Kevin McStay and Liam McHale in Mayo: The trials of being a prophet in your own land

On the homepage of the long-since updated Western People website, a headline haunts: “McStay and Holmes front-runners to replace Horan.”

Kevin McStay may have been a rival of Pat Holmes for the vacancy but after the former’s ambitious presentation was delivered it was a one-horse race. The story is well-known at this stage but how they conveyed that message was amateur hour at best.

Less than 15 hours after it was agreed by the executive that McStay and Holmes would be interviewed, chairman Paddy McNicholas informed McStay that he wouldn’t be recommended.