Thirty years later, the young guns of Galway came roaring back. The neatness no doubt pleases John O'Mahony. Yesterday, he brought his maroon hopefuls to Portlaoise to meet Tommy Lyons' future stars of Dublin.
Over 15,000 came along to watch. The Dubs brought their compasses and tents and overnight rations but many still got lost in the rough terrain of north Leinster and many arrived at O'Moore Park to find their sky blue heroes in the midst of a crisis.
Galway, with their loose-limbed captain Joe Bergin (pictured left with the trophy) imperious, had raced into a 0-5 to 0-0 lead and in a sense, after all the hoopla, the game was over before it even began. Dublin put just one point on the scorebard in the first half and in the second, they bravely chased a lost cause until time ran out. The final ended 0-15 to 0-7, a fair reflection of the difference.
What happened? "I haven't a clue," admitted Tommy Lyons as he packed his bag for the last time this year."We were stuck to the ground. That's the only way to describe it."
And they had the misfortune to meet Galway on a day when the Connacht side soared. 1972 was the last - the only - time they had lifted All-Ireland silverware at this level. That left them with one more title than Dublin. Among both counties, there was a keen sense that it was time to improve on that. For Galway, everything went right.
"This was as good if not better than winning at senior level," reckoned a delighted Kieran Fitzgerald, the current senior All Star and full back yesterday.
"Because these are the guys you grow up with and go to school with, the guys you fight alongside. It really is something we will always remember." Given the personality of the managers involved, the teams might have been eclipsed here. But afterwards, John O'Mahony explained why this trophy matters to Galway.
"It's a great end to the season but for these players, in terms of their football future, it's just the beginning of something. In 30 years time nobody will remember who managed this team. But these players will be remembered for their display here today."
And they were at times awesome, with their sprinkling of senior stars guiding contenders like Richard Murray, Diarmuid Blake and Michael Meehan through a near flawless hour of football. Even when Dublin reeeled off three points early in the second half, Galway never blinked. "We knew they would throw the kitchen sink at us in the second half but we kept our concentration level and played strong until the end," said Fitzgerald.
Report and reaction: Page 7
