Pictured at the All Ireland Football final in 1965 are Martin, front right, and Jim Moore, front left, along with their father Eamonn, uncle Frank and neighbour Liam Kelly.

Martin's off again to Croker, 60 years after his first final

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By Shane King

In 1964, Galway were crowned All-Ireland football champions when they defeated Kerry by five points.

This win would be the first of the famous Galway ‘three in a row’ between 1964 and 1966. Sixty years on from then, Galway are back in the All-Ireland final this weekend when they take on Armagh in front of a sell-out crowd in Croke Park.

Two young boys who had just moved from Dunmore, County Galway to Mullingar, made the trip to the capital to watch the historic match in 1964.

Martin and Jim Moore alongside their father Eamonn were among the 76,000 who were in Croke Park to witness the victory.

Fast forward 60 years and Martin is looking forward to attending his 55th final - he missed four while living in New York, and the 2020 and 2021 deciders during the pandemic when crowds were either banned or severly restricted.

He will be cheering on his native county as they attempt to win their first All Ireland Senior Football Championship since 2001.

Martin, front, second from left, pictured with his family at last year's meeting between Westmeath and Galway in Cusack Park. Also in the photo are, back row: James Moore, Conor Moore, Jonathan Moore, Daniel Moore and Joseph Moore. Front: Tom Moore, Carole Moore, Jim Moore and Dean Moore.

Speaking to the Westmeath Examiner this week, Martin recounted his memories of his first final in 1964.

"Seán Cleary was playing on the team and he was teaching in CBS here in Mullingar. The headmaster at the time was also a Galway man and when the tribesmen won the All-Ireland in 1964, 1965 and 1966, there was no school on the following Monday for three years in a row," he said.

The Moore family settled in Mullingar when they moved from their homeplace to a Land Commission farm at Tudenham. Interestingly, a granduncle of current Galway star Shane Walsh also moved to the Lake County during the time of the Land Commission.

"If Shane Walsh's grandfather moved to Westmeath along with his brother at the time, Shane Walsh could have been lining out in the maroon and white for Westmeath," Martin said.

Attending this year's final will be an emotional experience for Martin and his other family members who will be making the trip to Croke Park.

It will be the first final since Jim's passing last December. A huge sports fan, Jim attended every All Ireland football final following his first in 1964 (bar the 2020 final), although he lived in London for over 30 years. He even managed to secure a ticket for the 2021 decider when only 40,000 people were allowed attend.

At the time of writing, Martin hadn't managed to secure a ticket for Sunday's match, but was very confident of doing so. While he believes it will be a "50/50 game", he's confident that Galway will be the team going home with the Sam Maguire Cup.

"They are going to win by two or three points, I would say. It could possibly go to extra time but I'm sure Galway will come out on top," he concluded.

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