Sean Rice

Sean Rice grew up in the 1940s and 1950s on the outskirts of Castlebar, a time when Mayo county teams were enjoying unprecedented success in All-Ireland competitions. Rice recalls the informality of the games played in the fields prior to the establishment by the De La Salle brothers of street leagues in the Castlebar area. As a popular pastime, Gaelic football was unchallenged and reasons for this are suggested. Rice began playing junior football for the new Breaffy club in the early 1950s, lining out, with notable success, at minor level for a combined Castlebar team. The toughness of junior football in Mayo in discussed as are the efforts used to fundraise. Rice speaks in stark terms about the impact of emigration on Mayo in the 1950s and how this deprived the county of many talented footballers.