Galway will no doubt be hurting after what was a hugely disappointing exit from the championship this evening, losing out to Dublin after a dramatic affair at Croke Park.
It was a game that Galway looked like they were going to win in the final quarter, having a six-point lead at one stage. However, Dublin would battle back in the final ten minutes or so with the aid of a questionable refereeing call that went their way.
While this occasion will not live long in the memory of the Tribesmen, there were some touching scenes in the buildup to the match.
Dublin Fans’ Classy Gesture Praised By Padraic Joyce
Galway great Paul Clancy would pass away earlier this week at the age of 49. A two-time All-Ireland winner, the Moycullen man was a hugely popular figure within the county.
The current team would pay tribute to him ahead of the meeting with Dublin, forming the figure ‘ten’ during a minute’s silence in tribute to the number he so famously donned during his own playing career.
The Galway footballers paid tribute to the late Paul Clancy ahead of their game against Dublin this afternoon đź‘Ź
They would lay the no.10 jersey on the pitch during the minute’s silence. The players would also line up to make the number 10 near the sideline ❤️ pic.twitter.com/HlLQefIW53
— Balls.ie (@ballsdotie) June 28, 2026
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Padraic Joyce was a teammate of Paul Clancy’s in that all-conquering side at the turn of the century.
Speaking to RTÉ after the game, he would also thank the Dublin supporters for their acknowledgement of the Galway legend.
Galway manager Padráic Joyce has called out some “questionable decisions” following his side’s All-Ireland quarter-final defeat to Dublin pic.twitter.com/j4yaqeaEeb
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) June 28, 2026
It was a tough, tough week in Galway with what went on.
Our commiserations to the Clancy family, Joanna and the kids. We were all at the funeral.
There’s more to life, I get all that. But when you’re playing football, football is our life. We gave it everything.
Hats off to Dublin as well, Ger Brennan and the lads. He’s had a tough year, they produced a great performance for him there as well.
The Dublin supporters were very gracious there at the end. They gave us a great applause for Paul as well, so that was great.
A nice touch.
The Dublin supporters will have another day in Croke Park in a couple of weeks, with Ger Brennan’s men set to face Kerry in a mouthwatering All-Ireland semi-final. It is quite the turnaround for a team that so many had written off just a few short weeks ago after successive losses to Westmeath and Louth at GAA HQ.
As for Galway, they will have plenty of time to ponder where things went wrong after yet another underwhelming end to a season that promised so much. That has become somewhat of a familiar story out west in recent seasons.