PICTURES: GAA-GAA fans and colour around Galway ahead of All Ireland Hurling Final

We think we have found one of the most decorated maroon and white houses in Galway ahead of the Hurling Final | Iconic

placeholder image — We think we have found one of the most decorated maroon and white houses in Galway ahead of the Hurling Final | Iconic

If you stand still for too long you might even get painted maroon and white yourself

From Caherlistrane right across to Carna and from ex-pats to excited ticketholders, the hype is something else for Galway fans here and across the world this weekend.

Galway fans are just hours away from the event they dreamed of back on those cold winter days at the start of the year.

Let’s talk about six, baby!

As Galway play their 26th All Ireland Hurling Final - eight years since their last Final, a heartbreaking defeat to the opposition on Sunday, and nine years since their last time holding Liam after the Waterford win - they will be looking to give MacCarthy a squeeze again for a sixth time.

So it’s only right that fans are going a bit doolally in the lead up to the game painting their houses and even their cars the colours of this beautiful county.

If you stand still for too long you might even get painted maroon and white yourself

There’s also tense rivalries in a few households this weekend.

One Limerick councillor bravely admitted 'my loyalties are with Galway' while the kids of these married Galway and Limerick GAA stars are even divided for Sunday - and they’re only 5 and 7.

Don’t forget every Galway v Limerick update you need is here in our special All Ireland Final section and information on The Connacht Tribune’s free 32 page supplement is here.

Fitting that if Galway are to strap the seatbelt on Liam MacCarthy as it goes over the Shannon, they will have to beat the team who were their opposition for their first Final win.

After failing to even register a score in their first hurling final in 1887 when Meelick represented Galway in the Final against Thurles of Tipperary, they lashed Limerick out of it in 1923 with an emphatic seven point win.

A three in a row was subsequently stopped by Tipperary and Dublin the following two years with Galway reaching five finals in the 20s but losing four.

Three losses in the 50s and two in the 70s followed before another golden generation of gifted Galwegians came through.

Three wins in 1980, 87 and 88, with Joe Connolly famously proclaiming “people of Galway, we love you”, finally put to bed a near 60 year famine.

But those old enough to remember will feel that Galway left a few celtic crosses behind them too - especially the controversial year ban Tony Keady received in 1989 for playing a match in America, ultimately leading to him being ineligible to play in 1990.

Six finals would pass them by before they raised Liam aloft again in 2017 but heartbreak would strike again just a year later.

Here’s a full list of Galway’s All Ireland Hurling Final History including scorelines.

Galway have won five All Irelands - 1923, 1980, 1987, 1988, 2017

1923: Galway 7-03 (24) Limerick 4-05 (17)

1980: Galway 2-15 (21) Limerick 3-09 (18)

1987: Galway 1-15 (18) Tipperary 0-14 (14)

1988: Galway 1-12 (15) Kilkenny 0-09 (9)

2017: Galway 0-26 (26) Waterford 2-17 (23)

Lost twenty - 1887, 1924, 1925, 1928, 1929, 1953, 1955, 1958, 1975, 1979, 1981, 1985, 1986, 1990, 1993, 2001, 2005, 2012, 2015, 2018

1887: Tipperary(Thurles)1-01 (4) Galway(Meelick) 0-0

1924: Tipperary 5-06 (21) Galway 1-05 (8)

1925: Dublin 5-03 (18) Galway 2-06 (12)