Quarter-final promo will stir the soul of everyone in the west

It'll be some day for Roscommon, Mayo and Galway

Conan Doherty

Quarter-final promo will stir the soul of everyone in the west

Three Connacht teams vying for two spots in the All-Ireland semi-final.

It’s fair to say, the west’s awake.

There’s a bit of the west in all of us – at least we like to think so. Whether you’re rolling through the yellow fields of Roscommon, sitting by the Shannon or enjoying some of the most spectacular views in the world anywhere along that Atlantic coast, who on God’s green earth wouldn’t want to believe that they have some connection to the west of Ireland?

It’s real Ireland out there. Beautiful, friendly, parochial.

Come Sunday though, they’ll be the fiercest of rivals.

2pm: Kerry v Galway

4pm: Roscommon v Mayo

The M4 will be some craic on the road into Dublin as the most passionate of Gaels from three different counties out west make the journeys into headquarters to support their teams in the Colosseum of the GAA.

Well, Supermacs is up for it too.

The main sponsors of Galway GAA have produced a soul-stirring tribute to Connacht in preparation for the All-Ireland quarter-finals and what better way to do it than use the words of Thomas Davis?

West’s Awake

When all beside a vigil keep
the West’s asleep, the West’s asleep
alsas and well may Erin weep
when Connacht lies in slumber deep
there lake and plain smile fair and free
mid rocks their guardian chivalry sing
oh let man learn liberty
from crashing winds and lashing sea

That chainess wave and lovely land
Freedom and Nationhood demand
be sure the great God never planned
for slumbering slaves a home so grand
and long a brave and haughty race
honored and sentinelled the place
Sing Oh, not even their son’s disgrace
can quite destroy their glory’s trace

For often in O’Connor’s van
to triumph dashed each Connacht clan
and fleet as deer the Normans ran
through Corrsliabh Pass and Ardrahan
and later times saw deeds as brave
and glory guards Clanricard’s grave
Sing Oh they died their land to save
at Aughrim’s slopes and Shannon’s waves

And if, when all a vigil keep
The West’s asleep! The West’s asleep!
Alas! And well may Erin weep
That Connacht lies in slumber deep
But, hark! A voice like thunder spake
The West’s awake! The West’s awake!
Sing, Oh! Hurrah! Let England quake!
We’ll fight till death for Ireland’s sake