Colin Sheridan: Kevin McStay departure brings as many questions as answers

Irish Examiner

2 days ago

The treachery of Fredo Corleone in Godfather II. Lando Carissian's betrayal of Han Solo in the Empire Strikes Back. Hans, the Charming Prince, double-crossing Anna in Frozen. The older I get the wiser I am to the fact it's not Homer and Shakespeare movie-makers have been imitating off all this time, it's Mayo football politics. Even when the obvious happens - such as the departure of Kevin McStay from his managerial position - it somehow evokes whispers of 'Et tu, Brute?'. Such has been the back-catalogue of mishandled appointments, dismissals, and financial philanderings, everything - from the magical to the mundane - becomes bigger news than it ever needs to be.
Let's begin at the end. On Wednesday night, the County Executive released a statement advising that a decision had been made to 'relieve Kevin McStay and his management team from their roles with the Mayo Senior Football Team with immediate effect.' The press release went on - with, some might argue, notable brevity - to thank Team McStay for their service. If a non-native English speaker reading this statement was immediately questioned as to whether it achieved its objective, I'm guessing they would say that it did. Somebody had a job. It didn't go great. They were let-go from said job. That information was communicated to all concerned.
Alas, this is Mayo and this is the GAA, and still waters run friggin deep. The critical word in the executives farewell was the 'relieve' part. Nobody wants to be relieved of their command, so when you are, it's almost always under protest. In the GAA, where legacy bloodlines run like streams down Nephin, you are usually first offered the opportunity to honourably discharge yourself when your services are no longer required. This negates the possibility of any ugly power struggle. It should prevent, too, the airing of dirty laundry. We tried. It didn't work. We're all sorry it didn't work. Time to move on etc. This course of action pushes the postmortems to the high-stool over winter. At worst, an ill-advised biography rushed out in time for Christmas. At best, the circulation of unprovable scenarios on whatsapp groups. Bottom line, when something isn't working, and the Kevin McStay/Mayo combination was just not working, the end is sadly inevitable.
What is telling at this early juncture is that McStay did not step down himself. Three years, three rather tepid championship exits, it would be difficult for him to make a case the fourth year he signed up for, especially as his own involvement this summer ended in him stepping back due to health concerns. It goes without saying that no pursuit of glory, especially one as emotionally charged as Mayo's - is worth risking one's health.
Loss to Donegal in the All-Ireland was the final nail in the coffin for McStay, it would seem. File picture: Seb Daly/Sportsfile
Everything, then, pointed to him ending his involvement under its current conditions. That he didn't do so himself poses three questions: was he afforded the opportunity to do so first? If not, why not? And, if he was, and he eschewed the chance to step away of his own volition, what alternative did the Mayo County Executive have other than to issue a statement announcing they were parting ways if they believed the partnership untenable? Yes, they could've been more effusive in their thanks, more hyperbolic in their praise, but if they had already broached the subject and still, no resignation was forthcoming, one could forgive them for ripping the bandaid off, especially since they are already behind in their hunt for a new manager.
We all leave jobs. I left the army after 26 years during which I was nearly killed a couple of times and far from being clapped out the door, the only communication I received was an angry text from a disgruntled quartermaster looking for my kit back. I would imagine my experience is true for most of us.
McStay has not sought any praise for his role, nor has he criticised the nature of his exit (yet), so - and I understand the hypocritical ice I tread on here - there is a chance this uncoupling is a polite and courteous one. It'd be an outlier if it was, but stranger things have happened, especially in Mayo. The facts are that he was a desirable and popular candidate with an excellent CV who was appointed to win an All-Ireland. Mayo won a National League in his first season, before a forgettable loss to Dublin later in the summer. Derry defeated them at home in a preliminary quarter final last year. The chaotic nature of their loss to Donegal two weeks ago served as an allegory of the inconsistency of his tenure.
Undoubtedly, he was unlucky; trying to win an All Ireland with a squad so clearly in transition was an incredibly difficult thing to do, but those were the terms of his employment. Cillian O' Connor's curious sabbatical, and a stacked backroom team that included another recent Mayo manager in Stephen Rochford, added layers of intrigue to a story that never needed them. So much has happened it's easy to forget the departure of Liam MacHale from his staff after just one season, an exit made all the more unexpected by the closeness of their relationship.
The County Executive's reputation for ineptitude may be well earned, but it is hard to see any other way this scenario played out, especially if Kevin McStay was offered the chance to leave on his terms, but chose not to. Whatever happened, he is gone, and his departure brings as many questions as answers.
And so, Mayo start again, again. Experience, Julius Caesar said, is the teacher of all things. Let us see if the battered bastards of Gaelic Football have finally learned something.