Galway 2001 football team where are they now as All Ireland Final winners celebrated
There will be two notable figures dearly missed from the commemorations on Sunday
It is hard to believe that Sunday’s All Ireland Football Final will mark 25 years since Galway last lifted Sam Maguire aloft.
John O'Mahony’s golden generation of Galway men reached three finals in four years during the late nineties and early noughties bringing the cup back west in 1998 and 2001.
Gunning to right their wrongs after forcing Kerry to a replay the previous year but falling short against the Kingdom the second day out, the year did not start out too well for Galway.
Losing to eventual Connacht champions Roscommon in the provincial Semi-Final would have normally been a year ender in any other year.
But this wasn’t any other year.
It was Galway’s year and a new year which showcased a new format - the back door qualifiers.
A match that would have never seen the light of day the year before was cooked up as Galway went to Aughrim to face Wicklow, winning well.
The Tribesmen had already had two days out in Croke Park before there was even talk of a Quarter Final.
Narrowly scraping past Armagh in a one point nail biting round three before relinquishing the Rebels’ chances of a round of last eight.
From Rebels to Rossies and in a rare chance of getting to replay a losing game, Galway now had the chance to knock out their noisy neighbours which they did in emphatic style.
It was eerily starting to look like 1998 all over again where Galway meet and beat Derry in the Semi Final and defending champions Kerry - just like they were in the 1998 season - were the other losing semi finalists.
Much like Galway, Meath too had reached a third final in five years but unlike Galway - they had won their first two.
Meath were Leinster champions and had blown Kerry away in the Semi Final by 15 points in one of the Kingdom’s darkest days, so it was no surprise who the favourites were coming into the game.
Chances of a rare GAA double were squashed weeks previous when Galway’s hurlers lost to Tipperary.
And then the world changed forever.
The hurling final was soon forgotten about as just days later 9/11 took place which led to a more quietened build up to the football final than normal.
Both sides went in at half-time six apiece but the second half was anything but close, Galway producing a Royal(s) rumble against Meath outscoring them eleven points to two including a missed Meath penalty.
As the confetti rained down over Croke Park, it spelt the beginning of the end for that famous Galway Galácticos gang with Tomas Mannion announcing his retirement after that game.
There will be two notable figures dearly missed from the commemorations on Sunday.
The Mayo man who brought pure liquid football to Galway, the late John O'Mahony, and the amazing half forward who popped up with two points on that fine September day 25 years ago, the late Paul Clancy who died only last month.
There will be a rapturous applause for both these men on Sunday as well as the other 14 lads who will line out on the hallowed pitch once again.
When looking back at where that team is now, no better place to start than the back row on the left.
Man of the match that day with ten points, nine of which came in the second half and proved the difference of the whole game, Pádraic Joyce has brought Galway back to those dizzy heights twice since he’s taken over as manager but hasn’t lifted the cup in that capacity - yet.
After serving 13 years in the maroon and white jersey, we caught up with Tomas Mannion a few years ago for a look back on it all.
2001 was only the start of Kieran Fitzgerald’s glittering footballing accolades with the full back pocketing just the four All Ireland club medals, 14 Galway club titles as well as seven county titles before retiring in 2020 - not too shabby.
Kevin Walsh managed Galway before his teammate of ‘01 Joyce took over for this latest reign, leading them to a semi-final loss height against Dublin.
Alan Keane went onto win four club titles with Killererin while five time Connacht title winner with Galway Joe Bergin became chief executive of Elkstone, a leading Irish investment firm, this year.
Tuam postman Ja Fallon and his fellow forward Michael Donnellan cemented their places among GAA royalty after 2001 with their performances of that period earning them a place at the top table alongside the greats.
Seán Óg de Paor loved his jousts with Mayo and Richard Fahey called time on his career after a persisting knee problem.
We would be lying if we said Gary Fahey was the last Galway man to raise Sam Maguire aloft in the Hogan Stand.
He wasn’t. The stand was under construction at the time meaning the captain fantastic raised the cup on the field to the jubilant stand scenes around him.
Cortoon Shamrocks ace Derek Savage also tried his hand at management leading the line for Galway’s under 20s during 2024 and 2025, having only retired from his club back in 2020 after 25 years service.
And last but by no means least - Declan Meehan. The All Ireland club and county winning Caltra man, who is part of one of Ireland’s greatest GAA family dynasties, scooped up player of the year in 2001. He would go on to play for Galway for another decade after, before spending time as a selector too.