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There is an old saying that sport can be wonderfully uplifting one week and brutally unforgiving the next. Galway hurling experienced both ends of that spectrum in the space of a fortnight.

The second half of Galway’s All-Ireland quarter-final defeat to Tipperary last summer made for painful viewing. The eventual Liam MacCarthy champions swept aside the Tribesmen with an ease that was as alarming as it was sobering in front of a sea of Tipp support.

Galway 3-25 Kilkenny 1-16

Thirteen days out from an All-Ireland final, and less than 48 hours after Galway had shocked Cork in Croke Park, Micheál Donoghue cut a noticeably relaxed and content figure as he sat down with members of the local media.

When Cathal Mannion arrived on the Galway scene, his quality was evident from day one. He struck four points from play on his league debut against Dublin back in 2014 and followed it up with another three in Tribesmen’s next outing against Waterford. Not a bad start to life in the maroon and white.

It is hard to believe how much water has flowed under the bridge since Galway’s last All-Ireland final appearance in 2018. That campaign seemed to be trucking along nicely before Limerick edged Galway in the final to end a 45-year Liam MacCarthy famine.

History often turns not on dominance, but on moments. A hooked hurley. A misplaced handpass. A goal at precisely the right time. Sport has an extraordinary way of disguising seismic change behind the narrowest of margins.

Micheál Donoghue has established himself as one of the most respected hurling managers of the modern era, earning a reputation for calm leadership, tactical intelligence and an unwavering belief in teamwork.

Some sporting victories end when the final whistle blows. Others continue long after the players have left the field. They travel home on buses and trains, into pubs and kitchens, across streets decorated with flags and into the memories of those who witnessed them.

As days following the Galway hurlers go, last Saturday afternoon in Croke Park will take some beating. Long after the final whistle had sounded, a wave of maroon euphoria swept around GAA headquarters as a unique rendition of N17 echoed around the stadium.