Perseverance pays as McHale a winner at last

At the 10th time of asking, St Brigid’s coach Liam McHale finally became an All-Ireland winner, and manager Kevin McStay was only too happy to acknowledge his fellow Mayo man’s perseverance.

For the Roscommon club, yesterday’s triumph could be attributed to their doggedness, coming back from All-Ireland semi-final and final defeats, never mind the eight-point lead Ballymun had built up by the 10th minute.

But McStay also wanted to heap praise on a man who had endured more than enough All-Ireland final heartache.