Iâve come to the conclusion that Kilkennyâs winning goal and the events that led up to it was possibly most sublime piece of performance art Iâve seen.
I have not seen a Leinster hurling game hold people in the palm of its hand like that for a very long time.
Itâs almost inevitable that when a game is so unanticipated, so denigrated, so poorly attended, so dismissed, that it will turn out to be a cult classic.
I canât describe how intense the heat was in Croke Park yesterday. It felt like the thermal mass of the concrete in the stands had soaked up enough energy to melt the south pole. There wasnât a puff of breeze either. By minute 75 the players were gasping for air, the fresh head on Buckley showed.
Galwayâs desperation to avoid conceding a last gasp sucker punch goal was at such fever pitch that their brains melted and they embarked upon a series of out of body actions which all served to bring about the very thing they were so desperate to avoid.
And yet was it just the 3 subs Shefflin made? If Iâm remembering it correctly the lad with the late leveller in Nowlan Park never made an appearance at all yesterday despite him being a lively pacey sort, it was hardly a case that he was stuck for candidates to take off either.
Why didnât Shefflin bring on Liam Collins yesterday? Is he injured?
When the game broke up towards the end, his pace and movement would have caused bother.
FAO of the forum
it was 22 degrees yesterday
Whatâs the story with Cianan Fahy? Is he injured?
The Padhraic Mannion kick was extraordinary bad luck. He probably thought that anywhere would do at that stage. Funnily enough, I donât think Cillian Buckley even struck the winning goal particularly well but it made it more difficult to throw a body in front of than if heâd struck it cleanly.
I also didnât realise that Shane Walsh was on the Kilkenny 26 until I saw that video of the TJ Reid impersonator post-match. Rory Stories posted the video stealing someone else likes. Grrrrrr.
If anything Mannion caught the kick too well. Had he scuffed it along the ground then Buckley likely would have had to go down and pick it and his momentum would have been halted and Galway likely get enough bodies around him. But the kick was pinged right into his paw. He didnât even have to break stride.
Sure himself and Cathal play football with CaltraâŠwhen they are allowed that is
Buckleyâs shot was a medium pace delivery. A faster ball might have caught Jack Grealish who was running across his shot. Grealish in turn unsighted the goalkeeper who was in a good position to save it otherwise.
In aviation itâs called the Swiss cheese effect. What a cluster fuck.
As well as putting the kibosh on Galway, Buckley has likely put the kibosh on his own wedding.
He also enabled a viral INTERNET moment for a soon to be married spectator, which could have long running disastrous effects for that spectator in a similar manner to how viral INTERNET moments ruined the lives of Frostbit Boy and that man who slipped on the ice and snow in Church Street.
Not since Tony Fearon has somebody made such a catastrophic mistake in assuming the date of an All-Ireland final.
This is sure to appease the paper machĂ© heads; Iâm sure they will understand and sympathise
Marty had a recorded piece with him on Radio One this morning just after 7.30am.
First thing Marty says is ânever knew you were such a good footballerâ which was pretty insensitive.
Ah would you fuck off.
It was very decent of Cathal OâNeill to take Liam McCarthy down to Waterford to let the lads have a look at it.
Fairly random that they held the launch down there in fairness.
Youâd wonder what does be going through their heads in HQ at all at times.