Limerick fan in iconic photo: ‘They’ve given us the best days of our lives’

FORTY five years of pain mixed with relief, shock and passion created one of the iconic photos of the 2018 All-Ireland final between Limerick and Galway.

The shot of Darragh Moloney, Knockaderry, squeezing his two boys tighter than clubman Tom Condon’s hand on the sliothar after Joe Canning’s last minute free fell short, went viral. It received thousands of likes and retweets on Twitter and made the Limerick Leader and national papers.

One of the nicest things about it was that it was taken by a heartbroken Galway supporter - Léan Breathnach, a daughter of the famous Seán Bán. She snapped the pic unbeknownst to Darragh and asked him if she could send it to him.

The Leader caught up with Darragh eight years on as Limerick and Galway are back in the All-Ireland final again.

“I avoid it (photo) as much as possible,” he laughed.

Darragh said he would have been thrilled at the one All-Ireland in 2018 not knowing that four more Liam MacCarthys and seven Munster crowns would follow in the intervening years.

“Not a hope could I have seen that back then. My lads wear Cork, Dublin, Tipperary jerseys. When we were young we were sick and tired of being bate so there is no way you’d wear a Tipperary or Cork jersey. We were so used to going through Tipp Town with our heads down. Success breeds success and the two boys expect to win,” said Darragh.

His and wife Shelly’s sons - Cillian and Rían - were aged 10 and eight in the 2018 photo. Now they are six foot three and six foot tall respectively.

“The years weren't long going and they haven't missed a match since. The boys are as bad as ourselves. We’re season ticket holders so we go to all the games as a family,” said Darragh.

It’s in the genes as he can recall going to the 1984 All-Ireland minor final between Limerick and Kilkenny with his dad Sean and brother Kieran. Sean captained Knockaderry in 1967 when they won a west junior title.

“I always remember my dad hugging a stranger at the final whistle,” recalled Darragh. Similar to 2018, Limerick broke that 42 year hoodoo last month in the TUS Gaelic Grounds against Tipperary.

The Knockadery man is hoping that Cian Lynch will lift Liam on Sunday but if it is Galway’s Darren Morrissey, he says the Limerick team and management “don’t owe us a thing”.

“They are a mighty bunch of men. It would nearly annoy you when they have a bad game and fellows would be roaring in the stand - do they not appreciate what the players are doing for them?

"They have given us the best days of our lives,” said Darragh.