Then Galway manager John O’Mahony celebrating with the Sam Maguire Cup after All-Ireland win in 1998. Photo: David Maher/Sportsfile
On Tuesday, Pat Comer made the journey from Galway city to Ballaghaderreen along with Gary Fahey and his father, Richard. They arrived around 3.30 at the home of John O’Mahony on the main street and took their place in the queue.
“We got there early,” says Comer, “before the throw-in. And the crowd was already going in. He touched so many people’s lives. But it seems strange, being honest about it, talking about him in the past tense. That’s probably the most difficult thing to get your head around here. He’s the first one of that crew to go.”