Mayo are 'raring to go again', according to All-Star defender Chris Barrett.

Recent final heartbreaks have been put to the back of their minds as Stephen Rochford's men turn their attention to their mouth-watering Connacht SFC quarter-final clash with arch rivals Galway.

"Obviously we haven't won the All-Ireland, but success in the last few years where we've constantly got to the latter stages of the All-Ireland series," he pointed out to The Irish Independent.

"It's just the enjoyment of being able to run out at Croke Park in the summer time or McHale Park in the Connacht final.

"It's not a tough decision to make to be honest, and I think most of the lads are the same. By the time January comes around, they are all raring to go again."

The Belmullet man was one of Mayo's standout players in last year's minimum margin Sam Maguire Cup final defeat to Dublin but he committed the foul on Diarmuid Connolly that handed Dean Rock the opportunity to seal the three-in-a-row for Jim Gavin's side.

"After the match I was getting lots of plaudits but I was thinking in the back of my head that Dean Rock scored three points in that second half and I was marking him. So that's what I had in my head. The last free as well for Diarmuid Connolly had a huge impact on the game as well.

"I'd be very disappointed if I went in after a match and someone was able to tell me something that I had done wrong that I hadn't noticed myself. So I would be very self-reflective like that, so they stick in my mind.

"I pride myself on trying to keep my opposite man scoreless, so there are definitely two (points) there that I kind of would put myself at fault for.

"But in saying that, I was immensely proud of how I played as well like. I'm not just saying that that's all I think about, I think it was a good day for me in a Mayo jersey but it still sticks with me when you lose."

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