Kobe McDonald departure has 'nearly put Mayo in a bit of mourning for next seven or eight months'

At the same time, Higgins fully appreciates why Andy Moran has tried to quell the hype around the Crossmolina teen.

MAYO MOURNING: Mayo's Kobe McDonald celebrates after scoring his side's second goal against Monaghan. Pic: ©INPHO/Tom Maher.

Minding a three-year-old and a 20-month year-old, Keith Higgins was on daddy day care when he heard the news Sunday. Oh boy.

He had been on duty as Mayo’s U20 manager at a challenge game the day before and the seniors’s game against Monaghan in Clones was taking a backseat to family life when a brief message on his phone stopped him in his tracks.