As we prepare for next Sunday’s All-Ireland final between Galway and Armagh I’ve been reading some the countless beautiful tributes to the late John O’Mahony and it reminded me of a different GAA era, pre-internet, where the discourse between rivals was less abrasive and more respectful. A time, for example, when Mayo fans and Galway fans were slightly more polite and neighbourly to and about each other than they are today. (I’m sure that used to be the case). Also frequently mentioned over the past few weeks has been the groundbreaking GAA documentary ‘A Year ‘Til Sunday’, which chronicles Galway’s victorious journey to winning the 1998 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship under ‘Johnno’.
At the time, this documentary passed me by, probably because I was too sore about our next-door neighbours swooping in after we lost successive finals in 1996 and ‘97, showing us, with a superior sideways glance, just how it was done. It was nearly enough to drive one to emigration.
Given, that this weekend we are once again faced with the horrific prospect of Galway winning another final before we do, it felt timely to indulge my inner sadist and finally sit down to watch what has been referred to as the greatest GAA documentary ever made. It also felt fitting as a small personal acknowledgement of one of Ireland’s most loved and well-respected GAA managers, who gave us a few great days out of our own.
(Side note: Aside from the outstanding Laochra Gael series, and The Toughest Trade, I wasn’t actually aware that any other GAA documentaries existed. Research revealed that this is not the case, and given Clare’s incredible victory on Sunday, the 2013 documentary ‘Behind the Banner’ will be next on the list. Incidentally, Clare won the Liam McCarthy that year too, so maybe the Mayo powers that be should consider inviting in a cameraman some year soon.)
Remarkably, the creation of ‘A Year Til Sunday’ wasn’t quite planned. At the time, its creator Pat Comer, who worked in filmmaking, was Galway’s sub goalkeeper, and apparently started filming for a bit of craic, and to have a record of the championship season. He’d previously attempted this in 1997, but Mayo put an end to those plans by winning the Connacht quarter-final in Tuam. This raw, unpolished deep dive into the very heart of Galway’s season was captured in a relatively informal and unimposing manner, with Comer grabbing the camera and recording team talks and training sessions, making the resulting film all the more authentic.
The first thing that struck me about ‘A Year ‘Til Sunday’ was just how … old … it felt. The grainy TV footage and the retro fashions combined with images of several well-known stadia, including Croke Park, in their unmodernised eras, was a stark reminder that 1998 is not, as I frequently think, about ten years ago, but over a quarter of a century ago. Despite this, I remember the championships of that time so vividly compared to modern-day ones, probably because they were much more straightforward and less convoluted affairs. And probably because there were fewer distractions.
Back in 1998 – and this is a big confession for a Mayo fan – I remember being mesmerised by Padraic Joyce on the field. Names like Michael and John Donnellan, Ray Silke, John Divilly, Sean Óg de Paor and Ja Fallon were household names and icons I hugely admired as a teenager. I was emotionally invested in Galway’s journey back then, and to me, that team will always be one of the greatest to ever play the game. Seeing them now, baby-faced, in the thick of training sessions, in the dressing room during team announcements and in the aftermath of games on the team bus offered a glimpse behind the scenes at the grit, camaraderie, mental fortitude and determination that propelled that team to glory. What an absolute gift to witness, even 26 years later.
The other thing that struck me was the unbridled passion, colour and noise of the fans, spilling over the sidelines in huge numbers. Today, there is less enthusiasm, and 40 different iterations of jerseys and training tops in a multitude of colours means supporters are harder to distinguish. In Castlebar in 1998, it was maroon and white, green and red, and hundreds of flags lent a carnival atmosphere we just don’t see any more at big games. There was a real honesty and level of investment among GAA fans at that time, again probably indicative of the fact that there simply were fewer competing interests.
It is a great shame that so few other such documentaries have been made, and that the culture of the modern intercounty team is so media-unfriendly and shrouded in secrecy. It is our loss, and one might argue, that of the Association itself, that we don’t get a window into this most fascinating world and a record of the dedication to the cause.
Ultimately though, “A Year ‘Til Sunday” isn’t just a story of Galway’s triumph; it’s a celebration of the spirit of Gaelic football and the indomitable will of those who play. It elevates moments universally relatable to GAA fans—pre-match rituals, superstitions, the collective roar of the crowd, the post-win jubilation. For Mayo fans, while it is a bitter reminder how elusive that ultimate victory has been for us – “to the victor belong the spoils” – it also proves that the want we have is not all that different to the longings of other counties. It reminds us of what we are striving for and why, but also demonstrates that while the road to glory is fraught with obstacles and disappointments, the journey itself is filled with moments of profound beauty and significance.
On that note, while I can’t claim to really mean it, it would be churlish not to wish our neighbours all the best on Sunday. All we can hope for is that if they do manage to bring Sam home, that it will inspire a new generation of Mayo players to better them in time.
As for me? I’ll be busy starting my new life abroad.
