David Brady believes his fellow Mayo man Cillian O’Connor would be receiving more praise were he from another county.

Cillian O’Leary claimed a famous comeback victory in the Irish Examiner Cork City Marathon in 2:30:41 yesterday, as Nollaigh O’Neill-Hunter triumphed convincingly in the women’s race in 2:57:45 in wet and wild conditions.

Winners Cillian O’Leary from the Model Farm Road and Nollaigh Hunter from Passage

Mayo’s chances of Connacht Championship success this summer received a big boost yesterday when All Star forward Cillian O’Connor made his first competitive appearance for 11 weeks.

If there was one blot in Cillian O’Connor’s copybook last Sunday it was his missed goal chance in the first half. In a period where Kerry dominated, it may have arrested all the good work Mayo’s opponents had been doing.

Mayo goalkeeper Rob Hennelly has rejected the common belief the county don’t have a marquee forward. The claim has been made for most of James Horan’s term in charge but Hennelly need only point at Cillian O’Connor to dispute it.