Cleric blesses ‘cursed’ Mayo
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.
As he made plans yesterday to travel to Croke Park on Sunday for the big game against Dublin, Fr Costello was doubtful there was ever a funeral, curse or indeed a priest involved in Mayo’s ongoing misfortune.
“There doesn’t seem to be any basis in the curse story,” he declared. “As Andy Moran, the present team captain, said recently, the reas on we haven’t won an All-Ireland title since 1951 is because we weren’t good enough.”
Fr Costello pointed out, the authenticity of the curse legend is damaged by the fact that in one telling the funeral incident occurred in Foxford whilst in another it occurred “in Athlone as the team were crossing the Shannon”.
Fr Costello won’t be celebrating Mass in St Michael’s Church, Foxford, on Sunday as he will be travelling to Croke Park to support both the minor and senior teams.
He said: “I’m not praying that the team wins just that they perform to the best of their ability. The present team has brought great joy to the county as a whole. Hopefully they will be rewarded for their great endeavours”.
