Mayo's Fergal Boland aiming for final glory with Tooreen
Michael Bolton
Finals in Croke Park have not gone the way of Mayo sides in the past, but Fergal Boland hopes to turn it around with Tooreen.
Tooreen face Upperchurch-Drombane of Tipperary in the All-Ireland intermediate final, as they return to the biggest stage following their final defeat in 2023.
The story of the small village in Mayo has been one of huge progress.
They are currently five-in-a-row Mayo champions and have collected four of the last five provincial titles.
For Boland and Tooreen, an All-Ireland is the missing piece they hope to lift on Saturday.
"When you get to an All-Ireland final, you are always trying to deliver. We try to think of it not so much as a burden, but an opportunity to perform on the big day.
"There's going to be life after this as well. Obviously, winning on Saturday would be unbelievable, but I suppose we're looking at it more as an opportunity, as opposed to a weight on our shoulders.
"I suppose we always have a big focus in the group on our own standards and trying to perform. If that's good enough, that will hopefully get us over the line."
In 2023, Tooreen came up just short against Monaleen, with the Limerick side edging them out 1-17 to 1-15.
Thankfully, the team stuck together in the years that followed, with a mix of youth and experience key to their success.
"The dressing room is kind of the same players, but more so, the younger lads have stepped up into more leadership roles in the team.
"So I think we're in a really good position with a really good mix of young lads coming through.
"We've three or four lads that are just out of minor, and they are contributing to the team, and the likes of Stephen Coyne and Joe Boyle, older lads who are still playing unbelievable hurling. So I think we've really good mix."
Boland has been involved in some huge days with Mayo, both as a footballer and hurler through the years.
As one of the few dual players left in the game, he will be looking forward to playing under Andy Moran, having been encouraged by the training sessions they have had so far.
For now, all focus is on Saturday, as he praised the management, which has allowed him to pursue both football and hurling.
"To be honest, I love it. I know it's it can be tough on the body at times. I suppose you need good management teams, working together to give you rest days and stuff like that.
"Whether you play a good or bad one game, you have another game coming 24 hours later. I find them a great release for each other.
"They're a nice reset. I think they keep the freshness in both sports. So you're not worn out with one sport. It keeps you mentally fresh as well.
Both the hurling and football, especially the clubs, both management teams want the best players playing.
They want to get the best out of the group. So it's in fairness to them, they've been, you know, they've been really good to us in the last few years. It's about five or six of us who play both.
