Hill 16 is not Dublin only.
Croke Park is not Dublin’s home ground. The All-Ireland final ticket allocation is an even split between the counties involved.
So whilst Diarmuid Connolly’s post-Kerry tweet was an innocent nod to the rousing support that helped the capital into the decider, it irked a few folk out west.
16th man #Hill16isDublinOlny pic.twitter.com/qWtlMQM0ma
— – (@dermoc123) August 28, 2016
Hill 16 wasn’t Dublin only in 2013. Not by a long shot.
Green and red covered the Croker terrace as the famous sky blue dominance was banished for another day. Mayo came to town, stood their ground and waved their flags proudly. They made no apologies for it either.
So, when the sides meet again in the 2016 All-Ireland final on September 18, expect something similar.
Don’t expect the Mayo contingent to go silently into their respective corners of headquarters. Don’t expect Hill 16 to be Dublin only.
"only" And no it's not.
— Mayo Gaelic Banter (@mayogaabanter) August 28, 2016
yeah till the #MayoInvasion #3Weeks💚❤️💚❤️💚❤️💚❤️💚❤️💚
— Dena Mc Tigue (@denamct) August 28, 2016
Eh dermo @dermoc123 does @CrokePark belong to dublin or @officialgaa
— Michael Maye (@mayo_mick) August 28, 2016
Now, the Mayo armies are mobilising and making sure that they see an even spread of supporters across Hill 16. Or more Mayo fans.
A Facebook page from 2013 has even returned.
Mayo do what they like. They don’t bow to these unspoken rules that aren’t rules at all. Their players are defiant. Their fans are defiant.
The old rivalry stews again. Three weeks out, this already has the makings of a cracker.
The new GAA Hour football podcast is out. Listen to Colm Parkinson, Barry Cahill, and Senan Connell dissect a classic between Dublin and Kerry. Subscribe here on iTunes.
