Goal-hungry Galway upset the odds at Croke Park to book their place in the All-Ireland SHC final for the first time since 2001, amazingly seeing off favourites Kilkenny 5-18 to 4-18.
The Tribesmen turned in a huge display in front of 39,975 with a hat-trick of second-half goals from Niall Healy sealing their passage to next month's final.
However, it was young Ger Farragher's display at corner-forward that will live long in the memory, as the Castlegar club man came away with 2-09.
Galway will now face Cork in the final and on this sort of form they will fancy their chances of a first All-Ireland triumph since 1988.
They lived on their wits, though, in an enthralling game that ebbed and flowed from end to end. Ultimately, two goal gluts for Galway either side of the break saw them win out as Kilkenny were left playing a game of catch-up right until the final whistle.
Admittedly, Kilkenny started the brighter with Eddie Brennan running amok on Damien Joyce and hitting 1-02 early on to open up a 1-03 to 0-02 lead. But Galway soon found their feet and were back level on three different occasions before their first goal feast.
Farragher hit two goals in as many minutes, the second of which put Galway 2-09 to 1-05 clear just three minutes before the interval.
Somehow, the Cats fought back instantly and Henry Shefflin first slotted home to the net from a long free in from John Tennyson. Then, John Hoyne seized on a mis-timed pass between Shane Kavanagh and Ollie Canning and goaled, leaving the Cats trailing by just 3-05 to 2-11 at half-time.
Kilkenny built on those goals after the restart, outscoring Galway 0-06 to 1-01, to leave a point in it at 3-12 to 3-11 in Galway's favour after 47 minutes.
Points from Damien Hayes and Farragher put Galway well clear, however, before two more Healy goals that looked to have closed out the game.
With the Noresiders trailing 5-17 to 3-12, even the Cats fans thought it was all over. Brian Cody's charges proved that they are not quitters by fighting bravely in the run-in.
Brennan, their top scorer on the day with 2-04, grabbed his second goal in a scoring spree that yielded an unanswered 1-05 - but it was too little, too late, as Galway held out.
Galway: L Donoghue; S Kavanagh, O Canning 0-01, D Joyce; D Hardiman, T Óg Regan, D Collins; F Healy, D Tierney 0-02; R Murray 0-02, D Forde 0-02, A Kerins; G Farragher 2-09 (7f, 1 '65'), N Healy 3-00, D Hayes 0-01.
Sub: K Broderick 0-01 (for N Healy 67 mins).
Kilkenny: J McGarry; M Kavanagh, J Tennyson, J Ryall; R Mullally, P Barry, JJ Delaney; T Walsh 0-01, D Lyng; M Comerford 0-01, H Shefflin 1-09 (6f, 2 '65's), J Hoyne 1-00; E Brennan 2-04, DJ Carey, E Larkin 0-01.
Subs: R Power 0-02 (for Hoyne 43 mins), B Hogan (for Barry 52 mins), E McCormack (for Lyng 54 mins), J Tyrrell (for Larkin 63 mins).
Referee: S Roche (Tipperary).
