Longford man who was in Croke Park in '51 returns for Mayo's magical All Ireland win
Michael Fitzmaurice attended Mayo’s last and historic 1951 All-Ireland win when he was just eight years old and 75 years later he returned to Croke Park with his grandson Cillian Dennigan.
A Longford town man with strong Mayo family connections who attended Mayo’s 1951 All-Ireland final triumph returned to Croke Park last Sunday with his grandson for a special and unforgettable day.
At eight years old Michael Fitzmaurice attended Mayo’s last and historic 1951 All-Ireland win, the second time in a row the team won the top prize in Gaelic football and the match became a 'cherished lifelong memory'.
Seventy-five years later, Michael returned to Croke Park, this time alongside his grandson, Cillian Dennigan to witness another unforgettable day in Mayo football.
Michael and Cillian were both absolutely delighted after the big win last Sunday as they posed happily together for a photo to mark the memorable occasion.
While Michael was born and raised in Longford town on Centenary square, his father hailed from Ballyhaunis, Mayo and Michael was always an avid Mayo supporter.
Michael waited a long time for this and at 83 years of age he finally saw Mayo win again after 11 heartbreaking final losses.
Mayo won their third All-Ireland SFC title when they defeated Meath by 2-08 to 0-9 in 1951.
They lost 11 and drew two matches in 13 subsequent All Ireland finals between 1989 and 2021 before their incredible win last Sunday.