Kerry v Mayo - triumph, pain and 'the curse'

Kerry v Mayo - triumph, pain and 'the curse'Image source, InphoImage caption, Kerry were victors when they last met Mayo in an All-Ireland final back in 2006ByDavid MohanBBC Sport NI journalistPublished1 minute agoIn the build-up to last year's All-Ireland final, former Kerry captain Dara Ó Cinnéide pointed out "nobody has lost more finals than Kerry".It's true, as while the Kingdom lead the way on the roll of honour with 39 Sam Maguire triumphs, their 24 defeats on Gaelic football's biggest day is greater than any other county.Cork are next in that unwanted bracket with 16, but just one behind - level with Galway - sits Mayo.The Yew County must go back 75 years for the last of their three All-Ireland titles, defending the crown they had won the previous season, but while All-Ireland success has eluded them since, a return to the final was 44 years in the making.In 1989, led by the late John O'Mahony, Mayo rolled into Croke Park to face a Cork side that had fallen short in the previous two finals against Meath - the second of those after a replay.Perhaps there was a sense that it was the Rebels' time, but Mayo had their chances, only to fall to a three-point defeat. It would prove to be the first of 11 disappointments on final day.Kerry v MayoAll-Ireland Senior Football Championship finalSunday, 26 July, 15:30 BSTCroke Park, DublinWatch on iPlayerWatch live on BBC Two, BBC Sport website & app from 15:00They were back seven years later, thanks to a semi-final win over Kerry who were ready to challenge again after a number of years in the wilderness, but after Colm Coyle's late punt hopped off the ground and over the bar to force a draw, Meath won a replay that was marred by an early brawl.Certainly, there was an element of fortune in Meath's equaliser in the drawn game, but could it be something a lot deeper for Mayo? A curse, perhaps?As the story - or myth - goes, following their 1951 win and on their way ho...