Galway hurling heroes reflect on All-Ireland success
by Iggy Conneely
âSports Columnâ, page 91, Galway Freesheet, September 7th, 2017
Well, what a week itâs been for Galway hurling. The Liam McCarthy cup has returned to the west after a gap of 29 years following a memorable final success against Waterford, and the celebrations have been in full swing ever since the final whistle at Croke Park on Sunday.
The Freesheet caught up with two of Galwayâs heroes, talismanic forward Joe Canning and the no nonsense, straight talking Johnny Irishman, who has returned from New York this summer to play a key peripheral role in the teamâs All-Ireland success.
Iggy: Lads, tell us all about the celebrations:
Joe: Itâs still sinking in, I suppose. But, yeah, there was a just a real feeling of satisfaction and contentment. To see the joy on the faces on the Galway supporters was amazing.
Itâs been an amazing year, really. Thereâs been a great atmosphere in the camp all through. Everybody has pulled together so well. Thereâs just a real feeling of camaraderie between us all, thereâs a great bond between everybody. Micheal Donoghue, the management team and all the support staff have been brilliant. Everybody has played their part, every single person involved in this has played a vital role. The panel members who didnât make the 26 on Sunday are all responsible for this as much as anybody â we couldnât have done it without them.
Johnny: I fuckinâ dhrank 15 fuckinâ pintsh and shlept in me own fuckinâ puke. Then I got up the nexsht morninâ, had breakfisht, and dhrank another eight pintsh. Everything elshe is fuckinâ bullshit.
Iggy: What did you have for breakfast, Johnny?
Johnny: A big fry up anâ 'a ball âa me own fuckinâ shnot.
Iggy: The atmosphere must have been amazing when you brought the cup home?
Joe: Yeah, it was. As you probably saw on the television, Michael Donoghueâs father Miko was waiting for us to arrive in Ballinasloe, and it was a lovely, poignant moment to see Micheal to be able to bring the McCarthy cup back to him. It epitomised what the GAA is really all about â family and community.
There were huge crowds in Ballinasloe and then of course when we got back to Galway, to see the crowds that turned up in Pearse Stadium, especially to see the joy on the faces of the kids, it was amazing. Weâre just so pleased to have won it for everybody because the people of Galway have been waiting such a long time for success, and weâre just glad we were able to bring it to them this year. The supporters have always stuck with the team and theyâre the best in Ireland.
Johnny: I shpent the bus journey fuckinâ pukinâ up in the fuckinâ jacksh. It was fuckinâ claassh. Then I kicked the cup around the fuckinâ car park, roarinâ and shoutinâ. Thatâs why you play hurlinâ, like, to do shtuff like that.
Iggy: Tell us about the match itself, lads.
Joe: I suppose it was all about bringing controlled aggression. We knew weâd have to put in a massive performance for the full 70 minutes. But we knew we had to keep out heads all through. It was very important to get a good start and we did that. But Waterford were never going to lie down, theyâre too good a team to do that, and they came right back at us, as we knew they would. The lads responded very well to the goals. At half-time there was a very positive attitude in the dressing room. We knew we were playing well. But at the same time we were only a point up, so we knew weâd have to put in the performance of our lives in the second half to win it. When Waterford went a point up, we knew we had to dig in and redouble our efforts, keep bringing that controlled aggression but to be calm and stick to the process, and thankfully it worked out.
I suppose maybe in the end what won it for us was that bit of experience of All-Ireland finals that maybe some of the Waterford players didnât have. We had to lose two to win one. But thatâs how difficult it is to win an All-Ireland. I think that experience stood to us a lot.
Johnny: We jusht shaid to go out and fuckinâ kill the cunts. Get the fuckinâ ball and leather it as far as posshible. Then Iâd catch it and fuckinâ bursht everyone outta the way. If they want to wreshtle, Iâd shaid Iâd wreshtle. If they wanted to box the head off of me, I shaid Iâd boxh the head off of them. If they wanted to puck the head off of me with a hurl, Iâd puck the head off of them with a hurl. Give the cunts plenty of it, like. Look it, they want to fuckinâ kill you, so you have to fuckinâ kill them firsht.
