80 years after the only ever championship meeting of Galway and Monaghan in the All Ireland semi final of 1938, the two sides meet again this Saturday at 6pm in Pearse Stadium in the final round of the Super 8s. The Galway team of 80 years ago featured Bobby Beggs, (who was on the Dublin team beaten in the final by Galway 4 years earlier), Kerry man Jackie Flavin (who won an All Ireland with the Kingdom in 1937), Brendan Nestor from Dunmore MacHales (son of JJ Nestor after whom the Connacht Senior Football Championship Cup is named) and Ned Mulholland, grandfather of former Galway player and manager Alan. The 1938 All Ireland semi final was also the first ever radio broadcast by the legendary Micheal O’Hehir. The Monaghan team were captained by the legendary Jack Crawley and included centre forward Pat McGrane, after whom the main stand in St Tiernachs Park in Clones is named.
In a match played in Mullingar, Galway led 0-4 to 0-1 early on thanks to points by Brendan Nestor, Jackie Flavin and Eugene O’Sullivan but Monaghan equalised through an opportunist goal scored by centre forward Pat McGrane. Galway quickly recaptured the lead thanks to points from Ned Mulholland, Nestor, O’Sullivan and another Flavin free, so at half time the Tribesmen led by 0-8 to 1-2. Galway took complete control at the start of the second half as Flavin added a free and then Nestor crossed for Corofin's Michael Mannion to rattle the Monaghan net to go 7 points clear. When wing forward John Burke sent a ’50 straight to the net minutes later, Galway led 2-9 to 1-2 and their place in the final looked assured. A late consolation goal by Rock for Monaghan didn’t take the gloss off a comfortable Galway win as they ran out winners on a 2-10 to 2-3 scoreline and would later capture the counties 3rd All Ireland title after a replay win over Kerry in the final.
Front Row: (left to right) Frank Cunniffe (Beann Éadair, Dublin), Jackie Flavin (Wolfe Tones – Kerry native), Mick Higgins (Wolfe Tones), John ‘Tull’ Dunne (St Grellans, Ballinasloe - captain), Ned Mulholland (Wolfe Tones), Mick Raftery (UCG).
Back Row: (left to right) Bobby Beggs (Wolfe Tones - Dublin native), Ralph Griffin (St Grellans, Ballinasloe), John Burke (Renmore – Clare native), Jimmy McGauran (UCG), Charlie Connolly (Ballinasloe Mental Hospital), Brendan Nestor (Geraldines, Dublin & Dunmore MacHales); Dinny Sullivan (Oughterard), Mick Connaire (Beann Éadair, Dublin – Ballinasloe native) and Martin Kelly (Ardagh, Limerick – Ahascragh native)
