Since winning the All-Ireland title last in 1988, Galway have won bucket-loads of underage titles, a handful of Leagues, and several of their clubs have picked up national titles.
But no Liam MacCarthy.
Here we pick the best Galway XV since their last senior triumph.
None of these players were in Croke Park to collect a medal in 1988, some of them have since retired, while others have the chance to reach the holy grail this Sunday.
1. Colm Callanan
A problem position for Galway for many years, Callanan's 2015 All-Star was Galway's first in the goalkeeper spot since John Commins in 1989.
A magnificent shot-stopper with an apparent gift for saving one-on-one penalties, Callanan only became the undisputed Galway No. 1 in his early 30s.
As late as 2012, he was still playing second fiddle to James Skehill.
2. Fergal Moore
An all-star in 2012, Moore captained Galway to their first ever Leinster title. Cynics might have scoffed at how much the Bob O'Keeffe Cup could have meant to Galway but Moore raised it skywards with an impressive degree of exuberant enthusiasm.
Like his older brother Cathal, who delivered one of Galway's finest championship performances of the 90s against Clare in '99, Fergal was a classy hurler who was unlucky not to claim the ultimate prize.
3. Dáithi Burke
Like most players on here, Burke has an All-Ireland club title. Unlike the rest of them (bar one), his came in football.
The terrific Sean Treacy was often deployed at full back and is a potential contender but Burke has cemented his status as the outstanding full-back in the country in the past two years.
Delivered a Man of the Match performance against Clare in the 2016 quarter-final and followed that with a complete shut-out of Seamus Callanan in the semi-final, a match which surely cost the Tipperary full-forward the hurler of the year award.
Callanan's display All-Ireland final performance only underlined the job Burke did in the semi-final.
4. Ollie Canning
Probably worthy of a place on an all-time team of players without an All-Ireland medal, Canning was Galway's greatest player during the noughties.
A wonderfully clever and skillful corner back and a brilliant reader of the game, Canning won four All-Stars ('01, '03. '05, '09) and captained possibly the greatest club side of all-time, the Portumna team of the late noughties.
Canning was the final veteran of that intense period of Galway underage success to retire from senior inter-county hurling. Galway won U21 titles in '91 and '93 and minor All-Ireland titles in '92 and '94. All finished their senior careers without collecting the ultimate prize.
5. David Collins
Young hurler of the year in 2005, Collins played in three All-Ireland finals in '05, '12 and '15. He was appointed captain of the side in 2007 but subsequently suffered an injury ravaged couple of years.
Returned to prominence in 2012 and was one of the most consistent performers as Galway reached a first All-Ireland final in seven years.
Was introduced at half-time in the 2015 final and lobbed over two long range points. But he struggled apart from that and couldn't regain a place in the side for the following year.
His final game for Galway was a late cameo appearance against Tipperary in the 2016 semi-final.
6. Iarla Tannian
Another oft-touted problem position for Galway. Tony Óg Regan survived there for many years and enjoyed an excellent season in 2012. John Lee was supposed to be the future but was lost to the demanding career of medicine and his form tapered off once he hit the senior ranks.
Cathal Moore delivered occasionally stunning performances there but was often on the wing and injuries interrupted his career.
Tannian was only used as a centre back in his later years but we've decided to make room for him as a result of his power and ball-winning ability.
A Man of the Match in an All-Ireland hurling final (not the only man on here to win the accolade) Tannian took home the prize not at any grand banquet but off the sponsors in the tunnel at the end of the drawn 2012 final.
7. Pádraig Kelly
A two-time All-Ireland club winner with Sarsfields, Kelly has an enduring place in history as the last player from the losing team to win the Man of the Match award in an All-Ireland final - a status he may well retain forever given the current televisual necessity for choosing a player from the winners' banquet.
From a national standpoint, Kelly's career is largely associated with 1993.
A new-look Galway team, boasting only five starting survivors from 1988, had Kilkenny on the ropes for a large portion of the second half until a skittery goal from PJ Delaney in the closing minutes sealed the deal for the holders.
Kelly played three matches in Croke Park that year and was Man of the Match in at least two of them.
He was the star when Sarsfields beat Kilmallock in the All-Ireland final, and was the Man of the Match in many people's eyes when Galway stunned an experienced Tipperary team in the All-Ireland semi-final.
Kelly, at wing back, was defensively flawless against a much heralded Kilkenny half-forward line and dashed forward himself to score 0-02.
8. David Burke
A regular since 2010 and an All-Ireland club medal winner (St. Thomas's, 2013) Burke established himself as one of the best midfield players in the game in 2015 and 2016.
He has already racked up three All-Star awards, the first coming in 2012 when he was included at corner forward.
