He had forgotten how it felt, being a folk hero. Minutes after the final whistle and Brian McEniff is swamped by the people and smiling. He wears them well, and after a long winter, he looks about a decade younger.

"Ah, it's a great feeling. We battled and battled and late on we let them come at us because we ran out of steam. We took off Michael Hegarty because he covered every blade of grass, Christy Toye as well. The work rate of those boys out there is what I am so, so proud of."

He roamed the sideline like a man on the verge in the last hectic minutes. Twenty minutes is a long time without a score.

"Tell me about it," he beams.

"I was worried but I suppose we were tired. There were a lot of Herculean performances out there. Men gave their lives out on McHale Park and I'm very proud to be a Donegalman tonight."

Bedlam in a steamy Donegal dressing-room. In a corner is Aidy Sweeney, laid back and unhurried. "Funny, the first few minutes of the second half, Galway probably thought they would come at us but we actually extended our lead," he recalls.

"Ah, we're delighted, we got the rub of the green. The week between the two games kept us right - we knew we couldn't be acting the wag. We went to the beach on Tuesday night for a swim and you could feel it then that boys were up for it. I thought we got off to a good start and we probably had the legs on them at the end. Maybe we sat back a wee bit, but Jesus, the boys were magnificent at the back."

The Galway lads depart in even temper. Gracious and tired, they seem reconciled to seeing the back of a summer that never fully started. Kevin Walsh pauses to deliver his thoughts.

"After half time was a bit of a killer. But our players kept chipping away. All it wanted was one onion bag and it just didn't come. We had enough chances.

"The mood was great. Despite all the criticism that went out. I think it was over the top, especially from the type of fellas giving it. I'm not going to mention names but I think this Galway team has given a lot of great years since 1998 and we are still not finished. The back-door system helped Donegal and I wish them the best of luck, it will take a good team to beat them. But let the experts criticise both teams all they like. Maybe it is time they copped on to themselves."

McHale Park is sunlit and empty when John O'Mahony steps out to talk with RTÉ.

"We realise we haven't been playing this so-called champagne football," he says later.

" I felt some of the criticism was over the top. We have no problem with criticism of our tactics but I do have a problem with people writing when they don't know what the real story of the sacrifices our players make really is. Those guys owe nothing to Galway. When people are digging at stuff that isn't really there, that is disappointing. I don't mind as manager, I will take the hits. But I object to players being personally castigated as they were this week."

With that he leaves, a book closed. Closed too is the book of McEniff's, who lost a night's sleep when Galway and Donegal last met in the championship. This, he allows, makes up for it.

"Yes, it does. Twenty years. It has been a long time coming."