The Westerners Wing7
Enda tells President Trump about the curse of Mayo
TAOISEACH Enda Kenny regaled US President Donald Trump with the story of the Mayo GAA curse in the Oval Office, he has revealed.
Mr Kenny met with Mr Trump at the White House on Thursday in a successful visit, where they discussed our nations’ shared historical relationship.
However, the Taoiseach strayed from the realm of facts into a gaelic games legend when he brought up the 1951 All-ireland winners.
According to folklore, the Mayo panel was journeying back to the West from Dublin along with the Sam Maguire after beating Meath. The team, travelling in the back of a truck, passed a funeral in the town of Foxford without stopping to pay their respects.
It is said the angry priest put a curse on them that they would not win an Allireland again until every member died.
And despite reaching the All-ireland final eight times since 1989, the Taoiseach’s home county has not lifted the Sam Maguire since. Mr Kenny revealed he shared the story with the President after explaining why he knew the shamrock he gifted him with was not from his home county.
The Taoiseach said: “The only place the shamrock doesn’t grow is in Manulla, outside Castlebar.
“The reason it won’t grow in Munalla is that a curse was placed there. When St Patrick passed through, the natives of the little cabins cut the tails off his chariot horses, and sold it back to him as stuffing.
“He banished them and said the shamrock would never grow in Munalla and it never has. That curse is still there.
“The other is in relation to the 1951 team that won the last All-ireland final. We’ve had discussions about this in the Oval Office as well.
“I’m not sure what’s going to happen in 2017 – we’ve been heavily defeated by the Dubs recently. So our team are training hard to try and rectify that.”
news@irishmirror.ie