‘The profound effect in the hurling fraternity is massive’ – Galway pay touching tribute to Michael Coleman

The three-time All-Star died on Friday night. It left an enormous void. All night long, there was sadness around Salthill.

The Galway team and supporters stand for a moment's silence in memory of the late Michael Coleman before the Allianz Hurling League Division 1A match between Galway and Clare at Pearse Stadium in Galway.Pic: Tyler Miller/Sportsfile

They lost a legend. On Saturday night, Galway came to Pearse Stadium to play Clare in a game of hurling. That hardly mattered. What was important was that they paid tribute to Michael Coleman, the All-Ireland winner who died in an accident on Friday evening.

The three-time All-Star died clearing storm damage near his home. It left an enormous void. Before and after the match, there was sadness around Salthill. Galway manager Micheál Donoghue hurled with Coleman and spoke to the group about his legacy before throw-in.

“I thought coming here we knew we had to start really well, very conscious that this was our last home game and to give a performance,” said Donoghue.

“In particular, the events of Michael passing over the last 24 hours, the profound effect that has had in the hurling fraternity is massive. When he played, he always played with massive distinction and we wanted to make sure that we gave them a performance that they would be proud of.” Coleman is survived by his wife Mary, daughter Sinead and son Dara.

Donoghue continued: “He is such an icon of Galway hurling and our sincere sympathies to Mary, Dara and Sinead.” 

At Salthill-Knocknacarra’s clubhouse beside the stadium, a panel of Galway and Clare legends gathered to preview the game. They ended up paying tribute to Coleman. Ollie Canning spoke about the warrior on the field who was a kind mentor for younger players in the panel. Joe Connolly hailed his staunch honesty. Frank Lohan labelled him a true leader.

There was a moment of silence before the start. Galway’s entire squad and backroom team gathered together while captain Conor Whelan laid a number eight jersey on the field. That was the number Coleman won in the 1988 decider against Tipperary. A terrific pull early on that day intercepted a Tipperary clearance and created Éanna Ryan’s opening point.

Coleman won an U21 title against a star-studded Kilkenny in 1983. Galway had future greats like Pete Finnerty, Ollie Kilkenny, Michael 'Hopper' McGrath and Coleman in that side. Many of them helped retain Liam MacCarthy five years later.

Michael Coleman of Galway. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

He only made his senior championship debut that season but would go on to be a powerful presence in the engine room for a decade. It was a team that had a special place in the hearts of Tribe followers and he was at the centre of that. Players wore black armbands during the game.

“We just said beforehand if we could take an ounce of the attitude that he displayed in the Galway jersey over the years, we probably wouldn’t be in a bad place,” said Whelan after a 2-21 to 0-20 triumph over the 2024 All-Ireland champions.

“Sport is important but there are bigger things happening unfortunately in Galway today. We would just like to pay tribute to his family and all of the local community there and tell them we are thinking of them.” 

Coleman inspired his club Abbeyknockmoy in 1988 to their first and only Galway senior hurling title. They were victorious against then reigning champions Athenry after a replay. Coleman stood forward as their only county player and hit the winning point from a long-range free. After he retired, he served as a coach and officer. His daughter Sinéad was named a Galway Camogie intermediate club All-Star last year.

The 61-year-old will be sorely missed in the parish.

“There was shock and disbelief,” said Galway chairperson Paul Bellew.

“It is a huge blow. We see a lot of things through the prism of the GAA and that is obviously important but family first and foremost. To everyone in Abbeyknockmoy, this is a massive blow.

"He was an icon in Galway and especially an icon around there. We see him as a player, but you hear today everything he contributed outside of the GAA to his community and his area.

“He was probably Galway’s best hurler of the 1990s. Growing up, that was my memory as a 10 or 11-year-old. Michael Coleman was the first man from Galway I saw lift a cup. They won a National League in ‘96. He was just a different type of player, we don’t produce many like him. In the modern game he would still be at the very top of it. An elite player.

"It is desperately sad. We are in the aftermath of a match this evening, but you wouldn’t have had much appetite for it when we woke up.” 

It was important to the county that they extend their sympathies to his friends and family with a pre-match tribute. They needed to show how much he meant to all of them.

“That comes from the management team and the players. You saw it last year with John O’Mahony and the football team. Just a lovely touch. These players know where they come from, they know what went before them. If you are not going to mark things like that, what is it all about?

“This has extended beyond Galway. The number of people getting in touch, ex-players, chairpersons from so many counties, they know how devastating this is.”