Losing an All-Ireland final will leave a mark on a person, nevermind the four David Brady lost with Mayo.
During his time playing intercounty football, he was part of Mayo teams that lost the All-Ireland football final in 1996, 1997, 2004 and 2006.
Speaking exclusively in the Off The Ball studio on Tuesday, Brady looked back on his career for Laochra Gael and he gave a glimpse into the resilience of his mindset and how he bounced back from those final defeats.
Despite the disappointment that comes with missing out on a Celtic cross medal and Mayo’s infamous curse enduring, Brady explained how he was able to move on from each loss quickly.
“It’s not that you’re embarrassed,” said Brady.
“I’ve always been cognisant that I [was never] at the level of Johnny Sexton but what do you think he felt like on Monday?
“Absolutely horrific. And [it is] a disgrace the words that were said about him. But imagine how he feels - and that’s [what it’s like to lose an All-Ireland final].”
“You don’t want to make eye contact, you don’t want to see anyone. You just want to go away, you just want to hide and say sorry,” he said.
For Brady it wasn’t that he had failed to win the biggest game in the intercounty football calendar, it was all the people he thought he let down by not getting over the line.
“It’s just that you feel like you’ve let everybody down,” he sighed.
“This is a different complex altogether but Johnny Sexton knows this too: give me time, give me an opportunity and give me a chance to get back on the bike. And that’s the way I took it,” Brady explained.
At its heart, the GAA is built on a foundation of community, and that community is what enabled Brady to “get back on the bike” as he puts it.
“Get me out, get me on the club team and get me back where I have strength and unity around, and a club.
“That’s the one glorious feeling, it’s the hardest time to put on your boots,” he said.
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