And so it continues, Mayo’s agony that is. Another one-point defeat in an All-Ireland final. The 2017 loss is perhaps the most gut-wrenching. Stephen Rochford’s men did a lot of things right against Dublin but still couldn’t seal the deal.
What more can you say? Including replays, the Green and Red have appeared in 11 All-Ireland finals since 1989. It’s an impressive strike rate of appearances, yet tellingly it's a chronicle of much heartache.
At the Mayo banquet last night, Cillian O'Connor insisted that their resolve won't wilt.
"Moving forward into the future we are going to continue to fight the good fight," he told the faithful.
Irish Examiner columnist Kieran Shannon is also a sports performance coach . He worked with the Mayo team under James Horan.
Speaking on Morning Ireland, the disappointment in Shannon’s voice is clear as he reflects on another final day disappointment for the Connacht county.
"As much as it is a cliche, they will learn that bit more from this latest defeat"
"They’ll be absolutely devastated; the pain is more keenly felt when you lose a final rather than say a quarter-final," he said.
"I've been with those players in 2012 and 2013. In ’12, they were merely starting out. In ’13 the defeat to Dublin (another one-point loss) was devastating. Four years on and the pain goes on. It’s rough."
When asked what Mayo can do to get past these setbacks and win, Shannon replied: "The simple answer is they just have to go again. They'll be a Mayo team out in the championship in 2018, like 31 other counties.
"It will be a really tough winter but they'll gather around. They love playing football and love playing for their county. The thing that will sustain them is that next year it will be Dublin, Kerry and Mayo that will be there again. It’s easier for Mayo to go again than for 28 or 29 other counties. Who knows where we'll be in 12 months time?
While Mayo management will not want to hear this now, Shannon believes the side can take the many positives from Sunday’s loss and the championship as a whole.
"As much as it is a cliche, they will learn that bit more from this latest defeat," he added.
"When you look at the year as a whole they can take a lot from it. They beat Kerry in the championship after a long gap. The bond between them and their supporters went to another level this year.
"They will go again. It's as simple as that. Mayo are relentless, just as Dublin are. It wouldn't surprise me if the two teams are in next year's final.
"Dublin are the top team in the country and have the edge over Mayo at the moment. It's about bridging that gap."
