Kerry and Mayo meet in the All-Ireland football final with sharply contrasting but equally painful histories on Gaelic football’s biggest stage. Kerry are the competition’s most successful county with 39 titles, yet have also lost more finals than anyone else, while Mayo are seeking to end a 75-year wait for an All-Ireland triumph and escape the weight of repeated final defeats.

Mayo have lost 11 finals since winning their third title in 1951, including defeats to Cork in 1989, Meath after a replay in 1996, and Kerry in 1997, 2004 and 2006. Their long drought has fuelled the enduring, unverified story of a priest’s “curse” following the 1951 team’s celebrations, while Kerry’s victories over Mayo helped establish a modern rivalry between the counties.