Galway city and county will come to a standstill on Sunday when Galway will aim to topple Kerry in Croke Park and win their first Sam Maguire in 21 years.
In the city, several thousand fans will watch the match under the canvas at the Galway International Arts Festival Big Top at Fisheries Field.
The event, jointly organised by the Festival and Galway City Council is free, but tickets had to be booked in advance.
The city and county are a sea of maroon and white as the mania generated by Padraig Joyce’s men reaches fever pitch after stirring victories against Armagh and Derry.
More than 20,000 Galway fans will head eastwards on Saturday and Sunday to support the team. Indeed, many are expected to make a weekend of it and support the senior camogie side in their mouthwatering All-Ireland semi-final against Kilkenny at Croke Park on Saturday evening.
If Sean Kelly gets to lift the Sam Maguire on Sunday evening, the team is expected to return west on Monday, with details of a homecoming yet to be finalised.
This year’s return is complicated by the fact that it is also the opening evening of the Galway Races at Ballybrit, but there is no doubt that Sam Maguire would be a welcome guest at Ballybrit for the week.
The Advertiser includes a 32-page preview supplement inside this week’s edition. We also have full pictorial and update coverage on our social media from Croke Park this weekend, with extensive reaction coverage from our team in the stadium.
