How these seven men will decide the destiny of the Liam MacCarthy Cup

With the destination of the Liam MacCarthy Cup wide open, this could prove to be the All-Ireland series from heaven. Here Enda McEvoy looks at seven individuals — not all of them superstars — who’ll have a say in the outcome of the 2017 hurling championship

Micheál Donoghue

One of the most significant figures of Championship 2017 and, frustratingly, one of the most opaque. We know next to nothing about Donoghue other than that he’s personable and speaks softly. Yet clearly there’s steel behind the skin, as he demonstrated when casting aside a number of big names and long servers at the end of last season. This is his team now and his reputation will stand or fall on how the men in maroon fare. Win their next two games and he will, of course, become a new Galway hero.