What does it mean to wear county colours on All

Analysis: We become tribally loyal when we wear a certain jersey or claim a county as our own because sport gives meaning and purpose to everyday life

There was no doubt that the sense of pride was palpable in Croke Park as The Saw Doctors' anthem boomed out over the stadium just a few weeks ago. Standing there, watching the crowd celebrate, I was slightly conflicted. I had green-and-red plaits wrapped around my wrists while holding my children's hands in their newly acquired Louth jerseys as we've called the Wee County home for the last three years. Yet my paternal family hail from Mayo, and I grew up in Dublin. I had plenty of skin in both semi-finals that weekend, with a Dublin–Kerry clash to follow the next day.

So, what does it all really mean? What does it mean to wear your county colours? Why do we become so tribally loyal when we wear a certain jersey, or claim a county as our own? And is it all stuff and nonsense?

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From RTÉ's GAA Podcast, the All-Ireland final preview: will Kerry go back to back or is it finally Mayo's time?

I think the last question is the dangerous one. If we allow cynicism to creep in, denigrating the joy and hope that an All-Ireland match can bring, we risk tarnishing a domain integral to our social wellbeing: sport. Whether we're on the pitch or supporting from the sideline, whether we're the mother who makes sure her child is well fuelled for the game, or the auld lad at the bar offering a post-match analysis, sport creates purpose. And nowhere is this more evident than in the GAA.

Whichever team scores more points at this Sunday's All-Ireland Final is only part of the story. Yes, both teams should go to battle and put their bodies on the line to win. Absolutely. It is what they have worked for all season. But it is remiss to think that victory is all that has been won.

I recall interviewing Nigel O'Reilly, a goldsmith from Castlebar, for our podcast Desert Island Dress. One of the four coveted items he would bring to the island was his 2004 Mayo jersey - another All-Ireland final in which Mayo met Kerry and were defeated. An odd choice, perhaps? But the way he reframes the significance of this garment is perfect. For Nigel, this jersey symbolises the resilience and perseverance of his county. To lose, dust yourself down and get back training the following season. To do it again, in the face of adversity, takes character.

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There's a great interview in which reporter Eric Nehm asks basketball player Giannis Antetokounmpo whether he viewed the 2023 season as a failure after the Milwaukee Bucks were eliminated from the NBA playoffs. Antetokounmpo responds brilliantly. The Bucks had not won an NBA Championship for 50 years until 2021. He explains that those were 50 years of stepping towards winning, not 50 years of failure, as the interviewer implied.

Mayo may be 75 years waiting for Sam Maguire to come west, but what its communities gain in the preparation each year surpasses any piece of silverware. Parishes rally around their clubs, building up the next generation physically and mentally, giving young people a goal to work towards with every training session, so that one day they might play for their county.

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From RTÉ Radio 1's Inside Sport, the psychology of All Ireland week

With each generation a player often emerges - a role model to look up to. For Nigel O'Reilly, this was 2004 All Star Ciarán McDonald. Admittedly, his admiration was as much for McDonald's style as his footballing ability. This is not insignificant. McDonald was among those noughties GAA stars whose ever-changing look challenged stereotypes of what a GAA player should be. His long hair and, at times, cornrows pushed sartorial boundaries. They were all but taboo for a lad from Mayo. He shouldered criticism on and off the pitch because of his appearance. Over time, however, those defiant choices paved the way for the next generation.

This year, McDonald's son Kobe debuted for Mayo in the All-Ireland championship sporting a pair of pink football boots. What might once have been a controversy worthy of newspaper coverage now barely warrants a mention from pundits.

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From RTÉ Radio 1's Today with David McCullagh, Kobe McDonald's former PE teacher - Padraic Costello from the Jesus & Mary Secondary School in Crossmolina - os hopeful ahead of All Ireland football final

Building character, giving purpose and nurturing spaces for local role models to emerge is far from stuff and nonsense. Quite the opposite. It is the stuff that gives meaning to everyday life. In a world that can feel increasingly nihilistic, we need something to matter.

This Sunday, 82,300 supporters will descend on Croke Park, emblazoned in their county colours, full of anticipation, possibility and, dare we say it, hope.

If you're there, soak it up. It's the culmination of sacrifice, hard work and commitment that began on dark, wet evenings in January, in parish fields, local clubs and communities across Ireland. And next January, they'll begin again.

Because that's what sport does. It gives us purpose.

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