It’s always interesting to see things through new eyes.

Sometimes it highlights the things we ourselves haven’t seen, or take for granted. That’s exactly what sprung to mind when I recently brought a young Canadian woman to a GAA match.

The place was MacHale Park, Castlebar, home ground of Mayo football, the team that my family and I enthusiastically follow every year.

The game was a preliminary quarter final which saw Mayo take on Cavan. This is a new format for the men’s senior championship, the formula of which even I struggled to explain. It has seen lower attendances at games so unlike previous years, when you’d sell a prize ewe to get your hands on a ticket, there was no problem securing an extra one.

So on a beautiful sunny Mayo evening, I brought Sandeep, duly kitted out in a green and red jersey, to the holy grail of Mayo football.

No segregation

She knew absolutely nothing about Gaelic football. Her only contact to date was watching her boyfriend, my son, shouting at GAAGo in Vancouver when Mayo was playing.

As the match started she had some basic questions – can they run with the ball in their hands? I explained that players can carry the ball for four steps before they must bounce or solo it. Saying it out loud even I wondered about the four step rule and how accurate it could be counted in a fast paced game.

Yet everyone there knew when to shout “he’s carrying” when the four steps were exceeded.

How is the score counted? The difference between goals and points was explained. Then we decided to try and guess the final score. Hers was so high in points that it caused the man in front to comment: “It’s not bloody hurling you know”.

It was an okay game. Not terribly exciting, but importantly, Mayo won.

So what were her comments as we travelled home?

She was initially struck by how it was the same entrance for all fans. No segregation in the stands or anywhere was surprising to her.

The family friendly atmosphere was another positive. Not only did she note there were families with young children but also older men and women with adult children.

The safety of the grounds was commented on as groups of teens hung out together without adults, while at the end of the game hundreds of children ran from parents to invade the pitch and meet their heroes.

The half-time food choice of curry chips and strong tea over alcohol was a first for her.

During half-time, there was a moment that summed up the craic at a GAA match. We had gone to get tea and a few bars of Cadbury’s Wholenut when I discovered I was 60c short. As I rummaged in my pockets for change, a long arm reached out from the queue and put the 60c on the counter.

To the amusement of all present he said: “Never say a Cavan man didn’t give you something.” I did explain why this generated laughter.

As I write this, Mayo are out of the men’s senior championship after losing in a penalty shootout. While disappointed we won’t progress this year, we carry on in the hope that one year we will win.

I am proud of the men and women who don the green and red every year and give us great days out.

I am proud of our national sports and hearing all the positives of the game from an outsider made me even prouder.

Mayo for Sam 2025? You never know.