54,191 people travelled from the west of Ireland and sat in the Dublin rain to watch magic.
Galway were expected to be asked some questions of Clare but no-one predicted that they’d have to go to the well and dig deeper than they have had to in the last two years. No-one thought they’d be against the ropes in extra time and shorn of their spine and their leaders, and being forced to stand up and be counted without Gearóid McInerney, without David Burke and without Joe Canning.
That’s an All-Ireland winning captain, a hurler of the year and last year’s man of the match in the final taken out in one fell swoop and somehow, from somewhere, Galway refused to lose.
In fact, it was Clare who had to dig out the equaliser at the death.
Fortunately for everyone else, they’ll have to do it all again next weekend.
GET
THOSE
TICKETS https://t.co/rx6myLcUqb— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) July 28, 2018
The All-Ireland semi-final replay – the first semi-final replay, let’s not rule out the same possibility for Limerick and Cork – will be held in Thurles and it’s not exactly uncommon.
That classic between Waterford and Kilkenny was moved to Tipperary for the same thing and finished under lights in an epic battle in 2016. The Leinster final replay between Galway and Kilkenny was sent into the home of Munster hurling too but that was because of a concert at Croke Park.
Next Sunday though, there are two other games taking place at Croker and it means the Galway v Clare match couldn’t be accommodated.
Sunday
1.15pm – Mayo v Kildare (U20 final) – Croke Park
3.30pm – Roscommon v Dublin (Super 8s) – Croke Park
Meanwhile…
2pm – Galway v Clare (hurling semi-final) – Thurles
There are no games taking place at Croke Park on Saturday next weekend but Galway’s under-21 hurlers are playing their All-Ireland semi-final in Ennis at 2pm whilst the footballers are at home in their final Super 8 clash at 6pm.
So the game is on Sunday and it couldn’t be Croker because there’s already two games taking place there with Dublin and their massive support expected to occupy the majority of the stadium as it is. If you’re going to accept replays as part of the game, you’ll have to accept that you won’t always get the ideal time and venue to put on the same event for a second occasion.
But that doesn’t stop the complaints and the Dub football fans should probably look away because if Croker wasn’t Dublin’s official home venue (yes, we’re back to that), there would be a slot for the hurling on Sunday.
So the reason this replay is on in Thurles and not Croke Park is because of Croke Park being Dublin’s “home venue” in the Super 8s. https://t.co/Ot9UQ5VYcM
— Gearóid Óg (@gearoid_og) July 28, 2018
cant believe the Gaa are not put Clare v Galway nxt weekend in Croke Park.. is this all to accomodate the Dublin footballers in a game they shouldn have in Croke Park?
— Peter O'Leary (@poleary7) July 28, 2018
Thurles next Sunday for the All Ireland Semi Final Replay. Fucking joke. Bublè & the Pope–greed by the GAA. And why not BH Monday in @CrokePark ?
— MJ Crowe (@mike_mjcrowe) July 28, 2018
The TV schedule next Sunday will be interesting.
As it stands, RTÉ are showing both the final Super 8 games – Dublin v Roscommon and Donegal v Tyrone – and, if they’re going ahead at 3.30pm, it’s unlikely the national broadcaster could pick up the hurling at 2pm.
TG4 will showcase the under-20 final at 1.15pm but if RTÉ are to get the hurling semi-final replay, times will have to change for the football or they’ll leave themselves with no room for injuries, extra time or analysis – not that that’s always a bad thing.
