The Athlone railway bridge lit up in the Galway colours ahead of the county's last All Ireland football final appearance in 2022. The bridge is to be lit up similarly in advance of this Sunday's final between Galway and Armagh.

Athlone bridge to light up in show of support for Galway footballers

Adrian Cusack

Published: Thu 25 Jul 2024, 4:01 PM

Last updated: Thu 25 Jul 2024, 4:42 PM

As the build-up to Sunday's All Ireland football final continues, Irish Rail has confirmed that the railway bridge in Athlone will light up in maroon and white in a show of support for the Tribesmen.

Pádraic Joyce's side will be bidding to claim their first All Ireland football championship since 2001, with their opponents Armagh also hoping to end a spell of more than two decades without the Sam Maguire Cup.

Two years ago, when Galway faced Kerry in the All Ireland final, Irish Rail said there was some uncertainty about whether the lights on the bridge in Athlone could generate the maroon colour - but a close approximation of maroon was ultimately achieved.

And a spokesperson confirmed that the local bridge would be similarly lit up once again ahead of the big game this weekend.

Irish Rail has added an extra morning train on Sunday from Galway to Dublin, and an extra service in the opposite direction on Sunday evening, but these pre and post-match services are already full booked.

On the last two occasions when Galway won 'Sam' - in 1998 and 2001 - the team stopped in Athlone to mark the symbolic moment when the Sam Maguire Cup crossed the Shannon on its journey west.

A crowd of up to 10,000 people turned out in Athlone in 1998 to welcome the Galway footballers after they defeated Kildare to earn their first Sam Maguire Cup in 32 years.

The celebration in Athlone in 2001, after Galway defeated Meath, was a smaller affair but hundreds still turned out at the town's railway station to greet the team on the journey west.