Conneely the hero as Moycullen claim first senior title

Moycullen 2-12

Mountbellew/Moylough 1-11

Dara Bradley at Pearse Stadium

MUCH like the Covid-19 times we live in, this was a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence for Galway’s newest county champions.

One-hundred-and-eight years on from when it was founded, and 43 years since its first and only previous Galway senior football final appearance, Moycullen GAA joined local club royalty by claiming the Frank Fox Cup for the first time.

Moycullen tasted intermediate glory twice, in 2015, and 2007, when the side went all the way and won the All-Ireland at Croke Park; but the ‘big one’ had eluded them for over a century . . . until Sunday when they joined an elite of 23 other Galway clubs (eight of whom are no longer fielding), in the senior roll of honour.

They did so in style, too. A dominant second-half performance from the outsiders at Salthill left no room for doubt but that they were thoroughly deserving of victory over a Mountbellew/Moylough outfit that peaked in the semi-final when dethroning Corofin.

2020 will forever be remembered for Coronavirus, a pandemic that ensured just 200-odd souls could attend the Salthill showpiece, which proved as entertaining as any recent senior finals.

But 2020 will never be forgotten in Moycullen, for all the right reasons too, as Don Connellan’s charges, inspired by an unbelievable showing from captain Dessie Conneely, captured the crown while playing some serious football that helped lift the Covid cloud.

The underdog’s victory boosts not just the winning parish, but gives hope and inspiration to all West Board clubs, particularly in Connemara.

Mountbellew/Moylough have been that underdog on many occasions in the past decade, and while neutrals revelled in Moycullen’s win, their hearts also went out to the North Galway club whose terrible record in county finals continues. You couldn’t but feel sorry for Val Daly’s men.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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