DESPONDENCY rather than despair, but despondency nevertheless, was the prevailing attitude among those who had seen Mayo `choke' once again as the golden apple beckoned.

The All Ireland hurling final had thrown up a contest which set most people on the side of sentimentality and, ergo, on the side of Wexford. Yesterday sentiment wanted Mayo to win. The `it would be great for the game' cliche was trotted out, mostly by people who wouldn't bother going to a match in mid December or in darkest February.

For the loyal supporters of Mayo who have experienced bleak years, this wellmeaning attitude was less than supportive and even less acceptable than the clear determination and loyalty of Meath supporters who had bitten their nails to the bone in two matches which they had every right to believe they had lost.

At the end of an error ridden match Meath were a mere point ahead. On two occasions they had hauled back a seemingly unhaulable lead and finally won a tic which will be remembered as one which Mayo refused to win on two separate occasions.

In the dignified atmosphere which exists beneath the Hogan Stand where special guests are given a cup of tea or a glass of wine or something stronger and a little sustenance, the atmosphere was, to put it mildly, diplomatic.

Few, or to put it another way, none, were willing to confirm that there was a certain amount of doubt about both of Meath's goals. Nobody, including the Minister for Tourism, Enda Kenny, understood why the penalty award had been made by the referee, Pat McEneaney within a minute of Mayo's opening goal and many felt that the second Meath goal was also of a very dubious nature.

These matters are now subject to scrutiny by camera and slow motion and if, as I am told, the penalty decision was correct one can only wonder why it was that when as many as 20 players involving members of both sides were involved in a quite disgraceful brawl a mere five minutes after the start, only two were sent off.

Three from each side might have been more equitable and appropriate. From where I sat it seemed clear that the referee turned his back on the most serious part of the affray and was given sparse, if not inadequate, help from umpires and linesmen, none of whom appeared to have a notebook or pen available to them although they are surely equipped with blindfolds.

As it happened the dismissal of Liam McHale was a far more serious blow to Mayo hopes than the dismissal of Colm Coyle for Meath. The punishment didn't merely fit the crime but, in fact, distorted the element of justice which should have been the outcome of a quite disgraceful incident.

We will hear more of this, surely.

The overall outcome was something of an anti climax and that is sad in itself. The usual joy was sullied by that scandalous early outbreak of viciousness and most neutrals and many loyalists felt that winning a match in these circumstances wasn't worth the shame.

The former Mayo player, All Ireland referee and president of the GAA, Mick Loftus, was well short of his normal cheerful self. "I find it hard to accept that we have lost. We should have won the first day but we should certainly have won today. There were so many things which went wrong but these were mostly our fault.

We had an enormous amount of possession and we gave it away. We missed several very good chances of scores in the second half. For most of the match we were better than Meath and still we lost.

"All credit to Meath. They are never beaten and I congratulate them. I feel very sad that the huge effort from John Maughan and the players has failed. All I can hope for is that they will stick together and that we will be back next year," he said.

Whether for reasons of sheer disappointment or because of pressure of business, President Robinson, a native of Mayo, skipped the after match function while the Taoiseach, John Bruton from Meath, had some business in Japan which he regarded as being more pressing than being at Croke Park.

The Government chief whip, Jim Higgins and the Minister for Tourism, Enda Kenny were both there to offer solace to Mayo. Kenny, whose father Henry won an All Ireland medal with Mayo in 1936, vowed that Mayo would be back but remained coy about when.

They shared with Fianna Fail leader, Bertie Ahern from Dublin and former Taoiseach, Albert Reynolds from Longford, the view that these occasions, for all their highs and lows are significant days in the Irish lifestyle.

Agreeing with them was John Treacy, Olympic marathon silver medallist, twice world cross country champion and currently chief of the National Sports Council. "Events like this are central parts of the fabric of Irish life. They are unique and every Irish person should be proud of them," he said.