FIFTY years since their first championship meeting, Galway and Donegal do battle again on Sunday at Croke Park (4pm) with a place in the 2024 All-Ireland Senior Football Final up for grabs.

At this stage of the championship in 1974, John Tobin scored 2-6 to put the Tribesmen into a third decider in four years. And nine years later, Val Daly struck 1-1 as they edged past the Tir Conaill men for another encounter with Dublin.

The Ulster side have had a measure of revenge in the interim. A 2003 quarter-final replay victory in Castlebar was probably the beginning of the end for John O’Mahony’s time in charge of the Tribesmen.

Galway GAA, along with football fans throughout his native Mayo and Leitrim, whom he led to Connacht glory in 1994, united in grief this week after the sudden passing of the eight-time provincial winning boss, a record that still holds today.

And with Padraic Joyce’s side just two games away from emulating the achievements of O’Mahony’s 1998 and 2001 All-Ireland champions, the former Galway manager’s connection with the maroon and white will be felt more strongly than ever this week.

In 2009, Donegal edged a qualifier by one-point. And after another six years, they had Galway’s number again with a 10-point victory at Croke Park.

Two years after, Galway levelled the record books at three wins each when Johnny Heaney hit 2-2 in a 4-17 to 0-14 demolition at Markievicz Park.

That was during Kevin Walsh’s reign as Galway were gradually returning as championship contenders.  Donegal were suffering a post-Jim McGuinness hangover but the mastermind of their the 2012 All-Ireland triumph has returned.

And while a unique pairing, it’s not a shock that Galway and Donegal are back competing against each other at the penultimate hurdle. The shock involved Dublin falling to the maroon and white two weeks ago.

Respective managers Joyce and McGuinness are friends from college helping Tralee RTC/IT to three consecutive Sigerson Cups in the late 90s. And the latter even took a behind-closed-doors Galway training session for Joyce back in 2020.

Pictured: Galway defenders Liam Silke and Dylan McHugh give chase to Ciarán Kilkenny of Dublin during the All-Ireland senior football quarter-final at Croke Park.