Smiles as wide as the Shannon brightened what had begun as a gloomy afternoon for Galway. Of course, Kildare found no consolation from leaden skies. Neither weather nor random attempts to explain their second-half collapse could console them. Their long, dreary wait continues. Almost overwhelmed by their euphoria, young male Galway supporters were brave enough to challenge Sonia O'Sullivan and John Treacy to races down Fitzgibbon Street as the crowds mingled and engaged in friendly banter after the match. Sonia smiled her by now famously enigmatic smile, but gave the impression she would have no bother beating any of her would-be challengers out of sight. John Treacy, diplomat that he is, kept his counsel.
Galway had won some unusual supporters for their highly impressive second-half performance which carried them past Kildare on a surge of maroon delight. Chief among those would appear to be Tony Banks, the British Minister for Sport, paying his first visit to Dublin even though he was born in Belfast.
"I really should have been at the opening day of the Labour Party Conference, but I got this invitation and decided that I would prefer it, and I was very impressed.
"I really enjoyed the match and the way the players approached the whole thing. When I think of the way some of the highly-paid players in soccer behave I think that those players today would put them to shame.
"The atmosphere was wonderful," he added. "The handling of the ball and the tackling was great and the players accepted hard knocks without complaint. Psychologically, I thought Kildare froze in the second half when Galway came back so strongly. The fitness level of everybody involved was amazing in an amateur sport, and the sportsmanship was splendid. It was a revelation and I certainly would like to come again." Banks, a devoted Chelsea supporter, proved he had caught on to some of the subtleties of the Gaelic game without problems. He displayed this by picking out Padraig Joyce, Kevin Walsh, Jarlath Fallon and Tomas Mannion as the outstanding Galway players. He also paid a generous compliment to the GAA. "When the stadium is complete it will be really spectacular and I look forward to coming here when the work is completed.
"I'm delighted that I passed up the Labour Party Conference for this. It was far more exciting," he said with a mischievous grin. The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, was in relaxed mood. "It was a very enjoyable match and showed again that players are prepared to play in a very sporting and determined manner and that referees can allow the game to flow.
"I believe that the points scored by Jarlath Fallon were crucial to the outcome. Scores like that can break the opposing team's heart. It was like that in 1992 when Donegal beat Dublin," he said a little wistfully. With a nostalgic look in his eye, he said he and his brother Maurice would be going "quietly" to the Canal End after the official Croke Park reception to say "goodbye" to the scenes of their boyhood.
"That is where we watched matches when we were kids, and the breakers' ball will come in tomorrow and a part of our youth will be demolished. I am sorry it has to happen but it is progress. But we will have to say goodbye properly." The Tanaiste, Mary Harney, did not have any time for such nostalgia. From Ahascragh, near Ballinasloe, she had been with her father in Croke Park in 1966 when Galway completed their three-in-a-row, the last time the Sam Maguire Cup had been claimed by a Connacht team.
"It was really great out there today and brought back many happy memories," she said. "I was worried at half-time, but Galway came to life in the second half and I don't think anyone can doubt the better team won.
Her assessment was shared by the former president of the GAA, Mick Loftus. A Mayoman, he was nevertheless celebrating a victory for his neighbours. "Galway put in a very big effort at the start of the second half and played some great football and got some fine scores. Kildare seemed nervous and did not play as well as expected, but Galway were great once they got that all-important goal and they took control from there on." His views were echoed, perhaps not with quite the same fervour, by other former presidents Paddy McFlynn and Peter Quinn. McFlynn, a Derryman by birth, said that he had a seen great strength in the Galway team when they had beaten Derry convincingly in the semi-final. "I said that day that they would be a very hard team to beat and I am pleased that I was right."
Peter Quinn, from Fermanagh, was just as pleased. "It is not a bad day for the GAA when Ulster and Connacht teams win minor and senior titles. Tyrone and Galway have done the GAA proud, and while I'm sorry for Laois and Kildare and understand how they feel, I believe that today was a good day for the association." The chairman of the Northern Ireland Sports Council, Don Allen, a regular on these occasions at Croke Park, believed he had seen better contests. He was, needless to say, proud of the Tyrone victory in the minor match.
He identified one aspect of Galway's approach in the senior match which only an expert would have picked out. "I thought the way the Galway goalkeeper kicked the ball out and found a colleague so often was a very important factor in their win. Tactically I thought Galway played a shrewder match." There was widespread agreement that the better team had carried the day. That will be no consolation to Kildare, but, for the present, Galway's long wait has brightened the whole face of Connacht football and that, surely, is not bad thing.
