Buckley the hidden hand behind Mayo finding the finishing touches

In the race for championship success, it is the final few inches that have consistently troubled Mayo.

Sensing their shortcomings after last year’s latest All-Ireland final defeat, manager James Horan considered how Mayo might possibly make up that small but significant stretch of ground.

Already on the lookout for a coach to replace Cian O’Neill, he put a call through to Donie Buckley. A deal was quickly hatched.