Fergal Boland open to hurling call after surprise Mayo football exit
OPEN TO SWITCH: Fergal Boland of Tooreen, Mayo, pictured ahead of the AIB GAA All-Ireland Hurling Intermediate Club Championship Final. Pic: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
Fergal Boland didn't see the end coming with Mayo.
Just months after coming on against Kerry in June's All-Ireland quarter-final loss, new manager Kevin McStay broke the bad news.
Boland had played for Mayo for six years, started and finished the breakthrough 2019 National League final win over Kerry and still appeared to have plenty to offer. But McStay came to the table with a plan for 2023 and Boland wasn't part of it.
"I wouldn't be the sort of fella to start arguing or anything, or to cause any conflict," said Boland of how he took the surprise news.
"He gives you one or two reasons why you're gone, or let go, and basically it's up to yourself then.
"It's up to me now if I want to force my way back onto the panel, it's as simple as that. And you just have to be completely honest with yourself. You're just going to have to get better as a player and play well for your club and then hopefully force your way back next year or whatever."
Boland is a talented dual player who has won several Mayo and Connacht senior hurling titles with Tooreen. But the current run to Saturday's AIB All-Ireland club intermediate final back at Croke Park has easily been the most enjoyable spell, partly because of the timing.
The 27-year-old secondary schoolteacher badly needed a pick-me-up after the news from McStay and the club has provided it.
"I would say my most enjoyable sporting memories have always been playing these games around November, December, January time," said Boland.
"Obviously this year has been better than the last few years. It's just been so enjoyable. I've loved every second of it."
Boland could yet follow the lead of his former Mayo colleague Keith Higgins who left the football panel ahead of the 2021 season and threw in his lot with the county hurlers.
"I probably would play, yeah, if I got asked," said Boland of a potential hurling switch.
"I feel like if Mayo got everyone playing, then they definitely could compete at Joe McDonagh. I know that might seem a bit far-fetched but if everyone was available in the county, if they were all playing with the Mayo hurlers, I think there is definite capability there to compete in the Joe McDonagh."
What's certain for Boland is that he gave Mayo football everything he had. That McStay didn't want him wasn't anything to do with a lack of effort.
"I definitely think I did," he said. "I was lucky enough throughout the years, I never really picked up many injuries. I definitely gave everything I could to the cause, whether it was training, nutrition, gym, skills, whatever. I have no regrets about that."
The experience of playing, and winning, at Croke Park with Mayo should stand to Boland ahead of Saturday's clash with favourites Monaleen of Limerick.
"We are lucky in that a lot of our players, I'd say all the starting 15, have played in Croke Park, either through underage football with Mayo, or Nickey Rackard or Christy Ring hurling," said Boland. "So that Croker thing kind of goes out the window a small bit. Thankfully we have been there and played there before."
That 2019 National Football League final win, when Boland scored two points, was achieved alongside Lee Keegan who announced his retirement this week. Boland didn't see that one coming either and expected the Westport man to play on.
"I probably would have," he said. "If you look at last season, he was our best player. He was the one player that got nominated for an All-Star so he probably was our player of the championship. Obviously, he has kids now and he has just moved into his new house, obviously has massive commitments there.
"But in terms of his football ability, still flying. I know he had a really good season with Westport as well. So yeah, he was still at the peak of his powers I felt anyway."
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