Mayo’s teenage sensation Kobe McDonald recalled a winter phone call that changed the trajectory of his, and his county’s, history following their All-Ireland SFC triumph on Sunday.
McDonald, who only sat his Leaving Cert exams last month, not only bagged a Celtic Cross but also a place on The Sunday Game Team of the Year for his exploits across 2026.
Speaking on the highlights show later on Sunday evening, McDonald explained how his arrival onto the grandest stage came to pass.
“There was a phone call with me and my dad at the start, maybe December time, just with the offer to come in,” he explained.
“Then we were obviously talking at home about how difficult that would be with school or whatever. But it’s something I really wanted to do since I was knee high.
“And to get that chance this year, I could never turn it down.”
It was never going to be straightforward for the Crossmolina club man, who made his debut in the defeat to Roscommon in the Connacht championship, but the end goal was always to step aside with a medal, no matter how tough the life balance would be.
“That’s what I signed up for at the start,” he told RTÉ Sport.
“I knew what it would be and knew the outcome we wanted at the end of the year. And I’m just so happy that it came true.”
“Every pitch is the same; it has two goals at the end of it.”
All-Ireland Champions Jack Coyne, Kobe McDonald and Jordan Flynn join Marty in the team hotel. #SundayGame pic.twitter.com/xDSJKkMrv1
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) July 26, 2026
It was a win 75 years in the making, so no one could begrudge the Mayo players for beaming from ear to ear during Sunday’s post-game banquet.
Mayo captain Jack Coyne joined star forwards McDonald and Jordan Flynn on stage to catch up with Marty Morrissey live on RTÉ’s The Sunday Game following their tremendous triumph, and displayed the giddiness that perfectly encapsulated every Mayo fan the world over.
And yet, the squad unity was never more apparent than in the hours following the win.
Flynn looked back on his original introduction to the squad and how the balance between young and old set them up for success.
“You’re obviously nervous to come into a panel of experienced players that have done so much throughout the years,” Flynn said at the post-game function.
“But I suppose it’s been a lot easier when you have young players around you like (Darragh) Beirne, Eoin McGreal.
“(There’s) so many young players around and two under-20s that were with me this year, too, so it made it a lot easier.”
Mayo captain Jack Coyne celebrates after their victory
Back in 1951, Seán Flanagan captained Mayo to glory from corner-back, and in 2026 it was Jack Coyne of Ballyhaunis who climbed the steps of the Hogan Stand.
He says he never considered how those stars aligned, but he did feel excited to hit the ground running and make sure it was 12th time a charm.
“Yeah I probably was (nervous), but nerves are good,” he said.
“I always say to anyone I’m talking to, nerves are good. It probably shows you care about it. So nerves are good and then nerves and excitement are actually the same thing in my mind.
“So excited probably more so than nervous.”
Coyne and the Mayo defence were tasked with the unenviable task of keeping the star-studded Kerry attack quiet, and although David Clifford reeled off 1-06 from play, it was to be Mayo’s day.
Not even that 15th-minute goal perturbed Coyne’s confidence.
“No, I don’t think (it rattled us) because the nature of the new game is teams get leads, teams come back,” he said.
“It’s kind of happening all year and like that, we knew they probably would get a purple patch, but we trust the lads all around our team and our group.
The panel take us through their picks for the Sunday Game Team of the Year#SundayGame pic.twitter.com/ESWBzIVXO7
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) July 26, 2026
“So we just stuck to the process and kept working hard and, we got our period there of dominance.”
And that they did, to which a county, a province, a nation and a diaspora never looked back.
Led by a legend of the past, acted out by heroes of the present. Mayo’s All-Ireland win was a victory for the ‘bridesmaids’, and one you could not begrudge the squad or fans for a moment.