Mayo wins All-Ireland final to end 75-year wait

Mayo won the All-Ireland final for the first time in 75 years, breaking one of sport’s most notable droughts and finally lifting their “curse.” The team defeated the reigning champions, Kerry, in a thrilling match at Croke Park, marking the end of generations of heartbreak for the county in west Ireland.

Mayo had lost 11 finals in a row since claiming their last Gaelic football title in 1951, which is considered the beginning of the “curse.” According to local lore, after the 1951 victory, the team was traveling home from Dublin on the back of a lorry when their celebrations inadvertently disrupted a funeral procession. The priest officiating the funeral allegedly cursed the team, declaring that Mayo would not win another All-Ireland title while any member of the 1951 squad remained alive. The last surviving member of that team, Dr. Mick Loftus, passed away in 2023.

This year, Mayo returned to the All-Ireland final for the first time since 2021, facing off against Kerry on Sunday. Despite being the record 39-time winners and defending champions, Kerry was unable to mount a successful comeback in the final moments, with the score at the end of the match being Kerry 1-17, Mayo 1-20.

Mayo's captain, Jack Coyne, commented to the BBC after their historic win, saying, "This is the stuff of dreams. To every Mayo boy or girl around the world, dream big things. Everything is possible and we showed that today. The saying is keep the faith. We kept the faith. We’re All-Ireland champions."