Kevin Kilbane says his late father Farrell's greatest wish was to see Mayo win the All-Ireland.

A native of Achill Island, Farrell emigrated to Preston as a young man where he raised his family. He instilled his love for Mayo in the 110-time capped Republic of Ireland soccer star Kevin, who grew up watching GAA championship games at the Irish Centre in Manchester.

"When I was a kid growing up, we would have had to go to Manchester to watch the games in the Irish Centre," Kilbane recounted in the Irish Examiner.

"We would have headed over with one of my uncles... and watched some of the bigger games like All-Ireland semis or finals. That is where we would have had to get our fix when we were growing up."

Farrell passed away two years ago without seeing Mayo get their hands on Sam.

"I just think overall it [watching and supporting Mayo] is probably because of my Dad and the way that he was. I am probably desperate for them to win an All-Ireland just for him in the end… he would have wanted it more than anything else in his life when he was living. That is something which would come into my own reckoning, I suppose, when I'm watching them," the soccer ace-turned-media pundit continued.

"Growing up with Dad and all my uncles, it [supporting Mayo] meant so much to them. 

"That in many respects is what the team in general are playing for. I know they are playing for their families, but when you are over in England... you see what it means to all the Mayo people. When they are watching the games it means so much to them. You get sucked up in that atmosphere when you are watching the matches."

Tweet

Most Read Stories