As it was following the semi-final with against Tipperary, there were many poignant pictures of Joe Canning celebrating with his parents after yesterday's All-Ireland final.
Galway ended a 29-year search for another Liam MacCarthy victory while Canning has finally won a deserved Celtic Cross.
Speaking to Sky Sports' Damian Lawlor after David Burke had lifted the cup in the Hogan Stand, Canning said that for a long time he had allowed criticism to affect him excessively.
It took his parents' battle with cancer for him to realise that hurling was no more than a game. Both Josephine and Sean Canning fought and defeated the illness in recent years.
It probably affected me too much for a long time. It probably took mam and dad for me to appreciate that hurling is only a game at the end of the day and it's only a hobby. A couple of years ago, I probably didn't take it as serious in a way, myself and the pressure.
We've got serious young lads there with Whelo and Conor Cooney and Joey as well, they really stood up this year and the last year or two. It took a lot of pressure off me.
