GAA READY TO BITE THE APPLE ...

McStay and Mayo are in a New York state of mind

KEVIN McSTAY remembers a conversation with then Roscommon chairman Seamus Sweeney as his managerial career flashed in front of him in New York eight years ago.

His Rossies side, which he managed jointly with Fergal O’Donnell at that time, had squeaked a one-point victory at Gaelic Park in the Connacht quarter-final.

The fallout, had it gone the other way, would have been considerable. Sweeney told him his head, and those of McStay and O’Donnell, would have rolled.

It would have also inflicted a banging headache on administrators as to how they would handle New York advancing in the Championship and, potentially, the qualifiers, as well as how Roscommon would be accommodated.

“Myself and Fergal and the county chairman would probably have had to resign before we got to JFK on Monday evening,” says McStay.

and McStay ended up taking sole charge the following year, when he delivered a Connacht title, without which his CV may not have carried the weight to land him the Mayo job.

Now in his second season, it’s their turn to travel to New York for a Championship opener this weekend. They’ll jet off tomorrow morning, have a couple of kickabouts on Friday and Saturday, play the game on Sunday and fly back Monday night.

An expected Connacht semi-final against Roscommon will be in the offing less than two weeks later but McStay refuses to disrespect the fixture or the concept.

“I’m very proud of the Connacht Championship. I value the couple of medals I got here in this Championship, as all our players do. There’s incredible rivalries here in the home counties, and no doubt London and NewYork have added to it.

“So I would never picture it as a hassle. It’s a championship game that we have to manage, and manage professionally and correctly. And I am absolutely sure we will do that.

“We’re looking forward to meeting our Mayo families over in New York — after the game. It is a championship game, after all.

“We didn’t set out not to be in the League final, but we’d different objectives as well, and maybe that adds up to not quite making the league final.

“But we’d have been delighted to be in it; we’d have had to work New York a bit tighter. But the way it’s fallen now, it’s optimal, I’d say, for us.”