As days following the Galway hurlers go, last Saturday afternoon in Croke Park will take some beating. Long after the final whistle had sounded, a wave of maroon euphoria swept around GAA headquarters as a unique rendition of N17 echoed around the stadium.
Led by a group of young supporters who had taken over Hill 16 as conductors, dancers and lead singers, it was one of those moments that will live long in the memory of everyone fortunate enough to witness it. With perfect timing, the Croke Park sound engineer dipped the music, allowing Galway’s unmistakable chorus to become the only soundtrack that mattered. Marvellous, just marvellous.
If Cork supporters were left in a state of shock and agony, Galway followers had been experiencing more than 15 minutes of pure, unadulterated delirium. The game was effectively over long before Limerick referee Johnny Murphy brought proceedings to a close. By the time the final whistle sounded, bedlam had taken hold among the maroon and white faithful.
Belief was Building
Did anyone see it coming? Truthfully, the old Del Monte television advert, with the famous “The man from Del Monte, he says yes” slogan, springs to mind. While few were boldly predicting a Galway victory, there was certainly a quiet confidence among many of the supporters I spoke to in the build-up.
That included the man from Bullaun I met while picking up groceries on Friday evening; my travelling companions from Loughrea on match day; the group of lads from Kilnadeema I bumped into at the Croke Park Hotel before throw-in; the lady from Ballinderreen making her way to the Cusack Stand with her young son; and my work colleague from Killimor. It wasn’t loud or boastful confidence, but there was a genuine belief Galway had a real chance of springing a surprise.
The consensus was clear: don’t concede an early goal, get off to a bright start and be within touching distance down the home straight. Two of those three were achieved. The third was, thankfully, out of Galway’s hands because, instead of hanging on, they roared clear.
To me, the spell before half-time, when Galway cut a five-point deficit to one, was crucial. They really should have gone in level had Conor Whelan not missed a gilt-edged opportunity while standing in splendid isolation.
My half-time chat with a couple of former housemates from Beagh centred around that miss and the psychological blow it would have dealt Cork had the sides gone in level. The pre-match confidence was admittedly waning as we anticipated Cork finding another gear to justify their favouritism, with Galway returning home with a moral victory and plenty to build on for 2027.
Honestly, I didn’t foresee another Rebel collapse in Croke Park. But that’s exactly what came to pass as Micheál Donoghue’s men won the second half 1-14 to 0-5. At the heart of that was the outstanding defensive work of Cillian Trayers, Joshua Ryan, Ronan Glennon and Darren Morrissey.
Jason Rabbitte was a worthy man of the match in a coming-of-age performance that has likely secured an All-Star and perhaps even the Young Hurler of the Year award. Yet there were contenders all over the field in maroon, including Tiernan Killeen and Tom Monaghan.
Heroes Among Us
As satisfying as the performance itself was, some of my favourite memories came after the final whistle. There is something uniquely special about following your county on days like these. The journey home is filled with hugs, smiles, handshakes and excited conversations with complete strangers.
Finally, as we boarded the train, the younger members of our travelling party recognised Joe Connolly across the road following a recent visit to their primary school, something confirmed by the couple standing behind us.
I noticed the lady was wearing the number eight jersey from the 2017 minor final belonging to Meelick/Eyrecourt’s John Fleming, who clipped over a lovely point after coming on in the second half. I had a lovely chat with John’s dad as we boarded the train about all things hurling.
It was a fitting way to end an unforgettable day. One of the great strengths of the GAA is that its heroes are never too far away. That chance encounter was another reminder that while days like these belong to the players, they are also shared by families, clubs and entire communities. It is those connections that make victories like Saturday’s feel all the more special because the players represent us all and make us proud to be from Galway.
Roll on the final with Limerick where we’ll once again travelling in hope of great things from this wonderful team.
