Hanley and Lee are thrilled as Oughterard men defy the odds again

By Patrick Earley

WHAT a journey it has been for Oughterard. An underdog story to rival any, the Galway and Connacht intermediate champions continuously overcame the odds until there were no challengers left and they secured All-Ireland glory.

Go right back to the county championship and Oughterard defied the odds, avoiding potential elimination from the title race on day two of the season against Mícheál Breathnach before beating the same opposition after two titanic struggles in the county final to secure their passage through to the provincial championship.

Roscommon, Mayo, Kerry and Monaghan champions all had a go but one by one left with their tails between their legs after succumbing to Tommy Finnerty’s side.

Winning the All-Ireland was something they always believed possible. It certainly wasn’t the main goal for the year, they achieved that when qualifying for the county final and securing their senior status for 2020, but it was always in the back of their minds as something they felt achievable.

“To win an All-Ireland at the start of the year was in our thoughts but our main goal was to play senior football,” corner-back Ciarán Hanley said. “We beat Dunmore convincingly (county semi-final) and we achieved that.

“Everything else after that was a bonus, but I think this result and all the results all year proved people wrong who had been writing us off. We went into the Templenoe game, they were unbackable favourites.

“Today Magheracloone were favourites. Mícheál Breathnach were probably favourites for the county final so we’ve proven ourselves time and again so I think it’s time people start respecting the Oughterard name,” he added.

No better way to earn the respect of their future opponents in the senior county championship and people around the country then to do what they did over the past few months.

Every day they took to the field it was backs against the wall stuff, being forced to show incredible resolve to fight back from losing positions and progress one step further, culminating in Saturday night’s game where again, they looked in trouble early on

“The first few minutes, I thought I was going to be coming off at half-time, I was all over the place,” Hanley admitted. “Their number 14 was giving me all sorts of problems but Tommy (Finnerty), he’s been incredible all year, he just reassured me.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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