September 22, 1963, Croke Park

Gerry Davey punches Dublin's goal

Few people would have predicted that either Galway or Dublin would have been in contention for All Ireland honours in 1963. The previous two years, Galway had been beaten in the Connacht final by Roscommon while Dublin had gone down easily to Kerry in the semi-final by eight points. Galway had a smooth passage through Connacht before causing an upset when beating Kerry by two points in the semi-final. Dublin overcame Meath, Kildare and Laois in Leinster before sensationally annihilating former champions Down by 10 points in their semi-final. The general feeling was that both teams had improved vastly during the year and that the final would be close. Galway had beaten Dublin by 11 points in a league match at Croke Park in March but it was not felt that this would have much bearing on the outcome.

'Fear Ciuin' of the Sunday Press attempted to apply a scientific measure to the two contenders. Dublin were slightly the older team with an average of 24 and a half. Galway were two years younger. While he adjudged them to be evenly matched in height and strength he thought that Dublin's midfield pairing of Des Ferguson and John Timmons would prevail over Mick Garrett and Mick Reynolds and that this would give Dublin the advantage to secure victory. He also referred to the pride of Dubliners that once again their team was all native born and bred. A tribute to the strength of the GAA in the schools.

The match was regarded as another clash between a traditional 'catch and kick' county and Dublin's passing game. There was also the cultural contrast between what Donal Guile of the Sunday Press described as the "Dublin jackeen or gurrier" and " - the no less offensive if more recently coined - culchie". The Galway born writer Walter Macken pondered on how "benign gentlemen" could become transformed into bloodthirsty fiends when their county was playing in Croke Park. He could not comprehend this until he himself went to see Galway play and was

" - overcome by an atavistic desire for slaughter".

Some letter writers were similarly emoted. "J.D" of Ballygar wrote to Joe Sherwood of the Evening Press claiming that it was "common knowledge" that "Dublin intend to knock out our best men and win fair or foul. All we ask is a good fair strict referee." Another Galway man claimed that the referee, Eamon Moules of Wicklow, was a brother-in-law of one of the Dublin players. "Fair Play" suggested that Dublin should give him a medal! Another correspondent, "S.M" of Kildare praised the GAA and attacked those who criticised it for the " - occasional flare-up in the course of a hectic, virile match". He suspected that such "pipsqueaks …beat their wives and children".

On the morning of the match, the Sunday Press carried a story about Lar and Des Foley having spent the Saturday bringing in the harvest on their farm at Kinsealy. Bobbie Beggs, who had won an All Ireland with Galway in 1938 and Dublin in 1942 believed that Dublin were not strong enough to beat Galway.

If pre-match nerves prevented you relaxing in your £2,300 three bedroom semi in Churchtown you could catch the 14 bus into town. There you had a choice of watching Lawrence of Arabia in the Metropole or Taras Bulba, starring Tony Curtis and Yul Brynner in the Savoy. Those of a darker disposition might have enjoyed Max Von Sydow in Ingmar Bergman's The Virgin Spring in the Astor. In the year of the 50th anniversary of the 1913 Lock Out, Donagh McDonagh's Let Freedom Ring was playing at the Olympia. It featured the famous ballad that begins; "In Dublin City in 1913, the boss was rich and the poor were slaves". 1913 was also a bad year for Dublin football. On August 26, four days before a police baton charge killed two strikers in O'Connell Street, a Dublin team which had a Paddy Christie at left corner back, was knocked out of the championship by Wexford.

A huge crowd of 87,106 was officially admitted to Croke Park for the final. Padraig Puirseal of the Irish Press described the atmosphere: "Dublin came out to a roar that must have been heard in Howth as a forest of blue and white banners blossomed on Hill Sixteen. Galway's warm greeting was a whisper by comparison".

It was a tightly contested game in which Galway opened the scoring with a point from 50 yards by Mattie McDonagh. Five minutes later Mickey Whelan equalised for Dublin with a free and they went ahead with another Whelan free on 11 minutes. Galway levelled with a John Keenan point and then went ahead with a point from McDonagh.

The Dublin forwards were not finding much space but they were winning frees and Whelan converted another to leave the score at 0 - 3 apiece. Galway then enjoyed their best period of the match when posting three unanswered points; two frees from Cyril Dunne and a punched effort from Mattie McDonagh before Des Ferguson got Dublin's only point from play of the half just on the stroke of half-time. The score stood at Galway 0 - 6, Dublin 0 - 4. Many felt that Dublin were fortunate not to be further behind. Galway were on top at midfield and only the resolute defence of Hickey, Lar and Casey in the full back line kept Dublin within sight. Centre half-back Paddy Holden had been replaced by Paddy Downey after receiving a blow to the head.

Changes were rung at the break. No further substitutes were introduced but Mickey Whelan was switched from the half forwards to midfield in what many regarded as the move that won the match for Dublin. Within four minutes of the re-start points from Whelan and Brian McDonald had brought the teams level. Then a McDonald sideline ball came towards Simon Behan who flicked it across the square to Gerry Davey who punched to the net. Leydon of Galway and Whelan, from another free, exchanged points before an incident that would have a crucial impact on the outcome.

On 20 minutes Galway midfielder Mick Garrett appeared to have been fouled in the square but following consultation Moules awarded a free rather than a penalty. McDonagh pointed the free but Dublin restored the gap to three with a point from John Timmons who received a pass from McDonald. The end of the match was nail-biting and tense as Galway came to within a point with scores from Keenan and another McDonagh free. Timmons saved the day with a free in the last minute.

The statistics show how tight a game it had been and how wasteful Galway. In total they kicked 12 wides, seven of them in the first half when they were on top. Dublin in contrast made the most of their limited possession with just four wides in the entire match. Another indication of the balance of play is that Galway were awarded 33 frees to Dublin's 19.

Although dogged and tight, it was adjudged to have been a good game. Mick Dunne described it as " - astonishingly fast, frequently superb and always exciting". Lar said that it was " - the hardest match I ever played in." Although Galway were aggrieved at not having been given the penalty, which might well have won the game for them, they were gracious in defeat. Bosco McDermott praised Dublin as " - one of the most sporting sides we have met." Mind you, given that Galway had only played three other teams in the championship, it may not have been as fulsome a tribute as it first appears!

Dublin was lit up with the celebrations. Literally in fact as the fire brigade had to attend to several bonfires around the city which had blazed out of control. The Dublin team, for once with only a minority of Vincent's men, nonetheless brought the cup to 'Joeys' in Fairview and Scoil Mhuire in Marino where a number of future wearers of the blue jersey were suitably inspired. Little did they know of course that it would indeed take another generation before Sam returned to the city.

	DUBLIN - Pascal Flynn (St. Marys), Leo Hickey (Ballyboughal), Lar Foley (St. Vincents), Bill Casey (Na Fianna), Des McKane (St. Vincents), Paddy Holden (Clanna Gael), Mick Kissane (St. Vincents), Des Foley (St. Vincents), John Timmons (St. Marys), Brian McDonald (Synge Street), Mickey Whelan (Clanna Gael), Gerry Davey (Clanna Gael), Simon Behan (St. Vincents), Dessie Ferguson (St. Vincents), Noel Fox (St. Vincents) Sub: Paddy Downey for Holden. GALWAY - M. Moore, E. Colleran, N. Tierney, J.B McDermott, J. Donnellan, S. Meade, M. Newell, M. Garrett, M. Reynolds, C. Dunne, M. McDonagh, P. Donnellan, J. Keenan, S. Cleary, S. Leydon. Sub: B. Geraghty