By Hannah McNally
My name is Hannah McNally, and I am going into my junior year at SUNY Oneonta, majoring in Digital and Studio Art with a concentration in photography. As a passionate sports photographer, I currently intern with the Oneonta Sports Department, capturing everything from fast-paced soccer matches to behind-the-scenes moments of athletic life. Soccer has always been central in my life. I have just completed my second year playing for the SUNY Oneonta Women’s Soccer Team and have been on the field since the age of four. Outside of academics and sports, I enjoy diving into creative photo projects, spending time with my family, and exploring stories that connect people across cultures. My Irish heritage and lifelong fascination with storytelling through images have inspired me to embark on a journey that brings together my love for soccer, photography, and cultural exploration.
The focus of my upcoming project is an investigation, through photography, into the so-called “Mayo curse” in Irish football. According to Irish folklore, after Mayo’s All-Ireland Championship win in 1951, the team disrespected a funeral procession in Foxford, prompting a priest to place a curse on them, saying they would never win another title until every member of that team had passed away. Over 70 years later, the curse remains a powerful narrative among Mayo supporters.
I grew up hearing about this story from my cousin Grace and her family, who have roots in the village of Pulraddy in County Mayo. Her father, who grew up on a dairy farm there, often told tales of the Mayo football team’s heartbreak and the near-misses that seemed to haunt every season. These stories were more than just anecdotes—they were passed down like family folklore, filled with emotion, pride, and a kind of communal hope that maybe one day, the curse would be lifted. Even as a child, I could sense how deeply this narrative was embedded in the culture of Mayo and how much it meant to the people connected to it. That early exposure stayed with me and has shaped my desire to explore how this shared belief influences identity, passion, and perseverance within Irish football culture.
I will explore this story by photographing and interviewing fans, players, and locals, both in County Mayo and Dublin, to understand how belief in the curse still shapes the culture around Gaelic football. My research questions include: “How do people interpret the curse today?”, “What drives such strong fan loyalty?”, and “Does the myth affect the way players train and perform?” I’ll start my travels in Dublin, visiting iconic sites like Croke Park and St. Patrick’s Cathedral before taking the train west to County Mayo, where I’ll stay in Westport, meet extended family, and conduct the bulk of my interviews and photography sessions.
As I prepare to head to Ireland, I’m most looking forward to seeing the places I’ve heard about in family stories and meeting the people who keep the spirit of Mayo football alive, curse or no curse. I’m especially excited to photograph the emotional connection between fans and their team, capturing that intensity through portraits and matchday scenes. What I’m most unsure about is how people will respond to being asked about something as sensitive and culturally charged as the curse, especially from someone with an outsider’s perspective. But I plan to approach every conversation with curiosity, respect, and a camera ready to tell their story with honesty. I know this experience will deepen my connection to my heritage, sharpen my photography skills, and contribute to a broader understanding of how myth, sport, and identity intertwine in modern Ireland.
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