Gavin Cummiskey looks ahead to Sunday's final while casting an eye back the 1986 showdown between the same counties.
1986 All-Ireland final
Cork 4-13 Galway 2-15
It wasn't the greatest display of hurling ever but there was plenty happening around the 1986 final.
The GAA barred Government ministers from the VIP section of the Hogan Stand owing to the imposition of VAT on hurleys. Instead, eight Catholic bishops and the Chief Rabbi in Ireland, Dr Ephraim Mirvis, took up the prized seats.
There was one politician present but the former Taoiseach Jack Lynch will always be considered more a hurler than a politician. Being voted a member of the hurling Team of the Millennium guarantees that.
In his acceptance speech, Cork captain Tom Cashman had a cut at the Mayor or Galway and bookmaker John Mulholland for his comments in the lead-up to the big game.
Just before half-time, a brawl broke out on Hill 16 - it was unconfirmed whether the Cabinet members had been redirected there - but the page one report of The Irish Times on September 8th stated the melee subsided before the Garda superintendent and female garda "strolling slowly across the pitch" could reach the crime scene.
A crowd of 63,451 attended the game (just over double the number who emigrated that year) and Galway were expected to win after losing the final 12 months previously against Offaly.
Galway manager Cyril Farrell had outfoxed Kilkenny in the semi-final by deploying Pearse Piggott as a third midfielder but Cork refused to take the bait.
Instead, Cork manager Johnny Clifford left John Crowley free at corner back, thus outnumbering the two-man full-forward line of Noel Lane and Joe Cooney. Farrell abandoned the ploy after the first Cork goal from John Fenton but Crowley still produced a man-of-the-match performance.
There was just a four-point margin between the teams at the finish but such respectability was only achieved by a late Galway rally.
Poignantly, the final score came from Jimmy Barry Murphy. It was his last act in a Cork jersey and ensured a fifth hurling medal could go into his pocket with the Celtic Cross he had already picked up in football - coincidentally Galway were also Cork's final victims on that occasion in 1972.
Cork: G Cunningham; D Mulcahy, R Browne, J Crowley; P Hartnett, T Cashman (capt, 0-1), D Walsh; J Fenton (1-4, all frees), J Cashman; T McCarthy, T Mulcahy (1-1), A O'Sullivan (0-1); G Fitzgerald (0-1), J Barry-Murphy (0-2), K Hennessy 2-1). Sub: K Kingston (0-2).
Galway: J Commins (1-0, free); C Hayes, S Linnane, O Kilkenny; P Finnerty (0-1), A Keady (0-5, 4f, 65), G McInerney; S Mahon (0-1), A Kilkenny; P Piggott, B Lynskey, M Naughton (0-2); A Cunningham, J Cooney (0-4, 3f), N Lane (capt). Subs: PJ Molloy (1-1), P Murphy (0-1).
Head to Head
Joe Deane v Ollie Canning
"After starting this year's campaign poorly, in comparison to his All Star years, Ollie Canning did a good job keeping Kilkenny's DJ Carey scoreless in the semi-final and a similar task presents itself on Sunday," says Offaly legend Brian Whelahan.
"Joe Deane is the most skilful hurler in Cork. There were doubts about whether the old sharpness was still evident until last year's All-Ireland final, when he proved once more just how lethal he can be.
"Then his goal in the Munster championship victory over Waterford set Cork on their way.
"It becomes an easier proposition for Canning if Cork continue to employ their running game, simply because the ball into Deane will be slow.
"Joe is not a big man so he suffers from the Cork passing game, especially against a corner back that on his day is a match for any forward in the country.
"On this premise, it is set up for a great day for Galway and the Canning family as they seek a first All-Ireland senior title since 1988."
Ticket breakdown
Ebay have the bidding open at 810 for a pair of premium level tickets for Sunday. Not surprising really considering hurling is the national sport of the self-proclaimed 'People's Republic'.
Also, Galway are bringing their seniors, minors and the victorious 1980 team up to Dublin (remember captain Joe Connolly famously screaming from the steps of the Hogan Stand: "People of Galway, we lavvve you.").
Here is the breakdown from last year so everyone can see where the tickets have gone (note an extra 3,000 Hill 16 tickets are now available and have presumably gone into the county allocations).
Total capacity - 79,500 (now 82,300). Long term (On Cusack stand): 5,166. Premium and box tickets: 10,528. Miscellaneous: 184. Total: 15, 878. General circulation - County allocations: 24,422. Competing county allocations: 24,028. Extra allocations for competing counties (Minors of Galway and Limerick): 4,260. Ard-chomhairle: 796. Former presidents: 659. Provincial councils: 385. Handball: 162. Camogie: 120. Woman's football: 140. Overseas: 540. Schools and educational bodies: 2,278. Public representatives: 140. Staff and sub-committees: 1,340. Sponsors: 645. Ard-stiurthóir: 334. Media: 253. Minor teams: 70. Jubilee teams and CLG/INTO: 340. Players' tickets (competing counties): 540. Intercounty panels: 1,920. Páirc an Chrocaigh Teoranta: 250. Total: 63,622.
