Still part of the Tribe

He’ll be in the Galway dressing room today - the minor one. Two years ago Tony Óg Regan’s dream of a senior All-Ireland with his beloved maroon and white was smashed by a phone call from Anthony Cunningham. Bitter now? No. Hurt? Wouldn’t you be?

There’s no place he’d rather be. And yet it’s one of the toughest and most anguished he’s ever known. Today, Tony Óg Regan heads into Croke Park on All Ireland final day on a Galway bus, looking to bring home the cup.

This past summer, he has served as a sport psychology consultant to Jeff Lynskey’s county minor side, enjoying their journey, excited by their potential destination. At the outset of the championship few could have seen them playing into September, and even fewer when they trailed Kilkenny by a couple of goals more than once during an All Ireland semi-final last month. Yet here they are, with - and possibly because - Regan being on board.