Sean and Josephine Canning have had many memorable days watching their children in Croke Park.
The Portumna couple have had their lives based around hurling, with five sons and a daughter. Watching All-Ireland finals at minor and senior level, along with club finals, the duo have seen their children thrive in the game's biggest arena.
What their son Joe did on Sunday afternoon will live long in the memory. The Galway talisman scored half of his side's 22 points in a one-point win over Tipperary to reach the All-Ireland final. The 28-year-old also scored the winning point in the final moments of the game.
After the win, Canning made his way over to his parents to celebrate the win. The scene was made all the more poignant after the star was interviewed in the Irish Independent, on Saturday. Canning spoke about how his parents both battled and defeated cancer in recent years.
When the two of them got sick, it hit me hard. Like, people often ask me why do I play hurling. Why do you do it? I do it for Mam and Dad, to make them feel proud. To see the smile on their faces after a game.
Like every young person, I probably took what my parents did for granted. But their sickness made me appreciate what they did for me a lot more.
The interview with Canning on Saturday revealed a man who is happy with hurling but knows there is more to life than the winning or losing of a game.
He has given his parents and county another reason to believe that the Liam McCarthy Cup could cross the Shannon into Portumna for the first time since 1988 next month.
Most importantly for Joe Canning, he made both of his parents smile on Sunday, with memories that will last a lifetime.
Photos by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile
