Tribesmen ready to see the light again

There was a theory in Galway last month before they played Kildare in what turned out to be the final league match of the season that Galway would be better off not winning.

The permutations for Alan Mulholland’s team were simple and attractive: beat Kildare at home in Pearse Stadium and they would not only return to Division 1 next season, they’d also get a crack at Tyrone in Croke Park within three weeks.

It’s been four years since the Tribesmen had a meaningful game in Croke Park — that famous Old Testament game played under a surreal downpour against Kerry. If the Galway public were a bit iffy about a return to Croke Park and to a higher division, the Galway players appeared impervious to such negativity last month against Kildare. In what was a thrilling second-half display from Galway, they narrowly lost out because of naivety under a hopeful dropping ball into their square late in the game.