Look it, sure Johnny Irishman ishnât goinâ ta shcore ten points but Iâll fuckinâ work me hole off and make sure none of their lads do either. Everything elshe is a hape 'a shite.
But, happy enough to have won it, like.
Iggy: Waterford were difficult opponents for youâŚ
Joe: Yeah, theyâre a great team and they made it hugely difficult for us as we knew they would. They never gave up and we had to be at our best for the 70 minutes. Theyâre a young, up and coming team, theyâre only going to get better. We have a great respect for them and we know theyâll be back. I donât think itâll be too long before they win the All-Ireland themselves and if Galway canât canât win it in future years, itâd be nice to see them do it. We know that while we had been waiting 29 years for an All-Ireland theyâve been waiting 58 years so we know that they must be feeling a huge amount of hurt. They were tremendously gracious in defeat which is the mark of true sportsmen. Derek McGrath is doing a great job with them and they have so many great players. Theyâll be back, thereâs no doubt about that.
Johnny: Thatâs fuckinâ bullshit. Fuck the fuckinâ Wexford cunts. Theyâre only âa shower of cunts, eshpecially that fuckinâ shlaphead bollox McGrath. Fuck everyone elshe. Where the fuck is Wexford, anyway?
Iggy: The very sad death of Galway legend Tony Keady was uppermost in everybodyâs thoughts in the run up to this final. Was there a feeling amoongst the team that you wanted to win it to honour his memory?
Joe: Yeah, I suppose we didnât want want to say it explicitly but thereâs no doubt it was very much a factor in everybodyâs mind even if nobody wanted to say it outright that we had to win for him. I suppose it wasnât so much that we felt that we had to win it for him, as at the end of the day itâs only sport, but we really wanted to do justice to his memory putting in the best very performance we possibly could, and if that was good enough to win, well thatâs all we could have asked for. And, touch wood, it worked out. But now that weâve won it, thereâs no doubt that weâre just glad that we might hopefully have given Tonyâs family some solace and strength at a terribly difficult time for them. Of course the reality is that no All-Ireland can bring Tony back and weâre very mindful of that. But weâre glad to have done justice to his memory and it was great to have the Keady family on the pitch afterwards to share in the moment. They have a long road ahead of them in dealing with this tragedy, and they will always be welcome around this squad. Weâre just happy that hopefully weâve given them something to smile about at such a sad time. There was a real feeling that Tony was up there looking down and smiling on us somehow, as there also was with Niall Donohue, who played for us in the 2012 finals and who we still miss and think about a lot. So, yes, weâre glad to have justice to the memory of both with our performance.
Johnny: Iâd shay his wife got the ride at the banquet, he he. Fair fuckinâ play to her. Sheâs a fine lookinâ woman for her age. Iâd have no fuckinâ problem throwinâ a length into her and ridinâ the hole off of her. Iâd say sheâd hand it back to ya shoft, like.
Iggy: What are the plans now for the rest of the week?
Joe: Well, weâre really looking forward to bringing the McCarthy cup around the county now because this victory is for the people of Galway and we want as many people to be able to share in it as possible. Weâll be heading to David Burkeâs home place in Peterswell tonight and then to Gort and Loughrea and Portumna over the coming days. Then of course over the coming weeks and months weâll be visiting all the schools which is one of the great things when a county wins an All-Ireland. Weâd like as many people as possible to feel part of this, as thatâs what the GAA is all about.
Johnny: (pukes slightly) I havenât a fuckinâ clue whatâs happeninâ tonight, never mind tomorrow. Weâre only shtartin the dhrinkinâ, like. Burkey, whereâsh me fuckinâ pint? I probably look like a big fuckinâ shlob now, but I donât fuckinâ care.
Iggy: Will you be heading back to New York, Johnny?
Johnny: I will in me fuckinâ hole. Ah, shure look it, I probably will, but shure tishâ only a couple of hoursh on a plane, like, tishâ not like Iâm goinâ to fuckinâ Timbuk-fuckin-tu. Iâll go back when I go back. But shure Iâll only be shtartinâ the dhrinkinâ when I get back there. Iâll have some fuckinâ hangover in January. But Iâll fuckinâ worry about that when fuckinâ January comes, like.
