Andy Moran reflects on Mayo's 'life-changing' All-Ireland win

The Gaelic Writers’ Association awards, sponsored by Clayton Hotels took place at the Clayton Hotel, Ballsbridge last night.

The GWA Awards recognise the extraordinary contribution of current players and managers, and Mayo manager Andy Moran is the 2026 GWA Football Personality of the Year.

In a year when Mayo landed an All-Ireland title after a 75-year gap, it's fitting that he is recognised with the GWA's football award for creating the positive environment as manager in his first year that allowed Mayo to flourish as they did.

His enthusiasm, honesty and coaching acumen were the perfect ingredients to lead from the front in 2026.

The following interview with Andy Moran was conducted by GWA Secretary, Jason Byrne, before the Mayo SFC Final on October 25.

Q: Andy, can you even begin to sum up the last three months?

Andy Moran: Yeah, I think the biggest thing for us is the intensity of winning is something obviously we've never experienced before, just the intensity. Like, we were in the States last week just going over to some of our supporters who were very good to us for a lot of years when we weren't winning. But it was their first time really to have that celebration, so it was like another homecoming. It was a mad six days of such intense joy. It's very important that we respect that too and respect those people.

How many moments has there been that have stopped you in your tracks?

AM: There’s been plenty - the Belmullets, the Achills. I didn't go to Achill, but when I saw the clips of it I was like ‘oh, wow.’

You're thinking, ‘should I have been there? I wish I was there.’ That sort of thing. But then there's been so many throughout the course of it.

Obviously, the outpouring of celebration once we won it straight away after we won it. But then again last week we were in Chicago, we had three nights in Chicago. Three celebrations and every one of them as big as the next. We went to New York and there was 900 people in a room for us, insane.

This is second and third generation American people who are celebrating this with us, I just think that's amazing. We always knew that the Mayo brand was a big brand. I think we probably underestimated it a tiny bit.

Q: How do you think the younger players have handled it?

AM: It's life changing. I'm 43 years of age and it's life changing for me. It's a fright, you're literally catching yourself every day.

I'm 43, married with kids and I have a business. I can't imagine what it's like for an 18-19 year old. It's crazy. Even for 20, 22, 23 year olds it's so intense.

Every place you go if you're holding that Sam Maguire and you're bringing it somewhere you're like the Pied Piper. For the young lads, I have thought about them.

My wife Jennifer asked me how they're handling it, I said ‘to be honest I don't really know.’ They're carrying themselves immensely well, I'm so proud of them the way they're giving everyone time. But as you said, this is so life changing. It's beyond what I could have ever imagined, never mind an 18, 19, 20 year-old.

Q: You said in 2018 whatever about losing the finals, you have to keep getting there and have to keep fighting. Eight years later you won that fight as a manager

AM: Even when I reflect back on my own stuff, what I've written in the past or said in the past, you have to ask yourself did you fully believe it? I think I did.

We said it for so long, it became a bit pie in the sky stuff really, but I did always believe.

I'm the sort of person who says if you keep putting yourself in there your luck will change, you'll get there eventually and I am that person.

You do read back on it and think it was so long, there were so many efforts. After 2021, as a county, did we lose that fight a small bit? We might have but I'm just so happy the boys have bought in.

The boys moving from Dublin, I know we made a big deal about that, but it was such a monumental move from Enda (Hession) to move down from Dublin and for it to snowball.

Now we have all the boys back and I think it gives them a huge opportunity for the rest of their career to go and achieve more great stuff.

Q: When you left the dressing-room on All-Ireland Final day did you believe that you were going to win?

AM: I'd be the sort of person, when you go into a two horse race, you have a chance. Of course you have a chance. I would think that in any walk of life.

Anyone that plays us next year, even though we're the All-Ireland Champions, they’ll come up here thinking they have a chance. In the Championship Roscommon knew they had a good chance against us. Tyrone knew they had a good chance against us.

Are you telling me next year they're not going to be a team fighting for that? If you don't think like that, there's no point being here. To be honest, I wouldn't have taken the job if I didn't think we had top class players.

But what happened during the year is those 26, 27, 28 year olds took control of the dressing room and they made an amazing sacrifice to the team.

We went in against Kerry. Did I think we were going to win? You can't say that, but I think we had a really good chance of winning, yes we did.

Q: A word on Cillian O’Connor has retired after giving great service to the county

AM: Just a brilliant guy. Look at Aidan (O’Shea) and Cillian - and what I mean by this is - they were the 18, 19 year-old superstars and for them to be there when Eoin (McGreal) comes through, Darragh (Beirne) comes through, Cian (McHale) comes through, Colm Lynch comes through…when they're there to educate and help, I think it made a huge difference. It's a silent difference.

‘Just expect this, just expect that. We're staying in Johnstown House where we stay when we go to Dublin.’ Making sure if Kobe has to leave the room to go to the bathroom or just wants to wander around, to make sure someone goes with him just to look after him and make sure he’s not gone for an hour taking photos before a game.

Little tricks like that, because I was never that guy. I wasn't the fella that came in at 18, 19 and needed a bit of help along the way. But Aidan and Cillian were both those people, and to have them there at the time of that young fella's coming through, I just thought was a huge help to all three of them young lads. We have a couple more young lads that I think are going to do great things in the game. Even for them to advise them; I heard Cillian talking to Hugh O’Loughlin coming up to the final just showing him little things, little shimmies, little turns.

