Joe Connolly (hurler)

Joe Connolly, born on 13 October 1956 in Castlegar, Galway city, is an Irish former hurler who played as a centre-forward at senior level for the Galway county team. Raised in a large Irish-speaking family with strong Gaeltacht roots and later a hurley-making business, he first played competitive hurling at St Mary's College, Galway, joined the Galway minor team at sixteen, then the under-21 side, and made his senior debut in the 1976 championship. He won one All-Ireland medal, was an All-Ireland runner-up twice, and captained Galway to the All-Ireland title in 1980, ending an almost sixty-year wait, when his words from the pitch to the supporters became famous. He won an All Star Award and was named Texaco Hurler of the Year, and made 22 championship appearances for Galway before a persistent knee injury forced his retirement.