It’s a sign.
1988.
It’s hard to believe that Galway have not lifted the Liam McCarthy cup since the days when Cyril Farrell still had wisps of hair on his head and Charlie Haughey was in power.
Much has changed in the meantime but there has been one constant in all our lives in the last 27 years; Home and Away’s Alf bloody Stewart. Or Ray Meagher as he likes to be known.
We never knew that the Australia soap supremo was such a fan of hurling if we hadn’t heard it with our own every ears this afternoon.
But the man who single-handed built Summer Bay and kept the Surf Club going through every single natural disaster to hit ‘the bay’ has put his support behind Galway for Sunday’s All-Ireland hurling final.
He recorded a special message for iRadio as he backed Kilkenny to suffer yet another loss to in Croke Park to the Maroon and White:
“G’day, g’day g’day, I want to talk to you about 1988 and what a great year it was too. Lots of great things happened, Home and Away went to air for the first time and the Galway Tribesmen won the All-Ireland hurling championship.”
“That’s right folks, it was back in 1988, a long time between drinks. But it’s all going to change this Sunday in Croke park. They’re on the march.
“Now down in Kilkenny, eh, the Cats, they won seven of the last ten championships. Most people reckon cats have nine lives, well I can tell you blokes in Kilkenny you’ve only got seven and you’ve had ’em!”
“The Tribesmen are coming for you, go you good things this Sunday at Croke Park. Don’t miss it. See the Galway Tribesmen win this championship for the first time since 1988.”
“Get out of the road you flaming galahs.”
Have a listen to Alf giving it his best below
