Ryan O'Donoghue Q&A: Mayo forward named footballer of the year

Ryan O'Donoghue of Mayo in action against Seán O'Brien of Kerry. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

Q: How satisfying is it to be crowned PwC Footballer of the Year for 2026?

Ryan: It's pretty surreal, to be honest with you. Tonight is going to be a massive night for my family, my fiancée and my club, Belmullet. It's an unbelievable feeling. 

It's something I've dreamt of all my life. I knew that if this came it would help Mayo win matches and, in turn, help Mayo win an All-Ireland. So, it's surreal and unbelievable.

Q: I'm sure the All-Ireland medal was the thing foremost in your head at the start of this year, as it is every year. But to win this on top of it makes it extra special, doesn't it?

Ryan: It does, yeah. Growing up all I ever wanted to do was win All-Irelands with Mayo. I suppose this is the cherry on top. 

To have so many of my team-mates here today, six All-Stars, and to come to the All-Stars as All-Ireland champions and be sharing the stage with my team-mates and collecting the Footballer of the Year, it's pretty mad, to be honest.

Q: You were an All-Star in 2021 but this will be a more enjoyable sort of occasion to mark it than the last time.

Ryan: Yeah. In 2021, the night was actually cancelled because of COVID so I watched it sitting in the living room with my family. Tonight will be extra special. 

Belmullet have two tables here as well with the club up supporting me. My mother, father, brother and fiancée are here, so it's really, really extra special to be here, especially with Mayo All-Ireland champions.

Q: How has your family and fiancée reacted to the news you're the Footballer of the Year?

Ryan: There have been a lot of tears, to be honest. The sacrifices my parents and my fiancée have made...this was always the dream but I don't know if they ever thought this would become a reality. 

To see how proud they are and for them to look up and see me on the stage, it just fills me with pride and makes everything I've done and all the hard work I've put in to get here so worthwhile.

Q: Your family, fianceé, and clubmates from Belmullet would know better than anyone else about all that hard work so great to be able to share the night with them.

Ryan: Yeah, tonight is as much for me as it is for my family, but also for the people of Belmullet and the club as a whole. 

To see one of their own from the west of Ireland, from Belmullet, up here and crowned Footballer of the Year means so much to them. I'm so glad I can spend tonight with them, and then, when we get home, be able to spend it with my club-mates and friends from home. It's just so special.

Q: Your game went to a new level this year. Where did that improvement come from?

Ryan: Obviously, Andy (Moran), number one. He sat down with me on 25 August last year and had a chat about where my career had gone since 2021 and how I hadn't really pushed on. That was a massive part of it. 

He said, 'Let's go all in and see what happens.' What pushed me after that was my team-mates. Seeing Jack Carney, who was nominated for Player of the Year with me, and what he's done since last year...Enda Hession...I could go on, but my team-mates are what pushed me on. 

Mayo players, from left, Ryan O'Donoghue, Kobe McDonald and Darragh Beirne celebrate. Pic: Seb Daly/Sportsfile

Darragh and Kobe coming in at 18 and 19 years of age...what they've done for me, and what I've done for them, we've just bounced off each other. After that Roscommon game, we just put the shoulder to the wheel and said, 'Let's go all in. What's the worst that can happen? We can lose a football match.' That pushed everyone on. 

We all went that extra per cent. Had tough conversations after games, but everyone took them in the right way. It wasn't just me who went to a different level, everyone on that team went to a different level. We helped each other, and we finally got our prize.

Q: Tonight will be a nice way to reminisce on the year, and then when it's over you'll start looking ahead to 2027?

Ryan: Yeah, well, we've already started looking forward. Some of the boys whose clubs were knocked out earlier in the club championship have started running sessions and gym sessions, so we've already got our eyes on 2027. 

We have our team holiday tomorrow and that'll be nice, and probably the first time the whole group will be together since the All-Ireland. Tonight will be good though. The rest of the team are up in Dublin tonight as well and 13 here for the All-Stars so hopefully we'll all be able to celebrate together later on.

Q. How enjoyable has it been since the All-Ireland? I'm sure you've made all sorts of brilliant memories over the last few months.

Ryan: You know, I dreamt about 26 July and what might happen afterwards, but never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined what has happened and it's all been for the betterment of Mayo GAA. Some people might say it's gone on too long, and I wouldn't begrudge them saying that, but we've done it in the right way for Mayo GAA in terms of the fundraising.

Mayo footballer Ryan O'Donoghue and Courtney O'Donnell on arrival at the 2026 PwC GAA/GPA All-Star Awards at the RDS. Pic: Seb Daly/Sportsfile

When you meet someone in Chicago or New York that you haven't seen since the final, or who maybe didn't get a chance to come home, and you hand them the Sam Maguire Cup, it's as if we've won the All-Ireland the day before. They are so happy, and that makes it all the sweeter. 

It's been unbelievable. It's nearly coming to an end. We have the holiday coming up and then our All-Ireland medal ceremony. After that, that'll be it.

Q: Are you looking forward to 2027?

Ryan: I am of course. Jordan Flynn and I were the second-oldest on the team on the 26th of July and we're only 28, so we have a lot of hungry boys ready to go again. I'm looking forward to it. We just need to push on again now and see what 2027 brings.