After 75 years of heartbreak, near-misses and a widely circulated myth of a generations-long curse, County Mayo’s Gaelic football team has claimed the GAA All-Ireland Senior Football title, defeating defending champions Kerry in a tense, dramatic final at Dublin’s sold-out Croke Park this past Sunday. The historic victory has sparked joyous celebrations not just across the small western Irish county of 137,000 residents, but across the globe, with a roster of high-profile figures with deep Mayo roots leading the tributes.
The story of Mayo’s long title drought stretches back to the county’s last All-Ireland win in 1951. Legend holds that the team’s raucous post-victory parade on an open-back lorry interrupted a funeral in the village of Foxford, prompting the presiding priest to curse the side: Mayo would not win another title as long as any member of the 1951 championship panel remained alive. Over the subsequent seven decades, Mayo reached the All-Ireland final 11 times, only to fall agonizingly short at the last hurdle each time, cementing the curse in Irish sporting lore. The final surviving member of the 1951 team, Dr Mick Loftus, passed away in April 2023, opening the door for the curse to finally be broken.
Sunday’s final lived up to decades of buildup. A slow start left Mayo trailing, but the side fought back through the second half, with a late match-winning score from forward Tommy Conroy securing the iconic Sam Maguire Cup in front of 82,300 cheering spectators. For the small county, which counts dozens of globally famous figures among its diaspora, the celebration extended far beyond Croke Park’s stands.
Top of the list of celebrity well-wishers is former U.S. President Joe Biden, who has long spoken of his deep ancestral ties to Ballina, a town in Mayo. During a 2023 visit to his family’s ancestral home, Biden publicly joined the long-running Mayo fan chant: “Mayo for Sam”, a reference to the Sam Maguire trophy awarded to All-Ireland champions. Following Sunday’s win, Biden took to social media to share his elation, congratulating the team, noting that the people of Mayo had worked decades to earn the victory, and repeating his iconic line: “Mayo for Sam!”
Biden was far from alone in his celebration. Oasis rock icons and famously feuding brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher, whose mother’s family is rooted in Mayo and who spent childhood summers visiting relatives in the county, both put aside their differences to share their joy on social media. “Finally!! Up Mayo!!” Noel posted, while Liam added that he was “very proud” of the side. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney also joined the tributes, writing that he is “proud to have roots in County Mayo”. Other prominent Irish sports figures, including rugby legend Brian O’Driscoll and golfer Shane Lowry, also praised Mayo’s gritty win, with O’Driscoll noting that nearly the entire country was rooting for the underdog side after its decades of final heartbreak.
The victory carried extra personal meaning for two players on Mayo’s current roster: 18-year-old Kobe McDonald, who made his senior debut for the county only this past February, and his half-brother Jordan Flynn. McDonald’s father Ciarán McDonald previously represented Mayo in three separate All-Ireland finals, never getting to lift the trophy. “It’s surreal, we don’t know how to feel,” McDonald told reporters after the match. “To look around and see the people, they have given us so much over the years and to give them something proper to shout about is special. I don’t [know what celebration plans lie ahead], but I can’t wait to find out. We’ll soak it in and enjoy it.”
Mayo’s 75-year wait for a title joins a growing list of historic long droughts broken in elite 2026 sports: earlier this year, Arsenal claimed the English Premier League title after a 22-year dry spell, and the New York Knicks won their first NBA championship in 53 years. For Mayo’s fans, however, the victory is far more meaningful than just another sporting upset — it’s the end of a generations-long dream, and the breaking of a curse that defined the county’s identity for decades. Celebrations are continuing across County Mayo and the Irish diaspora this week, with no sign of slowing down.