No way back with Mayo for Cora Staunton

Mayo ladies football legend Cora Staunton doesn’t expect to play for the county again.

No way back with Mayo for Cora Staunton

Mayo ladies football legend Cora Staunton doesn’t expect to play for the county again.

The All-Star forward was among 12 players to walk out of the Mayo camp this summer, in a dispute with manager Peter Leahy's methods that still rumbles on.

And Staunton, who has played with the county for 24 years, can’t see a way back.

“No, I can’t see myself playing for Mayo again,” she said on last night's Late Late Show.

“I’m blessed. I’ve played for Mayo for 24 years. There’s not many people can say they played for their county that long.

“Every year when you get older, I’m 36, you have to take every year as it comes.

“I can’t say I’d love to be playing for Mayo in two years’ time, because my body mightn’t be able.

“I’d probably made the decision before I went back this year that this was going to be my last year in any event.”

Staunton explained again why the players, including eight from her club Carnacon, left the Mayo setup.

“The main reason I walked out was because of the treatment of my friends and my teammates.

“I couldn’t stand by and watch that. It’s an amateur sport and we can walk away from it an any time.

“We weren’t happy with the environment we were in and we decided, you know what... I’ve always said to myself, when I’m not enjoying

something, when my body isn’t able to do it any more, I’m not going to play any more. And I decided in early June to walk away from Mayo.

“It wasn’t an easy decision. I’ve played for Mayo the last 24 years. It was a very difficult decision.”

Asked why the rest of the Mayo panel were happy with Leahy’s management, Staunton said:

The environment can be good for some people and it mightn’t be so good for other people. But it’s really not my story to tell.

“There’s 12 players and two members of management who walked away. While it was hugely disappointing, and it’s got massive media attention the last number of months, it’s been a difficult couple of months.

“But we’ve come out the other side of it. I’m focused on my county final Sunday with Carnacon and my journey back to Australia in a few weeks.”

more courts articles

Man appears in court charged with false imprisonment of woman in van Man appears in court charged with false imprisonment of woman in van
Man in court over alleged false imprisonment of woman Man in court over alleged false imprisonment of woman
Coronation Street actor William Roache (91) given three months to settle tax debt Coronation Street actor William Roache (91) given three months to settle tax debt

More in this section

Wexford v Kildare - Dioralyte O'Byrne Cup Quarter-Final 36-year-old Ben Brosnan reaches another milestone for Wexford
Cavan v Wicklow - Allianz Football League Division 3 Relegation Play-Off Relegation in GAA: Soul-destroying or a blessing in disguise?
St Attracta's Community School v Ursuline Secondary School - Lidl LGFA All-Ireland Post Primary School Senior B Championship Fin Lavin goals help St Attracta’s Tubbercurry past Ursulines Thurles
Sport Push Notifications

By clicking on 'Sign Up' you will be the first to know about our latest and best sporting content on this browser.

Sign Up
Sport
Newsletter

Latest news from the world of sport, along with the best in opinion from our outstanding team of sports writers

Sign up
Cookie Policy Privacy Policy Brand Safety FAQ Help Contact Us Terms and Conditions

© Examiner Echo Group Limited