Picking the right suits for All-Ireland final day is no mean feat.
Once the knockout stages are navigated, and Croke Park in September awaits, the process begins.
A lot of thought goes into it. Sometimes fare too much thought.
When it comes to Kilkenny GAA – and the hurlers are well used to it – the final call goes with the county board. As former Cats star Jackie Tyrrell recently told us:
“The county board used to always pick it out. I would have rathered to pick out my own but it was the county board.
“In fairness, they always used to go for the slim-fit now so all the lads used to be happy.”
In 2012, the Kilkenny county board played it safe. Extremely so:
Cats boss Brian Cody seemed pretty content but it did little for the likes of Eoin Larkin [pictured above], Henry Shefflin or their teammates.
Galway lost to Kilkenny in a replay that year and they lost to the same opponents in 2015. It has taken the Tribesmen a couple of years to get back to the final and they had to account for 2016 champions Tipperary on the way.
Ahead of the decider for Liam MacCarthy, on September 3, Galway captain David Burke and talisman Joe Canning dropped into Hanley & Co. to sort out their gear for All-Ireland weekend.
Michael Donoghue’s men will be wearing suits courtesy of Hanley & Co., Galway, official suppliers of the county’s senior and minor hurling teams, with Burke and Canning volunteering to be fitted out. The minors will be wearing ‘casual’ outfits of shirts and chinos from Farah, and supplied by Hanley & Co.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BX0zdyLjKo8/?hl=en&taken-by=hanley.ie
If they look anything as sharp as these suits [below], the Galway boys will be looking very well:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BWifTdQD96l/?hl=en&taken-by=benetti_menswear
As for the less formal side of things, it is good to see Canning is getting himself a new pair of jeans.
Burke stepped up to try on Calvin Klein shirts [white and navy] with Tommy Hilfiger jeans for the team’s ‘casual look’. You can see more images of the senior team selections by swiping on the main image below.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BX3CSUNj_zl/?taken-by=hanley.ie
Galway fans will be hoping they get to see the suits on national TV the night of September 3 as The Sunday Game’s highlights and review show makes a pleasant habit of dropping by the post-match banquet of the All-Ireland champions.
*Hanley & Co. are the official suppliers to the county hurling teams and not Benetti
