The 42FM
The 42FM
The 42
The psychology of Mayo
39 minutes Posted Jul 29, 2026 at 7:43 pm.
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Show notes

On this week’s 42FM, Sinéad O’Carroll is joined by Ian Robertson, a neuroscientist and clinical psychologist, Professor of Psychology at Trinity College Dublin, and author of ‘The Winning Effect’.


In a recent Irish Times article, Professor Robertson explained how Mayo’s approach to historical failures was in direct contrast to that of Thomas Tuchel’s England football team.


But why were their responses to adversity so varied?


How much could be gleaned from Kobe McDonald’s pre-game grin as he and his teammates paraded around the storied ground of Croke Park?


And if the curse of Mayo wasn’t real, might it have had a placebo effect?


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