Mass support for Mayo meant green and red flags were absolutely everywhere, no matter how remote. Every business sporting banners geeing the Mayo boys on. And, after happening on a red and green goose, even painted on the livestock. For the duration, it seemed that the Mayo football shirt became a uniform for everyone, young and old. Mothers pushed red and green clad tots in pushchairs. Red and green supporter’s shirts pooled in front of pubs nursing pint glasses waiting the kick off. The excuse to have a knees up kept the festivities going long after daylight waned, even though Mayo lost by one point.
If Ireland’s history is the dark swirling body of a glass of Guinness, then Gaelic football is the frothy head. Which kind of leads us nicely to the phenomenon of Irish pubs.