DARREN McHALE’S Mayo pride will never go away after waiting so long for his chance to contribute.
The Knockmore hitman, 30, got the call he craved in 2016 but did not make his SFC debut until 2021.
McHale fired a combined 3-6 against Sligo and Leitrim in Connacht that summer but ultimately sat out the All-Ireland final loss to Tyrone with a foot injury.
A broken hand, ankle and hamstring injuries have hampered him since but he is finally getting a clear run again ahead of their SFC opener against the Yeats men on Sunday.
His battles off the field make life in Green and Red all the sweeter as they look to put Sunday’s NFL Division 1 loss to Kerry behind them.
McHale said: “It is a privilege and honour to be in here. Obviously it is a commitment but it is an honour to be able to take that commitment on.
“It is such a positive environment to be in, the group is so aligned.
“There are not many things in life where you get that full alignment, everyone is going to max out their potential. There is massive power to that.
“I don’t know how many club players are in a county but everyone would love a shot at it. It’s something you do with a great amount of pride.”
McHale was involved in all bar one of Mayo’s eight league games, starting four and coming on three times, including against the Kingdom in the final.
The ace, who has 0-3 to his name in 2025, added: “The starting team and 26 have been changing so much. It’s not a 15-man game — it’s a 40-man thing really. It’s just a matter of keep plugging away and hope you get positive rewards.”
McHale was left out of the squad in 2017 before being summoned again in 2020 as a reward for his strong club form.
He said: “You always have doubts. I was involved with Stephen Rochford in 2016 and then I had three years out when I wasn’t involved, and I was back in from 2020 onwards.
“Those few years, you just try to get back in, try to show you deserve another shot. Obviously you focus on your club when not with the county.
“If that brings a county call, so be it.
“It is a challenging place to be of course, because everyone puts in the same amount of work but it is not a cliche to say those lads are just as important as your top scorers or the player who plays every minute.”