There followed two relatively ropey years in a county jersey before he returned to form in 2015 and 2016. In that sense, he's tended to be an accurate barometer for how Galway will play in a match.
Was awarded the Man of the Match after the 2016 semi-final against Tipperary despite winding up on the losing team.
9. Richie Murray
Galway's midfield pairing for most of the 1990s can't be included as 80s stalwarts Michael Coleman and Pat Malone hung on for a long time afterwards.
Murray attracted notice back in his minor days when he ran riot in an otherwise low-scoring minor All-Ireland final against Tipperary in 1999.
Two years later, he sent Kilkenny's Brian McEvoy flying before the throw-in as Galway stunned Kilkenny in the All-Ireland semi-final. His attitude at the throw-in has often been highlighted to illustrate Galway's approach that day.
Played in the 2001 and 2005 All-Ireland finals, being deployed in the half-forward line during the latter.
10. Alan Kerins
Won almost every major honour in the game except for the Liam MacCarthy.
Famously, his haul includes an All-Ireland football medal from 2001. Galway, a county sharply split along geographical lines as regards hurling and football, has never exactly been a hub of dual players.
But Kerins almost achieved the 'Teddy McCarthy' in 2001. He was wing forward for the hurlers as they lost by three points to Tipperary and was introduced as a late sub as the footballers cantered to victory over Meath.
Always primarily a hurler, he won club titles in both football and hurling, with Salthill-Knocknacarra and Clarinbridge.
11. Joe Canning
Rumours of his brilliance were already circulating around Galway from his early-teens, and he would later star on the Galway minor side that won two-in-a-row in 2004 and 2005 as well as the U21 side that annihilated Dublin in 2007.
He later confirmed that the hype was justified in spectacular fashion against Cork in his debut championship match in 2008.
Marked initially by Diarmuid O'Sullivan, who struggled so badly he had to be replaced, Canning hit 2-12, a sizable proportion of which came from play.
If anything, the impact of his display was magnified by the under-performance of his teammates who chipped in only 0-03 over the 70 minutes.
Canning has won three All-Stars in 2008, 2009, and 2012 and has become one of the most recognisable figures in the sport. A billboard player, if you will.
12. Kevin Broderick
The most exciting Galway forward during their fallow period in the late '90s, Broderick won two All-Stars in 1997 and 2001.
The youtube generation knows him best from the "egg and spoon race" point he scored in Croke Park against Kilkenny in the 2001 All-Ireland semi-final. Cyril Farrell, in co-commentary, got so excited by it his impeccable mask of neutrality almost slipped.
He scored another point a few minutes earlier that was very nearly as good. The brightest star in the Galway galaxy in 2001, he was a bit part player by 2005, only coming on as late sub for Niall Healy.
13. Eugene Cloonan
Galway's chief marksman in the years when the backdoor existed but only for other counties. Cloonan held the county's all-time scoring record until 2011 when it was taken by Joe Canning.
A three-time All-Ireland club title winner with Athenry, Cloonan racked up match-winning scores in the championship against Kilkenny in 2001 and Cork in 2002.
He played little inter-county hurling beyond 2004 and wasn't part of the run to the final in 2005. He eventually retired in 2008 and later formed part of Anthony Cunningham's backroom team as forward's coach.
14. Joe Rabbitte
Rabbitte was often the target for some wild swinging from desperate full backs. He typically received damn all protection from referees labouring under the common presumption that a big man could surely fend for himself.
Part of the Galway U21 side who demolished Offaly in the 1991 All-Ireland final, Rabbitte made his debut for the seniors the same year.
Played superbly in 1993, scoring four points from play in the second half of the All-Ireland final against Kilkenny. At a crucial stage of the second half, he was pulled wrongly for over-carrying the ball on the halfway line and after that the momentum seemed to swing away from Galway.
Was Man of the Match against Tipperary in the 2000 quarter-final and created havoc in the Kilkenny back-line in the 2001 semi-final.
But he suffered a frustrating day in his last All-Ireland final in '01, and departed cursing referee Pat O'Connor, saying he was repeatedly pulled for overcarrying even when he had lads "hanging out of him".
15. Damien Hayes
Another star of the Portumna side of the noughties, Hayes won two All-Ireland minor titles in 1999 and 2000 and was a busy, electric presence in the Galway forward line from 2001 to 2014.
He collected All-Star awards in 2005, 2010 and 2012.
Live coverage of Galway v Waterford in the All-Ireland SHC final (3.30pm) on The Sunday Game Live from 2pm on RTÉ2, with live radio commentary on Sunday Sport, RTÉ Radio 1 from 2pm.
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