McIntyre ‘in bits’ as pain of Déise defeat deepens

WE’VE all known the blues, those dark doldrumy days when despair is the overriding emotion, all hope suffocated. This past weekend saw an end to the All-Ireland hopes of several teams, hurling and football, teams that had put in Herculean efforts in training since last January individuals – players and management – who had sacrificed so much of their personal time in search of glory.

Galway footballers, downed by Donegal just a week after the last-second loss of their Connacht title, Dublin hurlers beaten by Limerick, having gone into their All-Ireland quarter-final wearing the hard-earned mantle of favourites.

Most disappointed of all, however, the hurlers and the management team of Galway. Six points up on Waterford with 20 minutes to go when disaster struck.