While many Inis Mór locals were in Croke Park on Sunday to see Seán Mulkerrin become the first Aran Islander to play in an All-Ireland football final, it seemed like everyone else was crammed into Tigh Joe Mac’s pub.
The small pub on the pier in Kilronan is the beating heart of GAA on Aran and was filled to overflowing long before throw-in at 3.30pm.
With pub owner Stevie Kilmartin among the travelling legion in Dublin, the responsibility for keeping patrons well-watered fell to pub manager Barbara Ní hIannain.
“We have everything crossed and we are hoping that Sam Maguire will be coming west, please God,” she said before the match.
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“My nephew, Cian Hernon, whose father is from the island, is on the panel as well. It is great for the young people here to see it. It puts so much life and energy into the place.
Former Aran Island footballer Orna Ní hIannain knows too well the sacrifices that Mulkerrin has had to make to become an inter-county footballer. Like Seán, she had to spend hours every week travelling back and forth to the mainland to further her sporting career.
“It is such an achievement for such a small place and especially for the commitment that he [Mulkerrin] had to show to make this happen. It’s amazing to finally have someone from the islands on the team.
“We never really had an underage [female] team here on the island, so myself and a few of my friends used to travel in and out to the mainland to play with teams there. This is the first ever year that the girls have an underage team here on the island, we have an under-12 team now between the three islands.”
Those under-12 girls will travel to Dublin to play in the half-time exhibition match during the Ladies All-Ireland final next weekend, in which Galway will play Kerry.
“When Seán was younger, he went to the Tech [secondary school on Inis Mór] and he played minor football. He would have had to go out on the boat for training in the evening and then get back in for school again the next day. It took a lot of commitment.
“We used to have a boys underage team but we don’t have the numbers anymore. The population levels are too low.
“It’s a big commitment for parents. Even just to train, they have to go to Inis Oírr for the three islands to come together. But if there is a match, they could be gone for the day.”
Inis Mór is an attractive spot to people from all over the world. Quentin Lidou arrived on the island five years ago and has never left.
“I came here for a visit on St Patrick’s Day. I was drinking a pint in the pub and ended up getting a job there. I like everything about the place, the Irish culture, the people here are very welcoming, I love it here,” he said, dressed in his Galway kit.
“My partner is from Galway, so I am supporting her homeplace. I know GAA. I used to live in Australia so I watch ‘footie’ out there, and some of the rules are similar. I haven’t tried playing yet, just supporting. The excitement around the island has been really amazing, I’ve never seen anything like it”
After a hard-fought match, Galway came up just short. While the mood in Tigh Joe Mac’s was downbeat, everyone there was conscious of the history made by Mulkerrin in Croke Park.
“We are desperately proud of Seán, he has put the island on the map. You could see it inside there [in Tigh Joe Mac’s] today, we are all so proud,” said islander Chloe Conneely
Daniel Dirrane is a former Aran Island footballer who now plays the game in Australia. Back home for the All-Ireland, he believes that impact that Mulkerrin made on Sunday will be felt by future generations on Aran.
“It goes to show you that you don’t have to be from a big club to play for Galway and to do well,” he said.
“We will be drowning the sorrows tonight but Galway have a good team and they will be back again.”
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