Mayo's progression to the Super 8s is great news for both the All-Ireland football championship and the GAA coffers.
The colour and passion the Westerners bring to every championship occasion was badly missed in last year's inaugural Super 8s, which failed to live up to expectations. But their involvement this year should guarantee plenty of excitement and drama between now and the August Bank Holiday weekend when they will welcome Ulster champions Donegal to Castlebar for their final game in the round-robin series.
Following last night's All-Ireland SFC Qualifier Round 4 victory over arch-rivals Galway, Mayo are now turning their thoughts to a huge Super 8s first round clash with Kerry in Killarney next Sunday. A repeat of last March's Allianz League final, which James Horan's men won with surprising ease, Kieran Donaghy likened it to a Munster final when speaking on Sky Sports after last night's game at the LIT Gaelic Grounds.
A crowd of up to 35,000 will be expected for that one, and Mayo fans will also travel in their droves to Croke Park on the following Sunday for a meeting with the winners of today's final All-Ireland Qualifier Round 4 tie between Clare and Meath before the visit of Donegal and their former manager Stephen Rochford to Elvery's MacHale Park on the first weekend in August.
And who's to say that Mayo, who started out on their latest championship journey at a rain-soaked Gaelic Park, New York on the first Sunday in May, won't still be in the race for Sam by then.
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