‘Dreams do come true’

WHEN Joe Connolly made his now famous All-Ireland-winning speech after Galway had bridged a 57-yr gap in 1980, it seemed to signal the end of what had been a hugely frustrating period for a county that is steeped in hurling history and tradition.

One side of the county only, admittedly, but it’s the more populated side, as big on its own as a lot of other counties. And, in the decade that followed, that breakthrough year the promise looked likely to be fulfilled. Two more titles crossed the Shannon in the 80s, Conor Hayes captaining the team on each occasion, and in the 90s and 00s Galway continued to accrue titles at underage level.

Not since 1988 has another Galway player gone up those famous steps on the first Sunday in September to hoist Liam MacCarthy skywards. Time for that to change, says Joe, selector on the team that faces Dublin in the Leinster semi-final in Tullamore tonight.