Mortimer: Living in Dublin aids Mayo stars

Conor Mortimer believes the high number of Dublin-based Mayo players is one of the reasons why the county have performed well against Dublin in recent years.

Mayo have beaten Dublin in four of their last eight league and championship games, drawing one and losing three. Of the current panel, Cillian O’Connor, Aidan and Seamus O’Shea, Kevin McLoughlin, Alan Freeman and Jason Doherty are among a group who all either study or live in the capital.

Mortimer, who left the panel last season, has been living in Dublin for several years and believes the benefits of Mayo players living in the city are two-fold.

“When you live up here you see things differently,” he says of Dublin. “You get to see a bit more of the Dublin players and realise they are just 30 other players like any other county squad.

“There would be lads who wouldn’t be in Dublin too many times and everything at home would be 24-7 football, training and matches, whereas in Dublin there are other things to do.

“It mightn’t be ideal for training living in Dublin [those based in the capital train with Liam Moffatt] but there are ways around that. I just think it’s beneficial because it broadens people’s views and you don’t see Dublin as some super team but just a regular one.”

Last month’s meeting between the pair was a full-hearted encounter with some incredibly hard tackles put in by both teams. Mortimer doesn’t doubt the respect between the counties but thinks Dublin have a hang-up about Mayo since their famous All-Ireland semi-final seven years ago.

“You can go back to 2006 when it started. We knocked them back when we won that game and we’ve beaten them more than they’ve beaten us since then so we’re a bit of a bogey team for them.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a heated rivalry but it’s a good rivalry. They’re two football sides and I’m expecting it to be a good game even though each team have injuries.

“The thing about league semi-finals is you can express yourself and not worry about the championship too much.”

Joe McQuillan referees a Mayo-Dublin game for the second time in eight months.

His officiating of the All-Ireland semi-final last September raised eyebrows in Mayo as the Cavan referee had taken charge of several Dublin games in their successful All-Ireland run the previous season.

Mortimer pays little heed to McQuillan taking charge of another match involving the counties. “I don’t think referees intentionally swing games.

“A free is a free no matter what referee it is. If you talk about referees you’re making excuses before you even start.”

Mortimer finds it difficult to predict a winner on Sunday but fancies Dublin if Bernard Brogan is fit after he excelled in the round three game last month.

“In the last two games, we’ve seen Dublin well ahead and Mayo well ahead and each clawed back. League games are hard to call because you don’t know how much a team wants to win.

“It’ll be close and if Bernard is playing and [Alan] Dillon doesn’t make it that could be a big swing.”