Limerick councillor bravely admits 'my loyalties are with Galway' ahead of All Ireland Hurling Final
Split loyalties in one Limerick city centre household ahead of Sunday’s showdown
There are split loyalties in one city centre household ahead of Sunday’s showdown.
But the Limerick fans in that household still outnumber the Galway fan by three-to-one!
Independent City West councillor Maria Donoghue is a proud Tribeswoman – but her husband Jim, and their two children Ben, 12 and Alex, 14, are Treaty through and through!
Remarkably, Cllr O’Donoghue is one of two local politicians from the Galway town of Loughrea – the other being Croagh-based Stephen Keary.
And she will be proudly in the maroon come Sunday.
“My loyalties are with Galway of course. You always support the place you’re born in. It’s so personal and of course, it's amateur, you'd know players’ families. You might even know the players themselves. If it was professional and players could transfer, that personal touch would be lost.”
In 2018, Limerick dethroned the then holders Galway to win a first All-Ireland title in 45 years.
For Cllr Donoghue, who moved to Limerick in 2008, seeing the Liam MacCarthy Cup in her local club was emotional.
"I never got to see the MacCarthy Cup when it was in Galway. So when it came to Ballinacurra Gaels, I got very emotional, as I hadn’t seen it in person in 30 years,” she said.
Despite her Galway heritage, the Independent councillor has led calls for more Limerick flags in the city centre, saying: “The players should see and feel our support.”