Joe Biden was in his hometown as part of his four-day tour in Ireland when he ended his speech with the sporting shout-out, “Mayo for Sam”, whose meaning we have explained below.
The President of the United States has embraced his Irish ancestry on every possible occasion. Meanwhile, during his latest visitation, the POTUS made a reference to a supposed curse that has had a crippling effect on his hometown football team for years, as the legend holds.
Joe Biden‘s tour was packed with many emotional moments, including his encounter with the priest who give his son Beau the last rites.
Meaning of ‘Mayo for Sam’ explained
If you’re for the meaning of Joe’s words, ‘Mayo for Sam’ was a reference to the Sam Mcguire cup that Mayo players last won in 1951, before being cursed by a local priest.
Since 1989, Mayo has lost 11 titles and six of them in the last decade alone, as Reuter reports.
Joe’s parting words, “Oh one more thing. Mayo for Sam! Mayo for Sam!”, were the President wishing his hometown team the best in the new football championship.
The crowd burst into cheers as the POTUS raised his fist in the air while saying the words aloud.
What is the ‘Curse of Mayo’?
The Mayo team is believed to be affected by a curse that was cast on it years ago, by an enraged priest.
As the myth goes, it was September 23, 1951, and Mayo had won the All-Ireland senior football championship final after defeating country Meath in Croke Park stadium in Dublin.
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The day went on to become one of the most prominent occasions in the history of Ireland and the victorious players were on a truck on their way back to Mayo when they passed a church where a funeral was being conducted in the village for Foxford.
The players apparently did not pay their respects by getting out of the vehicle, when a livid priest cursed them saying: “For as long as you all live, Mayo won’t win another All-Ireland.”
Since then, Mayo County hasn’t witnessed a single Sam Cup despite producing great teams and thus, the pursuit for the coveted trophy continues.
Is Joe Biden Irish?
It seems like people are learning about Joe’s ancestry following his visit to Ireland. Both his parents were of Irish descent. He has also been inducted into Irish America’s Hall Of Fame
The President’s mother’s family comes from the town of Dundalk and his ancestors are believed to have migrated to the United States to evade famine.
He declared he was “home” during his tour and even joked about his forefathers making the wrong decision by leaving the country.
“I don’t know why the hell my ancestors left here. It’s beautiful,” he said.
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