AFTER giving three years of his life to managing his county, the least Kevin McStay deserved was a fond farewell.
The manner in which Mayo GAA has managed their affairs in recent times has drawn criticism from many quarters, so it was not a massive surprise to see how they handled McStay’s departure.
Still, it is hard to make sense of why they were in such a rush to part company with a man who is obviously going through a challenging time personally.
Due to his health situation, the likelihood is that McStay would not have been in a position to continue in the role for a fourth season anyway.
But justifying such a hasty decision on those grounds — and the curt statement that was subsequently issued — missed the point.
With Mayo still licking their wounds after having their season harpooned just ten days earlier, was there really a need to put the boot into the management so soon?
The gentlemanly thing would have been to sit down with McStay, talk through the last three years and engage on what would be best for the future of Mayo football. Mayo GAA bosses are entitled to feel that the time had come to move in a different direction.
Equally, the management were entitled to be treated with more respect.
McStay is a passionate Mayo man who took on the job with the best of intentions.
And he will feel more disappointed than anybody that his tenure did not yield more success.
But it should not be forgotten that his reign brought a National League title.
Championship wins over Kerry in Killarney and Galway in Salthill were no mean feats either.
His successor is sure to discover how difficult a job it is to manage Mayo. In many ways, it is the hardest one in Gaelic football because it comes with expectations that are not rooted in any kind of reality.
Anything less than an All-Ireland will not satisfy Mayo fans — but their best chances of achieving that are behind them at this stage.
If I had aspirations of being involved in inter-county management, the Mayo gig is one I would not go near.
With that in mind, one can only admire McStay for his efforts.
But the events of the last few days would suggest that he is better off without it.
I wish him all the best for a happy and healthy future.
