Cleric blesses ‘cursed’ Mayo

The parish priest of a riverside town in Mayo where supposedly a ‘curse’ was placed on the county’s All-Ireland winning team of 1951 has imparted a blessing on James Horan’s squad.

Standing on the bridge which spans the River Moy in Foxford, Fr Padraic Costello expressed scepticism about the authenticity of the story which is blamed for the county’s failure to land Sam Maguire since.

Legend has it that Mayo will not win the All-Ireland title while any members of the 1951 squad are alive. It is claimed that a local priest, angered by that squad’s failure to pay proper respect when they encountered a funeral, placed the curse in a fit of anger.