The death of Mayo star Pádraig Carney was announced on Sunday.

Carney, given the moniker of the ‘The Flying Doctor’ as he was practising medicine in the US and was flown home for the 1954 national league final, had been a part of the side to win the All-Ireland in 1950 and 1951, the latter famously being the last of the county’s three titles. The Swinford native was one of two surviving members of the 1951 team, with Paddy Prendergast now the only remaining player from that side.

The 1951 team has notoriety now because of an apparent curse placed on them. The story goes that they celebrated a bit too boisterously, so much so that a funeral in Foxford was disrupted and a priest declared that Mayo wouldn’t win Sam Maguire again until all of the team had died.

When Clare won the 1995 All-Ireland hurling, we were told that the Curse of Biddy Early had lifted. Go back further, though, and apparently it was Galway hurlers who had been cursed by the herbalist, who apparently was a good woman who provided cures for people free of charge. Why she bothered cursing sporting teams, we don’t know – especially as she died in the 1870s, before the GAA was even formed.

We can assume that the curse is little more than folklore, but it will linger until Mayo do actually go all the way.

If that is to be this year, it’ll have to be via the back door because, for the fourth straight year, they aren’t part of the Connacht final.

Instead, it’s Galway and the Rossies going at it for the fourth straight year, with the Tribesmen leading the series 2-1, having won in 2016 (after a replay) and 2018, with Roscommon triumphant in 2017. However, the regional rivalry hasn’t been a springboard for a national impact – Galway reached the All-Ireland semi-final last year, losing by nine points to Dublin, but they were the first non-Mayo Connacht side to make the last four since 2001. That was when John O’Mahony led Galway to a second All-Ireland in four years (with a losing final in between), while Roscommon haven’t made the semis since 1991. Not that past disappointments will be to the forefront of supporters’ minds in Pearse Stadium on Sunday.

Roscommon certainly weren’t inhibited by their long run without a win in MacHale Park as they beat Mayo by a point last month. And, even though the impetus provided by the first-half goals from Cathal Cregg and Ultan Hanley was wiped out by a second-half Mayo revival, Fintan Cregg was on hand to kick the late winning point.

Former Kerry underage star Conor Cox has been a valuable addition to Anthony Cunningham’s side and, while they will go in as underdogs, they won’t be fearful of their hosts.

There is a large carrot for the winners in terms of direct passage to the Super 8 – and a home tie in their first game there – as well as a month to prepare. Galway have the added incentive of trying to win back-to-back Connacht titles for the first time since 2003.

Having become a more durable and hard-to-beat outfit under Kevin Walsh, their challenge has been to try to re-inject more of the traditional Galway footballing qualities, as exemplified by Corofin. A 3-11 to 0-7 win over Sligo pointed to promise in that regard, with seven different scorers including goals from Liam Silke, Martin Farragher and Johnny Heaney.

Sunday will present a tougher test again and it may not be free-flowing, but it will almost certainly be intriguing.

Hurling championship permutations

You don’t need a doctorate to be on top of the various permutations for the Leinster and Munster hurling championships ahead of this weekend’s final round of games, but it certainly helps. For ease of mind, here’s your cut-out and keep guide for what each county needs:

Leinster

• Galway (5pts): While they currently top the table, defeat to Dublin would eliminate them but a win or a draw would earn a place in the final.

• Kilkenny (4pts): The avoidance of defeat against Wexford will put them in the final and they are guaranteed a place in the All-Ireland series.

• Wexford (4pts): A defeat to Kilkenny wouldn’t be fatal if Galway beat Dublin, while a win will see them in the decider.

• Dublin (3pts): A win at home to Galway will put them in the Leinster final unless Kilkenny and Wexford draw, in which case the Dubs would need an eight-point victory.

Munster

• Tipperary (6pts): Almost impossible for them not to be in the final.

• Cork (4pts): Could survive with defeat to Clare, but a win will see them progress and reach the Munster final, unless Limerick beat Tipperary, in which case they would be third.

• Limerick (4pts): Already 99.9% through to the latter stages, a win over Tipp would put them in the final.

• Clare (2pts): Have to beat Cork to have any hope of progressing to the All-Ireland series. Coupled with a Limerick win they will progress. An awful score difference makes this the Banner’s only real hope.

Women’s World Cup getting the exposure it deserves

Sometimes, it seems as if there is more in the media about how women’s sports deserve more coverage than actual coverage of women’s sports, but RTÉ and TG4 deserve praise for the decision to show all of the games from the Women’s World Cup.

More than six million people in the UK watched Sunday’s clash of England and Scotland despite it not being in a primetime slot and it will be interesting to see how the figures hold as the competition progresses.

It’s beyond obvious that easier access to something will make it more popular and young girls will only have female sporting heroes they want to emulate if they are able to see them.