What do a former US president, the Canadian prime minister and two of the world’s biggest rock stars have in common?

They’re all celebrating after their Irish county Mayo overcame a 75-year-old ‘curse’ and finally broke its barren run in one of Ireland’s biggest sporting occasions.

Victory in the Gaelic Athletic Association’s (GAA) All-Ireland Senior Football final had eluded Mayo for over seven decades until Sunday, when they overcame reigning champions Kerry.

The celebrations have gone far beyond the county in the west of Ireland, which is home to just 137,000 people but boasts some very famous exports.

The chant “Mayo for Sam” is well known in GAA circles, but three years ago it garnered its most famous endorsement yet – the president of the United States.

It was shouted by Joe Biden as he visited his ancestral home in Ballina.

The Sam to which he was referring is the Sam Maguire Cup – the prize for winning the All-Ireland Football final.

Biden, who left office in January 2025 when Donald Trump became president, has never been shy about his Irish roots.

With two great-grandparents coming from Ireland, he is one of the most Irish presidents in history.

And on Sunday, Biden took to social media to celebrate Mayo’s victory.

He congratulated the team on their win, proclaimed that the people of Mayo had earned the victory and reminded them to “enjoy every minute”.

And, of course, he repeated the all-important words: “Mayo for Sam!”

For some, Mayo’s failure to win an All-Ireland football title for decades was proof of a curse dating all the way back to the early 1950s.

It was in Ballina where, almost 100 years after Biden’s ancestors had fled the devastating Irish potato famine, a supposed curse was placed on the Mayo Gaelic football team.

The story – or myth – goes, that following their last win in 1951 the Mayo team’s boisterous celebrations on an open-back lorry interrupted a funeral in the village of Foxford.

The presiding priest is said to have laid a curse that Mayo would not win an All-Ireland title while any member of that team was alive.

And despite reaching the final eleven times in the years to follow, they failed to win it.

In April 2023, the last member of the Mayo 1951 panel, Dr Mick Loftus, passed away.

Sean McAndrew, whose father John played for both the 1950 and 1951 winning Mayo teams, said it was “amazing” to watch the county reclaim the All-Ireland title.

Sean said that although his dad moved moved to Birmingham, England, in 1960, he always kept up to date with the team.

“Mayo probably has one of the highest emigrant populations across the world and a lot of people see the GAA as their connection to home.”

John McAndrew passed away in 2013 and Sean said it would have meant a lot to him to see Mayo win again.

“It’s all he ever wanted and you could see the disappointment each time that they failed.”

Sean said there was “no talk” of a curse for the first few years after Mayo last won in 1951, “but then I think people got suspicious when good teams weren’t progressing”.

He added that his dad was a “quiet, level-headed” man who didn’t talk much about the curse, but had said he “couldn’t recall” the supposed incident involving a funeral.

Sean said he has always taken talk about a curse in “good humour”.

On a Sunday afternoon in July 2026, Biden’s words finally came true.

The long wait for the county’s fourth All-Ireland title was over and the Sam Maguire trophy would be heading for Mayo.

It was an intense final that went down to the wire at a raucous Croke Park in Dublin.

Mayo suffered a slow start, but they bounced back and a late score from Tommy Conroy sealed a famous win in front of a sold-out 82,300 crowd.

The celebrations were loud, emotional and global.

Oasis frontmen Liam and Noel Gallagher are not exactly known for agreeing on much, but they both took to social media platform X on Sunday evening to celebrate Mayo’s win.

Their mother Peggy’s family hails from Mayo and the Gallagher brothers spent many summers staying with their Irish relatives.

“Finally!! Up Mayo!!,” Noel posted, while Liam shared his congratulations, adding he was “very proud”.

Irish rugby legend Brian O’Driscoll and the golfer Shane Lowry also posted on social media celebrating the win.

O’Driscoll said: “What a ballsy win for Mayo after that Kerry start – considering their final history. The whole country outside of The Kingdom shouting for them! Won’t be a cow milked etc etc… Enjoy the celebrations.”

The Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney posted he is “proud to have roots in County Mayo”.

Former footballer Kevin Kilbane, who won 110 caps for the Republic of Ireland, also paid tribute to the team saying: “This was way more more than just a win to the people of Mayo!”

Although he was born and grew up in England, Kilbane posted on X about the “deep love for Mayo GAA” which had been “passed down through generations”.

He said many had lived their whole lives without ever seeing an All-Ireland win for their county, including his own father Patrick who was born just days after the 1951 victory.

Kilbane added: “To a county decimated with emigration for centuries but always having a love for home. This one is for its people.”

The Gallagher brothers were not the only siblings celebrating on Sunday.

On the pitch were Kobe McDonald and Jordan Flynn.

At only 18 years old, McDonald made his senior football debut for Mayo in February this year.

He was following in the footsteps of not only his half-brother Flynn, but also his dad Ciarán McDonald, who represented the county in three All-Ireland finals.

“It’s surreal, we don’t know how to feel,” McDonald said on the GAA Social.

“To look around and see the people, they have given us so much over the years and to give them something proper to shout about is special.”

When asked if he knew what lay ahead in the celebrations, he added: “I don’t, but I can’t wait to find out.

“We’ll soak it in and enjoy it.”

In May 2026, Arsenal won the Premier League title. It had been 22 years.

In June 2026, the New York Knicks won the NBA championship. It had been 53 years.

For Mayo fans, the wait had been even longer. And the celebrations are only just beginning.