight Connacht senior football titles, a Division One league crown and played in six All-Ireland finals.

He arrives to the position of Mayo manager at 41 years of age and by way of a three-year stint in charge of Leitrim and one season as a coach with Monaghan. He also had a spell as part of the Mayo under-20 management team in 2020 and was joint manager of his home club, Ballaghaderreen, in 2021.

But the Mayo dressingroom he will enter is very different from the one he walked out of in 2019.

His final game was an All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Dublin – among those who played for Mayo that day were Rob Hennelly, Lee Keegan, Chris Barrett, Colm Boyle, Donal Vaughan, Séamus O’Shea, Keith Higgins, Tom Parsons and Kevin McLoughlin.

In fact, of all the players who featured over the course of that game, only Matthew Ruane, Aidan O’Shea, Stephen Coen, Patrick Durcan, Diarmuid O’Connor and Fergal Boland played in Mayo’s defeat to Donegal earlier this summer.

Kuba Callaghan of Ballaghaderreen (right) may be in line for a call from new the new Mayo boss. Photograph: Inpho

The make-up of Moran’s squad is already eagerly anticipated, with one key question dangling with bells on – will Cillian O’Connor return?

O’Connor scored 0-6 last weekend as Ballintubber beat Charlestown in the Mayo SFC. In stepping away from the county team last November, O’Connor did not say he was retiring, so Moran might try to entice his former team-mate back to the fold.

It will also be interesting to see if others like James Carr, Pádraig O’Hora and Michael Plunkett could make a county comeback. Former underage star Liam Irwin has also returned home from a spell abroad and played for Breaffy last weekend.

Closer to home for Moran, his Ballaghaderreen clubmate Kuba Callaghan scored 1-13 against Claremorris last weekend. Moran, who had previously retired, was actually part of the Ballagh squad for that game. Callaghan was the top scorer in last year’s Mayo SFC.

But Moran’s key move might yet prove to be persuading Tally to commit to the Mayo cause. The Tyrone man is one of the most experienced coaches in the country.

In 2003, Tally trained the Tyrone footballers under Mickey Harte when they made history by winning the county’s breakthrough All-Ireland.

He later coached the Down footballers under James McCartan when they surprised most pundits by progressing all the way to the 2010 All-Ireland final. He managed St Mary’s University of Belfast to a famous Sigerson Cup triumph in 2017 and subsequently joined Kevin Walsh’s Galway management team for 2018.

He was Down manager from 2019-2021 before Jack O’Connor came calling. Tally was involved with Kerry from 2022-24. He had been included in their management team for 2025 but last November he stepped away to take charge of the Derry footballers.

Tally has already been to All-Ireland finals with three different counties – Tyrone, Down and Kerry. A fourth with Mayo – hype or hope? Time will tell.

GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Semi-Final, Croke Park, 2021. Mayo manager James Horan celebrates after the game against Dublin with his staff. Photograph: Inpho

Mayo managers 1996-2025

Kevin McStay 2023-2025

First SFC game – Connacht quarter-final: Roscommon 2-8 Mayo 0-10.

Last SFC game – All-Ireland group stage: Cavan 1-17 Mayo 1-14.

*Stephen Rochford stepped in as interim manager for the remainder of the championship after McStay fell ill following the Cavan fixture.

Silverware: 1 Division One National Football League title (2023).

James Horan 2019-2022

First SFC game – Connacht quarter-final: Mayo 1-22 New York 0-4.

Last SFC game – All-Ireland quarter-final: Kerry 1-18 Mayo 0-13.

Silverware: 1 Division One National Football League title (2019); 2 Connacht SFCs (2020, 2021).

*Mayo and Kildare also shared the Division Two league title in 2021.

Stephen Rochford 2016-2018

First SFC game – Connacht quarter-final: Mayo 2-16 London 0-9.

Last SFC game – All-Ireland qualifiers: Kildare 0-21 Mayo 0-19.

Noel Connelly and Pat Holmes 2015

First SFC game – Connacht semi-final: Mayo 1-15 Galway 2-8.

Last SFC game – All-Ireland semi-final replay: Dublin 3-15 Mayo 1-14.

Silverware: 1 Connacht SFC (2015).

James Horan 2011-2014

First SFC game – Connacht quarter-final: Mayo 0-19 London 2-10 (aet).

Last SFC game – All-Ireland semi-final replay: Kerry 3-16 Mayo 3-13 (aet).

Silverware: 4 Connacht SFCs (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014).

John O’Mahony 2007-2010

First SFC game – Connacht quarter-final: Galway 2-10 Mayo 0-9.

Last SFC game – All-Ireland qualifiers: Longford 1-12 Mayo 0-14.

Silverware: 1 Connacht SFC (2009).

Mickey Moran 2006

First SFC game – Connacht quarter-final: Mayo 1-18 London 0-8.

Last SFC game – All-Ireland SFC final: Kerry 4-15 Mayo 3-5.

Silverware: 1 Connacht SFC (2006).

John Maughan 2003-2005

First SFC game – Connacht semi-final: Mayo 0-14 Sligo 0-11.

Last SFC game – All-Ireland quarter-final: Kerry 2-15 Mayo 0-18.

Silverware: 1 Connacht SFC (2004).

Pat Holmes 2000-2002

First SFC game – Connacht quarter-final: Sligo 1-13 Mayo 1-10.

Last SFC game – All-Ireland quarter-final: Cork 0-16 Mayo 1-10.

Silverware: 1 Division One National Football League title (2001).

John Maughan 1996-1999

First SFC game – Connacht quarter-final: Mayo 1-11 London 1-5.

Last SFC game – All-Ireland semi-final: Cork 2-12 Mayo 0-12.

Silverware: 3 Connacht SFCs (1996, 1997, 1999).

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