Ominous would have been the word to describe the long-range weather forecast a week ago.

We had been gearing ourselves up for a damp, dreary, dark county final day in MacHale Park, and were wondering if torches would be needed, given that the floodlights are still out of action, a mere ten months after Storm Eowyn wreaked its havoc.

Fortunately, no such measures were called for, and it was jumper-only weather as the sun beamed into the stand on a glorious autumn day, which was matched only by the fare on offer on Sunday.

A double delight of games, with no shortage of talking points. What more could anyone ask for? An excellent cup of tea and a bit of an atmosphere would have been the icing on the cake – and sure enough, both were also duly delivered. Sure, how could the day get any better?

For the North Mayos among us, bringing the Moclair back Moyside for the third time running would have been the cherry on top, but alas, the pleasure was denied - or postponed, depending on one’s optimism levels.

It will certainly be no hardship to make our way back to HQ for another helping of drama on Saturday afternoon.

GRIPPING CONTEST

The difficulty in procuring parking prior to the Intermediate throw-in suggested that the crowds were out in force, and those numbers contributed to a sense of occasion not felt in Castlebar for quite a while.

Usually, we are in situ good and early, but we were probably a bit too relaxed about hitting the road and as a result, were just........

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