Honestly, what’s your selling price? Money isn’t an issue.
Ah yes, Mayo, Mayo, Mayo.
Where do we start? Written off in June by everyone following their defeat to neighbours Galway, it looked like it was going to be a short summer for the green and red faithful.
There was no talk of Mayo for Sam, there was no talk of Mayo for Croke Park even. People were just taking it one tiny step at a time.
Heart attack games came in the form of Derry, Clare, Cork and Roscommon and even being in a Quarter-Final wasn’t enough for supporters to usher those three small words.
However, when they put Roscommon to the sword in the replay, almost in an instant, it seemed as if the confidence had been restored in Mayo supporters.
A Semi-Final against Kerry, two games away from All-Ireland glory, it was finally time to unleash the beast.
#Mayo4Sam.
However, this Mayo man and Limerick woman were thinking about hopping on the Mayo for Sam bandwagon long before the hammering of Roscommon.
JOE reader Noel Byrne got in touch to tell us about his and his wife-to-be, Kathy, and their amazing Mayo themed adventure…
“We’re taking part in the Mumbai Xpress Rickshaw Challenge, which is a 2,000km drive from Mumbai to Chennai over the space of 14 days on a 7 horse power, 3 wheeled rickshaw. Kathy’s blender is almost 2 horse power… it’s essentially a glorified lawnmower.
“The Rickshaw itself is painted red and green, with #Mayo4Sam our official name, and the jersey our uniform. There is also a Mayo flag on the roof, as well as one Limerick flag representing Kathy’s county.
“We’ve our Mayo jerseys on and, now, with our Bluetooth speakers working we’ve the Saw Doctors’ Green & Red of Mayo blaring as we travel the highways and byways of southern India on roads that don’t have a patch of the N17.
“There are 14 teams taking part in this year’s race, including two others from Ireland (a lad from a Cork and other from Wexford).
“We’re on day 5 now and it’s been the quite the spin so far. The worst day though was Tuesday.
“Travelling from Alibag to Pune, which is only about 140km, we set off in the highs of Mayo’s hammering of Rosommon (having listened in online), but we suffered the lows… and it wasn’t hangover induced.
“In what should have been a 3 hour journey, we hit 8 and a half hours. I rolled the rickshaw over Kathy’s foot, got stopped by police, drove on the Expressway which is illegal, we broke down after I broke the clutch, and then we drove to the wrong hotel at the end. It was hard not to laugh at the absurdity of it all, to be honest.
“We’re due to be married next August and, as Kathy said, this is our pre-marriage course.
“In terms of the challenge itself, some of the money raised from the event goes to an Indian charity called Round Table India, which helps build schools and educate some of the country’s poor children.
“We’ll be visiting some of the schools along the way to see the what’s come of the money raised so far and how lives are being helped.
Now that we know Mayo are in the semi, we’re going to have to root out an Irish bar in Chennai (where we’ll be at that stage), which is a day before we return home.
“If it’s a win for Mayo (and it will be), that’ll be one hungover plane ride back to the green sod.”
Cheers to Noel Byrne for sending this our way. Got a story for JOE? Hit us up on Facebook or Twitter, send it to our WhatsApp number 087-4001102 or mail [email protected].
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