Joe Brolly Explains Why He'll Wear Mayo Jersey At All-Ireland Final

Joe Brolly has explained the poignant reason he will be sporting a Mayo GAA jersey at Sunday's All-Ireland football final between the Westerners and Kerry.

It's been 75 years since Mayo last won Sam Maguire, one of the most infamous records in the GAA. This will be their 12th shot at the famous trophy in that period - their 9th this century.

One man who has not been shy of criticising Mayo throughout that period is Joe Brolly, the prime of whose RTÉ GAA punditry career came during the flurry of All-Ireland finals they lost to Dublin during the 2010s.

Even this year, Brolly has been at loggerheads with Mayo, heavily criticising new manager Andy Moran for his loyalty to the old guard - criticism Moran bit back at. Further jabs came after the Connacht SFC defeat to Roscommon, and after the All-Ireland semi-final rout against Louth.

Brolly, though, is not predisposed against Mayo.

The Derry legend is married to a Mayo woman, Laurita Blewitt, and has held coaching roles with both the men's and ladies' football teams at Blewitt's local Knockmore club, where they reside. He took up a role as manager of their LGFA team earlier this year.

Despite these personal connections, Brolly has a more poignant reason for rooting for the Green and Red in Sunday's final, linked back to the memory of the late Laura Donnellan.

Joe Brolly will wear Mayo jersey at final

Speaking on his Free State podcast with Dion Fanning, Brolly shared a touching story about the late Laura Donnellan from Westport.

Donnellan died in 2015, at the age of 30, after a 12-year battle with cystic fibrosis.

The Westport woman had developed a close connection with Joe Brolly in the years before her death. A contemporary report from MayoLive reports that Brolly appeared on Brendan O'Connor's RTÉ Radio Show and spoke about cystic fibrosis before wishing Laura a happy 30th birthday, just over two months before her passing. It was said to have "made her day."

The connection between Brolly and Donnellan ran deep, and Brolly explained on the Free State podcast that he had made a poignant promise to Donnellan before her death.

Laura Donnellan from Westport, who had died of cystic fibrosis, who I had spent a lot of time with. She asked me to promise her that, if Mayo won the All-Ireland, I would wear the jersey in the studio after the game...they were a great GAA family.

So, the Mayo county board made me a special Mayo number 13 and presented it to me. I had it in the [RTÉ] studio in 2017, as promised to this beautiful girl who lost her life in that way.

All her family were there, we had got tickets for them. I had it there.

Again [as in 2016], I was certain in 2017, and for long stretches of that match you're thinking, 'There it is, they're going to push through now.' Alas...as it was for that great modern Mayo team, they just couldn't.

It's a moving story, and one that stays with Joe Brolly to this day.

Further near misses followed for Mayo in the 2020 and 2021 deciders, but this is perhaps the final which they have entered as most comprehensive outsiders, against the might of Kerry.

Though most GAA fans have tipped the Kingdom to retain Sam Maguire, Joe Brolly says he will still have that Mayo 13 jersey with him, holding out hope that Laura Donnellan's wish will be granted.

Who wants to see Kerry? Nobody wants to see Kerry.

I've still got my special number 13 jersey that Laura Donnellan asked me to wear if Mayo win the All-Ireland. Nothing would inspire me more than being able to put that jersey on after the final whistle, and walk through the bewildered Mayo throngs.

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