Common goal unites Mayo band of brothers

The chief protagonists in Mayo’s 2013 minor success made a conscious decision in the days and weeks after delivering the county’s first All-Ireland at that grade in 28-years; they vowed, on and off the field, to stick together.

Cross-referencing the minor and U21 finalists since the turn of the millennium would suggest it is far more common than uncommon for successful minor teams to disband in the years after their All-Ireland triumph.

Indeed, only the all-conquering Dublin minor class of 2012 succeeded in carrying their form through to U21 level — eight of said minor team were present inside the whitewash when Dublin trounced Roscommon in the 2014 U21 decider.