SEAN O'GRADY "Football In Mayo Is Not Dead Yet"- so says former stalwart Mayo is a s rich in GAA tradition as any other county. With three Senior All-Irelands and ten National League titles to their credit, the footballers of Mayo have been very much to the forefront when it comes to securing national honours. Times have been lean of late however. Mayo's last Senior title of significance was garnered on May 10th 1970 at Croke Park when a fancied team from Down was well beaten on a scoreline of 4-7 to 0-10. Former Aughamore and Roscommon Gaels clubman Garda Sergeant Sean O'Grady starred at midfield for the Mayomen in that particular final, and his performance on Jimmy Milligan after coming on as a substitute in the game's early stages was instrumental in Mayo's victory. Sean O'Grady's stint on the Mayo intercounty stage began in 1969 and was ended abruptly by a knee injury in 1974. The Roscommon-based Garda began his career with East Mayo outfit Aughamore and remained a one-club man up until 1979 when, returning to the game after an enforced five year absence through injury, he joined the Roscommon Gaels ranks - where he was to remain for the next five years. During his stint in the Roscommon Gaels colours Sean picked up a Senior County Championship medal - in 1981. This medal was promptly added to O'Grady's already sizeable collection of souvenirs. With Aughamore Sean had won three Juvenile titles - one Under 15 and two Under 16s - and he went on to take a county Minor medal in 1966. The backbone of that Minor team was in action again three years later, helping the Aughamore club to a Junior County Championship in 1969. The same team went on to take an Intermediate Championship in 1971 and the club subsequently attained Senior status for the very first time. Far from intimidated by this prospect, Aughamore dug in and not only did the club retain its status amongst the county's elite but they actually contested the 1972 Senior County final! In that ill-fated championship decider Aughamore were somewhat unfortunate to lose out to Claremorris by a mere two points. Their former star midfielder Sean O'Grady reflects ruefully on that day's proceedings. "We were lucky in that good crop of footballers came along at the same time. Most of the same players who were on the Minor team of '66 were on the team which contested the Senior final six year's later. To lose our first ever county final was a sickened, especially considering how close we came to winning it. We got two penalties in the game. I converted the first one before going off injured. The second one was given with only two minutes left - and it came back off the crossbar! It was a major disappointment to lose that one." Sean O'Grady's considerable six foot frame was employed at midfield for all his club and county playing days. He has particularly fond memories of days gone by when lining out for Aughamore in some great tussles with nearby Ballaghaderreen. "We had a very good club team and some of the clashes with Ballaghaderreen were very memorable. They were like local derby matches and there was always a lot of passion. Ballaghaderreen had the likes of county midfielders John Morley and Sean Kilbride in their ranks, as well as Fr Dan O'Mahony and current Leitrim boss John O'Mahony. There were great tussles." As a sixteen year old Sean O'Grady broke into the Mayo Minor team (in 1965) and he remained on the panel for the following two years, winning three successive Connacht Leagues. O'Grady was unfortunate to miss out as a player on the All-Ireland Minor triumph of 1966 nut regained his place in the midfield berth for the 1967 Connacht final against Roscommon - a game which the Mayo lads lost by 2-15 to 1-5. Presently based in Roscommon as the Sergeant responsible for in-service training for the Roscommon/Galway East division, Sean O'Grady also played three years as a Mayo Under 21, winning a Connacht Championship medal in 1970 only for the Mayomen to lose out in the All-Ireland semi-final to a very strong Cork outfit which included Denis Long and Donal Hunt at centrefield. Sean O'Grady made his full Senior county debut for Mayo in a challenge game against Dublin in September 1969 - the Saturday before the Kerry/Offaly All-Ireland final clash to be precise. He had been substitute on the team which clinched the 1969 Connacht Championship and was subsequently beaten by Kerry (0-14 to 1-10), but the game against Dublin was his first full Senior match in the county colours. Things were beginning to take shape on the professional front too - that same year Sean O'Grady joined the Garda Siochana! Sean O'Grady was a regular on the Mayo Senior team from 1969 until 1974, the highlight arriving in 1970 when the the Aughamore clubman won a National League medal. That game was one of O'Grady's best performance in the Green and Red jersey. He reflects: "Joe Lennon and Jimmy Milligan were at centrefield for Down that day, Joe Langan and PJ Loftus started in the middle for Mayo. I began as a sub but came into the fray when Loftus got injured after only three minutes. I was nervous for the first fifteen minutes or so but then played well once I settled down." Mayo also contested the League finals of 1971 and '72, losing out to Kerry in both, on scorelines of 0-11 to 0-8 and 2-11 to 1-9 respectively. Sean O'Grady marked Mick O'Connell in one final, John O'Keefe in the other! What was it like to arrive on the Mayo intercounty scene at a time when the likes of Langan and Loftus were still competing for the two centrefield berths? "It was fantastic because once I broke onto the team I had these fellas around me who I had hooked up to. It was great to be in a position to avail of their advice," Sean recalls. The old chestnut - most difficult opponents? "Mick O'Connell was the best. And Frank McGuigan had everything as a footballer. Then there were the likes of Willie Bryan, Jimmy Duggan, Dermot Earley, Willie Joyce, Barnes Murphy and John O'Gara. All great players". Defeat against Galway in the 1973 Connacht final was followed by a career-threatening injury against the same team in the provincial semi-final of the following year. What was the nature of the injury? "At the time they found it difficult to diagnose, but it was eventually diagnosed as a cruciate ligament. I was out for five years by which time it had almost healed itself - with a lot of help from Dr Kevin O'Flanagan. I came back in '79 and played with Roscommon Gaels for a few year." Sergeant Sean O'Grady joined the Gardai in February 1969. While in Templemore he played for the Munster Garda team alongside the likes of Pat Griffin and DJ Crowley. In 1970 he captained the All-Ireland Garda team which beat the Defence Forces and also captained the Garda side which played the Cork Senior team in a tournament in 1973. O'Grady was first stationed in Killaloe, then in Ballygar and, except for a 2 and a half year spell in Bundoran, has been in Roscommon ever since. His work these days is mostly indoors as an instructor in the Divisional In-Service School. Famed scribe Mark Twain spouted the immortal line "Rumours of my death have been greatly exaggerated." No doubt this came as a great disappointment to those present! The author of Huckleberry Finn has long since lost his sense of humour! But, anyway, those words could well have been penned more recently - by Mayo GAA! "Mayo football is just going through a transition," Sean O'Grady agrees. "A lot of good players retired around the same time and left us with a void. The likes of Willie Joe Padden and TJ Kilgallon are difficult to replace. I saw last year's All-Ireland Under 21 final and Mayo have some nice players coming along. Mayo has always been a great GAA county with great pride in the jersey - and they'll be back. Counties like Meath have a great policy of bringing in young players one at a time - and I think Mayo would benefit greatly from something similar." Predictions then for 1995: "Even though they have had a bad League campaign I feel that they will be a strong force in Connacht, and have to be in with a chance. Standards have levelled off in Connacht and Mayo have as good a chance as anybody. If they can get it right, get a settled combination together, and their injured players".... Taken from Hogan Stand magazine 17th February, 1995 Tweet

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