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MAYO minor manager Enda Gilvarry beamed with pride after watching his young charges end a wait of almost thirty years as Mayo gloriously claimed the Tom Markham Cup against Tyrone on Sunday.

The future's bright, the future's Mayo. Despite what happened in the senior final afterwards, the achievements of this current crop of Mayo minors should warm the hearts of the county over the winter months. Enda Gilvarry's team, have been a joy to watch this summer, playing with free-flowing abandon and ruthless streak. In the six minutes either side of half time, they kicked 2-4 to set up Mayo's first win the All Ireland minor championship since 1985. There were young heroes all over the field, with David Kenny, Eddie Doran, Michael Hall and Stephen Coen all leading from the back. While you couldn't ask for much more from the full-forward line, who contributed 2-8 between them, with Tommy Conroy and Darragh Doherty grabbing 1-2 each, with Liam Irwin kicking four points from frees.

By the time next week’s issue of the Mayo Advertiser hits the shelves, hopefully we'll be basking in the afterglow of a day to remember for many years ahead. Sunday's games have given the people of this great and proud county something to think about and concentrate on for the past few weeks. The All-Ireland has enabled us to forget about or worries for a few brief flickering weeks, as the hunt for tickets and the build-up of excitement about the games has taken hold and pushed our financial, social, and other concerns to a small corner of the mind. Not that they have gone away or been forgotten about at all, but it has given us something positive to concern ourselves with. It has also created a great sense of community spirit and kinship from the top of Bangor Erris to the bridge in Shrule as we have all rowed in behind James Horan and Enda Gilvarry and their two teams of heroes.

And then there were two. Dublin qualified for a place against Mayo in the All-Ireland final after an epic battle with Kerry in arguably one of the best games of all times. As a neutral watching my heart missed the odd beat such was the excitement and tension, I can only imagine what it must have been like for supporters of both teams. You have to give Dublin credit for the way they came back after conceding some real sucker punch goals, and as I have always stated you need the odd decision or bounce of a ball to go your way to be successful. In my opinion this game hinged on three defining moments. First of all the placing of Cian O’Sullivan on Colm ‘Gooch’ Cooper after half time. Cooper had run Ger Brennan ragged in the first half with a superb display, he was like a quarter-back orchestrating his team, he was simply untouchable, with O’Sullivan’s superior pace he was not nearly as effective in the second half. Secondly and most importantly the failure of referee Cormac Reilly to issue Johnny Cooper a second yellow card after a deliberate trip on namesake Colm, he would have definitely received a yellow had he not had one to his name already. Surely Dublin would not have survived with 14 men in a game of that intensity. Last, by no means least, after Declan O’Sullivan missed a glorious chance to put Kerry ahead in the 68th minute, David Moran and Marc Ó Sé challenged each other from the resulting kick out, Michael Darragh McCauley pounced on the loose ball to free Kevin McMenamin whose tame effort at a point went over Brendan Kiely’s head and into the back of the net. Game over. It truly was an immense game with some brilliant goals scored and some phenomenal build up play. It gives James Horan and co plenty to think about.

With the cheers ringing for the introduction of the Mayo senior team as they took to the field, Mayo minor manager Enda Gilvarry was able to reflect on a job well done safe in the knowledge that his minor team had already held up their side of the bargain.

Mayo 3-19

“Whatever hurdle I put in front of them and as much as I push them, they seem to get stronger with each hurdle I put in front of them.” Is what has most impressed James Mitchell, the Mayo minor trainer and selector about this years crop of minors. Mitchell’s training and input to the side has been signposted by his manager Enda Gilvarry as one of the key reasons that Mayo will be throwing down against Monaghan on Sunday lunchtime in Croke Park.

Mayo 2-13

Mayo 2-13

The fixture gods deemed it fitting that Mayo would have to face Donegal in the senior quarter-final on Sunday afternoon, however they weren’t so kind as to place the county’s minor side on the same billing. Instead Enda Gilvarry’s men will be the opening act of a double bill of minor quarter finals in O’Connor Park in Tullamore on Monday afternoon, while the Kerry minors have been given the matinee slot in Croke Park the day before against Tyrone. However Mayo minor manager Enda Gilvarry isn’t complaining and is just looking forward to getting on with the job in hand. “To a certain extent we can't control the day and venue, any pitch is the same. It would have been nice to be with the seniors but it wasn't to be. It's the same for Westmeath, they would have looked forward to playing a quarter-final in Croke Park the same as we were.”