When Seamus Callanan banged home his third goal to seal victory for Tipperary in the July 2014 qualifier against Galway, a large number of away supporters, including one very recent inter-county hurler from the Conor Hayes/Ger Loughnane era, immediately got up and headed for the exits.
As the traffic beaters were streaming out, they blocked out the view of the Galway supporters who decided to see out the final few minutes. Frustration was rising. There was a palpable sense of anger among the Galway supporters who remained towards those who were leaving.
The game was gone from Galway at that stage. There was no question of there being a happy ending here. Those who hung on until the final whistle did so out of an earnest sense of duty.
However, with the stairwell now clogged up with traffic beaters, they had to crane their necks and, in some cases, stand up to see Galway try and mount one last, hopeless attack.
‘EITHER SIT DOWN OR FUCK OFF OUT THE PLACE?’ shouted one man. Others chimed in with cries of ‘SIT THE FUCK DOWN, WILL YE? and ‘ARE YE THAT FUCKIN’ DESPERATE TO GET OUT TO YOUR CARS, ARE YE?’
It was all too much for one man who looked to be in late 40s-early 50s.
‘COULD YE NOT WAIT ANOTHER FUCKIN’ MINUTE?’ he roared.
He got to his feet and started eye-balling some of the people leaving. For a second, it looked as if he was squaring up to his fellow supporters. The woman sitting beside him (presumably his wife) grabbed his arm and got him to sit down.
The ancient sport of traffic beating has a long, controversial history in the GAA. One could even say it is one of the dark arts of Gaelic football and hurling. One that belongs up there with jersey pulling and grabbing a defender’s arm. The wonder is that Eugene McGee hasn't been asked to take a look at it.
As consolation prizes go it has always seemed rather pathetic but some supporters seem to derive a mystifying degree of solace from beating the traffic.
On the surface, it is a curious attitude. After all, one sure-fire way to demolish the traffic altogether is to stay at home and watch the game on television (assuming that's an option). The traffic doesn’t stand a chance if you decide on that course of action.
But then, the traffic isn’t really the issue here. Leaving early can be a sulky form of protest.
At the Ireland-Cyprus match in 2007 (Steve Staunton’s last game as manager), one departing supporter theatrically and smilingly announced, ostensibly to the stewards but loud enough for a wider audience to hear - ‘I’ve been going to Ireland matches for 30 years and this is the first time I’ve left early.’ As he and others streamed out, another band of supporters stood out and belted out 'Stand up for the Boys in Green', a moralistic, slightly self-righteoous rebuke to those filing out early.
He had a good old chortle with the men in orange coats as he slipped down the exit. And that was before Cyprus went 1-0 up.
There was an unmistakeable sense that the people who left early were consciously sending a message to the higher-ups, they were leaving not out of blithe indifference but out of anger. The disgruntlement of supporters was a key factor in Staunton's removal in the days following.
Those Galway supporters who decided to stay were treated to Tipperary tagging on two more points to the delight of their jubilant, yahooing supporters.
Is there a more awful sound in sport than that of another team’s supporters gleefully and raucously cheering every score once they know a game is won?
And maybe that’s the real issue here. People can’t bring themselves to stay around for that.
Traffic tends to be much more bearable after victory.
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