The west will be wild for a while yet.
Sunday was a great day for Galway, and from the moment the final whistle was blown in Croke Park to signal the end of their 29 years without the beloved Liam MacCarthy cup, you knew it was going to be a great night, too.
It’s a line that is trodden way too often, that these lads are amateurs, and they’re probably sick of hearing it themselves, because despite the fact that the commitment they make is incredible, they’re not forced to make it.
They love making it, and that’s what’s so good about the GAA.
We love our games, we may give out about training, about our sacrifices, but we wouldn’t live without it either.
It makes it all the sweeter, then, when your sacrifices pay off, when you realise your dreams and achieve your ultimate goals.
Every single member of that Galway panel has grown up dreaming of reaching the promised land, and lifting that famous cup.
For now, all their responsibilities, hurling, and even work, are forgotten about.
Colm Parkinson caught up with Galway half back Pádraic Mannion at the City West hotel, the morning after the night before, and he revealed the big brother duties he had to carry out with the county’s corner forward, Cathal.
“Pádraic, how are you feeling today, you’re wearing a tracksuit and you’ve no shoes on so it must have been an eventful night,” joked the GAA Hour Hurling Show Host.
Pádraic’s response told you all you need to know about the celebrations enjoyed by the Tribesmen.
“I didn’t sleep in my own room. I had to sleep on the floor in Cathal’s room last night. I had to put him to bed, yeah, I had to tuck him in,” laughed the Ahascragh-Fohenagh man.
“Everyone stuck together. There was a lot of people here, so you’d be caught up talking to people and stuff, but everyone was still on such a high after the game, that there wasn’t a need for too much alcohol.
“We’re off work indefinitely at the moment. We’re going back home to Galway on Monday night, and it’s going to be special. The thought of going back home and seeing everyone, it’s what it’s all about really,” beamed the 24-year-old.
Galway came up against a Waterford side full of brothers, in the Bennetts, the Shanahans, the Fives’, the Mahonys, but the Mannions are one of the two sets of brothers in the Tribesmen’s ranks. Captain, David, and his younger brother Eanna being the other.
Cathal scored two typically classy points in the first half, and according to Pádraic, it was no surprise because this lad really is a talent.
“He’s been unlucky this year, with the ankle injury that kept him out of a few games, but I think everybody in the squad knows what he can do and what he’s like at training and stuff. It’s no surprise to anyone when he’s pinging balls over the bar,” he added.
Brothers in arms.
They’ll be celebrating in Ahascragh-Fohenagh, and indeed, in Galway, for days.
Great scenes in Athlone as the #Galway team cross the Shannon in Athlone with the #liammccarthy cup pic.twitter.com/cLS0s9Kwiv
— Cyril Naughton (@cyril_naughton) September 4, 2017
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