Ireland

Galway on a high as 45,000 turn out for hurlers’ homecoming

Many renditions of The West’s Awake as a minor and senior double is celebrated

Thousands of supporters turned up at the Pearse Stadium in Salthill for the homecoming of the victorious Galway All-Ireland senior and minor hurling teams. Video: Joe O'Shaughnessy

Lorna Siggins's face
Lorna Siggins Pearse Stadium
Mon Sep 4 2017 - 21:45

“Pinch yourself, take a photograph of where you were, remember this...because it’s time to introduce the Galway senior hurling champions.”

If there had been a roof on Salthill’s Pearse Stadium it would surely have lifted off with the collective roar on Monday night as up to 30,000 people welcomed home not one but two All-Ireland winning Galway teams.

Horns hooted, flags waved, banners and bunting billowed in the slight westerly breeze. Never were there so many renditions of Galway Girl, The West's Awake and The Fields of Athenry as a minor and senior double was celebrated.

At one point it looked as if senior team captain David Burke was going to throw the Liam MacCarthy cup out into the crowd as he and his players rocked on the stage to Queen's We are the Champions.

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Back in 1988, when the county last won the senior hurling title, bonfires blazed from Athlone to Ballinasloe, and it took hours to make it back west through the towns and villages on the old N6 to Galway.

There were no mobile phones then to warn of a late arrival, and the team members found themselves almost shut out of Willie Connaughton's pub in Cornafulla, where the cup became an "impromptu baptismal font", according to then Irish Times western correspondent Michael Finlan. People had "jostled to taste the black nectar of victory" – the porter poured into the cup – and the crowds gathered in Eyre Square waited for many hours for their heroes to arrive.

Black stuff

Some 29 years later, there was no splash of black stuff in Pearse Stadium – itself a twinkle in the eye for Galway GAA in 1988.

The word from Ballinasloe was that up to 15,000 had come out to welcome the winners. There were tributes to all those who had contributed to the success, and to those families who had given so much support.

“There’s no point in talking as all the talking was done in Croke Park yesterday,” said Galway County Board chairman Pat Kearney.

Mayor of Galway Pearce Flannery paid tribute to the victors, and drew out another loud roar as he said he hoped this “inspired our neighbours in Mayo to bring home the Sam Maguire” in a couple of weeks.

“These days don’t come too often,” 2015 winning All-Ireland minor captain Seán Loftus said in a rallying cry to the many youngsters present who represent the future of the game.

There were roars and whoops and horns sounded yet again as minor captain Darren Morrissey and his panel were introduced, along with manager Jeff Lynskey.

There was foot stomping, clapping and fever-pitched roars as the senior team emerged at 8pm. Mobile phones flashed around the ground as fans filmed the players, and players filmed them in turn.

Distinction and pride

Senior manager Micheál Donoghue thanked all the managers and players past who wore the county jersey with “distinction and pride”.

He confirmed Galway would play a special match in Athenry on Thursday for the benefit of the family of late All-Ireland winner Tony Keady.

Senior captain David Burke thanked all those who had made the effort to come out, which he said would mean more and more to the players in the weeks and months ahead.

Then it was over to footballer Paul Flaherty – reckoned to be the county's Luke Kelly – for a hoarse but fervent rendition of The West's Awake.

That was followed up by the senior players dancing around on stage to Tina Turner's Simply the Best.