O’Donoghue, who made his senior inter-county debut in 2020, had enjoyed a superb season for Andy Moran’s side prior to Sunday’s final.
But his indefatigable display – in which he scored 0-5 and launched the move that ended with Darragh Beirne’s 40th-minute goal – has installed him as the frontrunner for the Footballer of the Year award (he would be the first Mayo winner since Moran in 2017).
It would be a remarkable achievement for a multi-talented sportsman, who fought in two All-Ireland boxing finals in his youth and played for the Republic of Ireland soccer team at underage level.
And like so many of his team-mates, Belmullet club-man O’Donoghue was able to savour the epic celebrations at Croke Park with his family, including his father Michael and County Down-born mother Brenda.
“What my mother and father have done for me since I was 11 years of age. Boxing, my dad used to leave at 4 o’clock in the morning to take me to Dublin to the National Stadium for Ireland training,” explained O’Donoghue.
“Up and down the road to Castlebar when I was playing Kennedy Cup with Mayo, up and down the road, under-14, Minor. It’s a long journey from Castlebar to Belmullet.
“My father worked two jobs. I was playing with Sligo Rovers 2014 to 2016. I didn’t get paid, we had to pay our own diesel. There were bills to be paid and my father worked to get me up and down the road to Sligo.
“They’ve given me every opportunity, whether it’s boxing, soccer or Gaelic. This is for them. That’s the pride and the emotions in mum and dad. I’m so happy to have repaid them. There’s been so many sacrifices. I’m so glad we’ve done it.”
