Former Dundalk FC favourite Mountney expects close Louth-Mayo clash
Former Lilywhites star Mountney backs his home county at Croke Park
Former Dundalk FC ace, John Mountney, will have mixed emotions when Mayo and Louth GAA meet in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship semi-final in Croke Park on Saturday.
The 33-year-old has strong connections to both counties, having spent more than a decade with the Lilywhites where he won several major honours, he is married to Dundalk native Shannon, and the couple have a young daughter.
The Bohola man admits he now feels at home in both counties but says there is only one team he can support on Saturday evening as he prepares to watch the game with locals in his pub, the Village Inn, in Bohola.
He told the Dundalk Democrat, “You’re correct. I’ve nearly spent as much time in Dundalk as I have back home in Bohola at this stage.
“But for me it’ll be the green and red I’ll be cheering on come Saturday, then my wife, of course, will be cheering on Louth, and our daughter – flip of a coin we’ll have to get her a half Louth, half Mayo jersey.”
He has been impressed by Louth's rise in recent seasons and expects very little to separate the teams.
“Well, it has been great to see Louth doing so well in recent years in Gaelic. They’ve been the underdog in a lot of games, and they’ve come out on the right side of it, which is great.
“I imagine Mayo will be slight favourites going into the game, but there will be nothing between the two teams on the day.
“But it will have to be Mayo for me; I will be back home in the pub in Bohola pouring pints for the locals while the game is on. So, it will be all about a Mayo win for us.”
With his wife Shannon supporting the Wee County, he says there hasn't been too much rivalry at home since the semi-final draw was made.
“No, there has not been too much rivalry. Like that, Shannon is clear that she obviously wants to see Louth doing well, and of course, for myself we want to see Mayo doing well, all my friends and family back home.
“It will be a cracking game. Two counties, whoever gets to the final, I think the neutral will be happy to see, so it will be a good day. I suppose where we’ve come to meeting halfway is putting a half-and-half jersey on our daughter for the game.
“Then we will see who gets to the final, and we might have to throw on that jersey for the final. So, it’ll be a good game, and we are all looking forward to it.”
Having lived in both Mayo and Louth, Mountney has experienced firsthand the passion for sport in the two counties.
“Although both Louth and Mayo are big into their sports. Gaelic would be the number one sport in Mayo; it’s like a second religion.
“Whereas in County Louth there’s probably a good GAA following but also a big football following as well, having two League of Ireland clubs in County Louth.
“Of course, Mayo are hoping to enter their first year in football in Division Three next year, so that’ll be big for Mayo as well.”
Mountney expects a number of players to have a major say on Saturday.
“Well, both teams have players that can definitely make the difference. The main players are obviously Sam Mulroy, coming up with big moments all of the time for Louth.
“Then another good player has been Ciarán Byrne, who has come back very good for a man who has overcome the injuries that he has had, and he is a very good athlete as well and had some big scores for County Louth, and along with a few others.
“For Mayo, you’re looking at their main man being, for one, being so young, Kobe McDonald, Ciarán McDonald’s son, who was a touch of class as well.
“So, we will be hoping that he is on his game, but also, we have other forwards as well that are good, the likes of Ryan O’Donoghue. Hopefully it will be a good entertaining match, a lot of good forward players on display for both teams.
“My prediction is that it is going to be a very tight game, but I am going to have to go with Mayo to win by two points.”