PERHAPS THERE were portents of what was to come on a windy morning in Moycullen, on the Connemara side of Galway city.
On a battered building site from better times a Mayo flag was strewn into shards of red and green; beside it a flag of maroon and white, which had also been torn from its moorings by the overnight Atlantic gusts.
For on this day another dream would be blown away in the west: Mayo lost the football final last Sunday and now the Galway hurlers accompany them into the oblivion of September.
Earlier, hope – even a ray of confidence – imbued the crowd in Fagan’s sports bar in the Meyrick Hotel, Eyre Square, as the time ticked down towards 3.30pm.
This could be Galway’s golden year: a president for the nation, the hosting of the Volvo Ocean Race, the Ironman and, to crown it all, the Liam McCarthy Cup on Eyre Square on Monday night.
On television screens in Fagan’s the build-up began. Some younger supporters decided it was already time to celebrate and drowned out Michael Lyster and his television panel. Many of them would not remember the last time Galway won an All-Ireland hurling final – it was 24 years ago. None of them would remember 1980 when Joe Connolly took the Liam McCarthy cup back to Eyre Square on a never-to-be-forgotten night when the then bishop of Galway, Eamon Casey, roused the throngs with Galway Bay and songs of the west. It was time for another generation to sing.
A young man who would only identify himself by his surname, Joyce, told me he was especially looking forward to watching Niall Burke from the Oranmore/Maree club, his own area, battling Kilkenny.
Muiris Ó Conchuir, an Irish speaker from an Fheothanach in the Kerry Gaeltacht, had taken a break from his job as a plumber. He was accompanied by his girlfriend, Caroline Collins, from Shanagolden in Limerick. They were both shouting for Galway. They had good reason to: they met at the Galway races.
Galway also had international support here. A group of girls with an array of European accents were forthcoming with unskilled comments. A man from Carlow had more measured opinions. Andrew Byrne from Tullow works with Teagasc in Athenry and he encouraged every Galway move.
“We could never hope to handle the Kilkenny crowd,” he said. “I hope Galway win.”
His girlfriend, Amy from Co Meath, expressed similar sentiments. But the dream died at shortly after 20 minutes to five; Cyril Donnellan’s goal was disallowed, Joe Canning hit the post and Donnellan was sent off.
In the hotel office a little after 5.30pm, duty manager Kerina Malinovska checked the CCTV monitor. “Not one person left in Fagan’s,” she said.