JOHN DIVILLY: Stories of Galway-Mayo duels during the bog duties

What’s it like to play in a Galway-Mayo championship match? I can only speak from a Galway point of view and more specifically my experiences of playing against the auld enemy. It’s the only game of the year you just can’t afford to lose, writes John Divilly.

I grew up on stories of Galway-Mayo duels during farming chores, but mostly during bog duties. You would be psyching yourself up. Right John, get this done as quick as you can and you’ll be home by 3pm for football in the field. Hatch a plan. Take a small break at the end of each row. A swig of water and a few Custard Creams. No soft talk. Good plan.

I would be crouched over the first row, hand on the wettest thickest sod in the bog. You’d hear ‘Tommy Joe Gilmore is a tough bastard. He almost killed TJ Kilgallon last Sunday’. I’d look up. All you could see were heads bobbing in agreement, turf flying out between the old men’s legs.