Brilliant U-21s show way foward

Date Published: {J}

FRANK FARRAGHER

IN a way it was a bit like the 1916 rising for the little pockets of Galway fans making their way by the GPO along O’Connell Street — they were heavily outnumbered and outgunned by Cavan’s blue army who had come to town early for their big day out.

There is something a little incongruous about being in the capital on May Day for an All-Ireland final but the Dubs involvement in the league decider, meant that the under-21 showdown got promoted to Croker.

Make no mistake about it but this is the place to play All-Ireland finals. Over 42,000 people gathered to see a very promising bill, although in one of the vagaries of sport, both games turned out to be somewhat one sided affairs.

Anyway Croke Park was a strata removed from having to try and get through the Stasi style security cordons to cover matches in Sligo (mooted at one stage as a possible final venue), and Galway’s flowing style of football certainly benefited from the expanse of the country’s number one ground.

By noon in O’Connell Street, most of the Cavan fans were making their way towards Russell Street. Here and there, little maroon cells could be seen, but they were in a serious minority.

A marching party of about 300 members of the proletariat from Parnell Street chanted about the austerity measures being endured by workers at present and further on, Gardai in potholing gear, checked the sewers and underground pipe network, in case of any nasty surprises when ‘herself’ (The Queen) arrives later this month.

Word came through via the train travellers that the carriages were far from full on the way up from Galway, Athenry and Ballinasloe but that there was still ‘a nice crowd’ on board.

It really was though a ‘blue day’ in Croke Park. After the influx of Cavan supporters, the sky blue of the Dubs started to appear and the core of neutrals present were really hoping for a blue double. Everyone really does love the underdog and as it turned out the Dubs did have a great day in the sun — the Galway fans who waited on enjoyed that one too.

The Galway fan base, including the Dublin diaspora, probably did stretch to a few thousand but all seemed to be absorbed by the Cavan blue and none more so than in the opening seconds of the match when Niall Smith cut through the Galway defence to punch a point, and with a bit more ambition it could have been a goal.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.