Galway 1998 All-Ireland champions reunite after 20 years

April 14, 2018

Galway captain Ray Silke celebrates the 1998 All-Ireland final victory over Kildare ©INPHO/Keith Heneghan

Galway's 1998 All-Ireland senior football champions celebrated the 20th anniversary of their famous triumph yesterday.

Managed by John O'Mahony, the Tribesmen ended a 32-year wait for the Sam Maguire when they beat favourites Kildare in the final. The 20-year reunion took place in The Galmont Hotel and attracted guests from the world of sport, business and entertainment. The Sunday Game presenter and proud Galway man Michael Lyster acted as MC, while music was provided by the aptly-named Folk Footballers (Padraig Stevens and Leo of The Sawdoctors). 

Recalling the success on Off The Ball this afternoon, Galway captain Ray Silke said Jarlath Fallon's spectacular points and Padraic Joyce's goal were inspirational.

"I think that goal really lit the fuse. I think Ja scored a screamer as well - Ja had the cut of it - and then he scored one from the sideline," he remembered.

"And when points like that start going over, two things happen: the people scoring them start to get phenomenal belief, but the team conceding them starts asking an awful lot of questions.

"And when you see someone score from 45 yards off his left on your team captain (Glenn Ryan) and then he scores another one, and then he scores a sideline.

"To score a sideline under the Hogan Stand - I've never taken heroin - but it's like a rush of adrenaline that you start saying: 'this is going to be our day'. And PJ for the goal, he just slipped inside and slipped it into the back of the net. And then you start believing that this is going to happen."


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