To have that…one of the best calls I've ever met in my life was the few calls I made to Cillian to get him back this year. He made such a difference to the young lads behind the scenes. It's a silent leadership that no one sees.

Q: Will we see Aidan again in 2027?

AM: Everyone else at this point is coming back. We have the team holiday, you have to give the boys respect.

Everyone on the panel has the choice to come back again or next year. But you have to give them time and give them space to do that. Cillian just knew coming into the final that was it for him. He knew so he made that call very early. I don't think the boys have got a chance to breathe. I genuinely don't think anyone could have sat down and reflected enough from the final to make that decision yet.

Come back from the team holiday, give the boys a couple of weeks off and then they can make their calls after that.

Q: What's been the most special moment for you personally?

AM: Just winning it. That famous sign I suppose before the All-Ireland and the bit of craic with it, but we were the bridesmaids. I'm of the firm belief, face what's in front of you.

We were the team that went to all these All-Irelands and we were the team that lost. I was involved in an awful lot of those teams. I'm not ashamed of it.

At some stage you have to win the race, and just winning it and then to see what it means to the people. We’re sitting here in Castlebar in MacHale Park and to see what it means to all the people is just amazing. It really, really is.

We went all over the world. To see the raw emotion of that, I always have a picture (in my head) and it makes me emotional, people just leaving and looking back and saying goodbye to Mayo. To see what it means to those people is just unbelievable.

Q: And in the midst of all that, chairman Seamus Tuohy passed away

AM: Seamus, again, what he did for me after the Roscommon game, he literally just had a quiet word, silent leadership again. That's the way he led. It was quiet and he didn't want to be part of it.

Just a really, really good fella. I can't talk highly enough of Seamus. Humility, pride of Mayo, just wanted to work, get stuck in and was willing to.

I went to the county board with some crazy ideas, there’s no point lying about it. Some of them were crazy. The ones that he thought were good, he’d advise and lead. We miss him. We've missed him every day since.

He probably had three weeks of enjoying it after the All-Ireland, and then was out of commission just with illness. We missed him along the way. To be able to pick up the phone, ring, get a bit of advice. Great guy. Comes from a great club and great family. He's left a great legacy behind him.

Q: You obviously have an eye on 2027 already. What do you think of the potential rule changes that might be coming?

AM: I'm not against any rule change, that's what I'd say. But I'm against rule changes at this time. I think in 18 months, 24 months, yes, brilliant.

People are talking well about the four-point goal and I get that, but if you change the dynamic of the scoreboard in Gaelic Football, that's a massive change.

The biggest change that has ever come into the game is the 11 up rule and what you've seen now with the scores is that the scores now have started balancing each other out.

We lost an All-Ireland against Dublin 1-17 to 1-16 in 2017 and it was the greatest game of football I've ever played in, but this final was 1-20 to 1-17. There wasn't much difference.

The scores now are beginning to even themselves out. It's not these 1-30’s, 1-35’s that we thought, but you have to give that time to bed in.

I think all the rule changes are not all bad, but not now. I actually can't see the point why we're even trialling rules at the minute.

We had a monumental game of football. You see how exciting that was, we're sitting here, we're just after watching the Davitts v Ballinrobe game. Davitts scored 23 points. The game is in an unbelievable position and in such a healthy state.

And yes, you should examine them and you should trial and you should, of course. But the timing has to be right and the timing at this point for me is all wrong. It really is. People are on about the fisted point, I think there's a skill in the fisted point.

I think eventually we will probably go to a four point goal, but you have to think what's the consequence then to one-pointers? Does one point become insignificant if you do that?

And that's the key thing here for me. It's like we need more goals, I think somebody did an article a couple of weeks ago. More goals, more goal chances than ever before in the game.

People aren't turning down goals here, do you know what I mean? And a goal is still such an important part of the game. But we just need to be very, very careful.

Q: There's more noise about AFL now again with Finbarr Roarty, any more thoughts on that?

AM: Yeah, I suppose we had an early education to it with Pearce Hanley going back at the end of 2007, and it was devastating. To this day I actually think about what we could have done with our club if Pearce stayed around. He was the best player we ever produced in our club. Make no mistake about that.

The fact that he didn't play for Mayo doesn't change that. He was the best player to ever come out of our club and he was gone and we never got him back. And people say, ‘oh Finbarr is young and he's this.’ You go out there, you have a career till 31, 32 and it’s hard for you then to come back.

Your life's set down and it's...I was always looking at Finbarr and I have to say, how were they not picking him? Myself and Colm often had the conversation, because we were obviously decimated with Oisín going and Kobe going.

But we were always looking at Finbarr and saying, how were they not picking him? But obviously there were conversations going on, and he has all the credentials to go and do well in the game.

But what a loss to the sport, and honestly now, and I'm not just saying that. I'm an opposition manager to Donegal, but what a loss to the game.

To me, he's one of the most fantastic players I've ever seen playing Gaelic football. And it's such a shame to see him leaving our sport, but that's the world we live in at the minute, and the same with Oisín and Kobe. It's just a shame not to be seeing these guys playing the game.