Mickey Harte can’t park in O’Connell School on All Ireland final day without being accosted by muldoons. “Do you have an interest in the hurling?” “Aye”. “Do you go to the final every year?” “Aye”. “Are you friends with Brian Cody?” “Aye”.
Twee scene setter:
On Thursday there was an old man sitting by the side of the road on his own between Galway and Moycullen, selling a vast array of Galway and Mayo flags. I was a passenger in a car, and before the thought occurred to me that I’d like to take a photograph of him and the flags with my phone, the car had passed, and it was too late. I cycled the same route on Friday, but he was gone. It would have been a photograph that would adorned a twee coffee table book of GAA photographs, such as “A Season of Sundays”. But alas, I never got the photograph.
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4.24 am. Pitch black. Can’t sleep any more with the thoughts of the cunts, I’ve been awake every hour anyway.
Murphy rock solid gets little credit after a few lean years bar pj Ryan’s 2009 exploits.
Paul Murphy is unbelievable.
Holden and prendergast will have to be got at. Put Johnny in there.
Tommy 2.0, have to battle him, stop him even contemplating moving up and shooting.
The centre back has a Galway name ffs.
Buckley is one of these epitomising players, quiet, rock solid. No weakness.
Fogarty, another Buckley. Fennelly has given me nightmares.
TJ. We had them rattled within an inch of their lives in tullamore a few years back. Joe tore them a new one, only for Reid to give 15 of the most unmarkable minutes ever. Christ.
Walter. Man of the match in an all Ireland final only three years ago. Against us. First thing Cody asked him after the final whistle? Are you available for Walsh cup games. WALSH FUCKING CUP!! If we win there’s lads that will never be heard of again and we’ll lose every game in the next two years after the celebrating.
Hogan, ah jaysus. The way he makes it look like your back in school and one small cunt on the opposition is unmarkable, and no one can touch him or stop him. You are literally screaming at them to stop just standing there looking at him catching it. But at senior inter county level.
Nothing soft in Fennelly larkin, aylward a gentle reminder that despite Limerick, Clare us, tipp, Waterford, Wexford, Clare again all set to build on underage success and dominate, Kilkenny quietly win as many underage titles as anyone, and only need to bring one or two in.
I remember being 16/17 sitting at a bar and me and a friend of mine naming the 1980 team, their clubs etc. took us 5 minutes, off by heart almost. Neither of us was born in 1980. This is our lads chance to live forever, but how can you handle that expectation. How can you handle the poison chalice of playing senior for Galway. You’re a county minor, universally adored, free food in supermacs, pick of women, jobs whatever. Lads giving you a thumbs up and you hear a hush of recognition when you enter any place. Fast forward two years and the same lads at every pub, mart and the back of every church are abusing you from a height for being part of the useless shower. But they do it anyway, even though the first and biggest battle for respect is within our own borders. They definitely might not win but we have our dignity back. Not shying from challenges as we did a few years ago, not afraid to put our hands up as some media whore past manager did point out. No point saying we deserve it as you have to perform on all Ireland day to deserve it, what happens before matters not a jot. Kilkenny are driven, not by big grandiose speeches or shite talk, very telling in last years up for the match, was it Keher or someone who said, very important that we catch Kerry for most titles. Just said it in passing, matter of factly. It will happen soon, but be further today hopefully. They aren’t a dirty team, but not a clean one either, just driven to not lose. What I wouldn’t give to see two lads in there today, two quiet unassuming guys, two great backs who would keep the shackles on any of them, but are gone from us decades too soon, one of whom I knew in passing to have a few words with, another who was a good friend. Mind your little brother down there today horse.
Roar yer lungs out, every one of ye go in for the minor and soak it up, ye can drink in there too. Ye might never stand in there again.
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Ah lovely.
I’m heading in now and I have a bag of sangwiches.
Let the roaster within me come to the fore and cheer Galway on.
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Can’t make the final today as I have to mind the kids, first time I’ve missed one since I started going in 1991. Right now I’ll feel like I don’t mind but I know when it comes to 3:30 I’ll be gutted when the parade starts up and the national anthem kicks in. I’ll have cover in for a couple of hours to pop to the local to watch it and I’ll either come back with a happy out 3 pint head on me or like an antichrist. God help the kids either way, I could be natural confectionary Jellies and organix carrot sticks for dinner
Beautiful words there for a friend who no doubt lived a long and full life, @ironmoth.
Galway will do it for Tom today.
That one was for Tom.
Approval rating.
This Ulster lass is making an absolute balls of introducing the jubilee team.
Kevin Hennessey fairly let himself go to pot.
Can’t wait for this hoping for a cracker and Galway to win but they will need a trojan effort to do so, Richie Hogan is the man who will tick KK over today
Hope I’m wrong but can’t see that set of Galway backs holding the Kilkenny forwards. Kilkenny by 4.
I am coming to a similar conclusion sadly, hopefully Galway will find a way and not just try to batter the Kilkenny robots in defence.
All the talk is of holding TJ and Hogan. You can’t hold those two. The question is whether Galway can match and outshoot them at the other end.
I think they can.
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Anthony Daly’s head nodding in full swing.
It’ll reach a crescendo at full time.
Tipp only had one forward who played close to his best the last day. And they were still only pipped at the death. Hard to see the Kilkenny forwards being so nullified.
Galway will score plenty at the other end though. Cathal Mannion is nearly on course for hurler of the year. Would love to see them win it.
I think that Galway will bring a huge intensity and physicality. They threaded a fine line against Tipp and got away with it but I think they may well close the line and it will cost them today in terms of frees conceded and possibly a sending off. TJ Reid to hit 10+ from frees and Kilkenny to win a tough tight game
I’m reading a lot into Eddie Brennan’s pants.
Hon Galway. I’m finding it hard to know how to rate this Kilkenny team. They’ve won all their games reasonably easy but not that impressive either
I’m wary if this alright, controlled aggression hopefully.
Going to be some battle with plenty chances coughed up on both sides. Whoever is most efficient I suppose.
Confident though. Nice steady improvement all summer and expect another notch today.
Henry Shefflington: “Play the bawwwwllllll”