Maurice Brosnan: The anatomy of Galway’s upset over Dublin

The lesson of sporting triumph is that it doesn’t have to be perfect. Fill the holes. Maximise what you have. Trust your convictions. Fill a group with pride and power and purpose.

GALWAY MARCH ON: Galway’s Tomo Culhane kicks the winning point. Pic: ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne

It took a particular combination of fragments to form this most improbable victory and make Galway whole again. In the end it seemed fitting that the commodity that powered them across the line was, above all else, perseverance.

The shards of success are laced with its potency. It fuelled an immense second half surge. A top-tier standing for some of the Dublin champions on the other side is without question, but they also added another remarkable and unwanted string; these greats are guaranteed producers of blockbuster drama in defeat.