The craic is back at Galway - and not even a painful weekend can dampen spirits

There was an old trope that used to be flung at Galway's elite hurling and football teams whenever they'd exit the championship ahead of the business end of the campaign.

In old money, before the recent revamps, the guns would be locked and loaded for the hurlers if they exited at the quarter-final stage toward the end of July. That particular scenario suited the critics' pre-ordained narrative best because the quarter-final fell on the Sunday before the Galway races kicked off.

"Ah, they played like they were already thinking of the party in Galway," the oven-ready jibes went. "They're probably glad not to have to worry about preparing for a semi-final."