Sports
Bronze medals for Galway athletes in testing conditions
DAY two of the All-Ireland Cross Country events was held Sunday last on a muddy and testing course in St Augustine’s College, Dungarvan, Co. Waterford.
The Juvenile Uneven Ages races from U11 to U17, and the Novice races over 4km for women and 6k for men saw large numbers of Galway athletes travel despite the stormy conditions.
Bronze medals for Jason Broderick and the Galway City Harriers ladies squad were the highlights of a great day’s cross country for the Galway contingent.
Broderick was tipped in advance for a top placing in the competitive Novice men’s 6km event, and the Craughwell AC man duly delivered a superb performance in undoubtedly his best ever run at this level.
The 2015 Galway Cross Country champion ran a fine tactical race, starting off conservatively and moving through the field of well over 200 starters, going from 50th on the first lap, to the lead group of five athletes as the race progressed.
Broderick pushed on strongly on the last lap to finish third and take a richly deserved National bronze medal in what was probably the finest individual cross country result in Craughwell AC’s history. This result is a testament to the young Loughrea man’s hard work and dedicated training over the past number of years, and more is surely to come from this talented athlete.
Next home for the Galway squad, which eventually was placed ninth county team, was John Greaney of GCH with a storming 16th place run, followed by a good effort from John Moroney of GCH in 62nd, with John Cronin, Ciaran Diviney, Brian Bruton and Seamus Leddy also team scorers.
The GCH ladies team also took a well earned bronze team medal, coming third behind surprise packets Youghal AC and DSD AC from Dublin. The team was led by a tremendous run from Barbara Dunne in 9th place, with Niamh Hennelly next in 14th in probably her best run ever in the GCH colours.
Caoimhe Daniels and Siobhan Egan completed the four GCH scorers, with Maeve Brassil in 51st and Marie Boyle in 72nd also running well. Galway ladies county team were fourth and just missed a medal.
In the U17 race, the Galway boys’ squad also competed well with GCH athletes Eanna Folan 47th and Ronan Dirrane 77th, with Jack Maher of Connemara AC finishing 61st and Brian Burke, Ballinasloe, in 71st
In the Juvenile programme, nearly all Galway clubs were well represented. GCH U13 girls won bronze medals as members of the successful Connacht team. Eimear Rowe had the best performance of her season to finish in a creditable 18th position, followed in 19th by Emma Moore.
Full report in this week’s Connacht Tribune.
Galway 3-18
Cork 1-10
NEW setting; new opposition; new challenge. It made no difference to the Galway minor hurlers as they chalked up a remarkable sixth consecutive double digits championship victory at Semple Stadium on Saturday.
The final scoreline in Thurles may have been a little harsh on Cork, but there was no doubting Galway’s overall superiority in setting up only a second-ever All-Ireland showdown against Clare at the same venue on Sunday week.
Having claimed an historic Leinster title the previous weekend, Galway took a while to get going against the Rebels and also endured their first period in a match in which they were heavily outscored, but still the boys in maroon roll on.
Beating a decent Cork outfit by 14 points sums up how formidable Galway are. No team has managed to lay a glove on them so far, and though Clare might ask them questions other challengers haven’t, they are going to have to find significant improvement on their semi-final win over 14-man Kilkenny to pull off a final upset.
Galway just aren’t winning their matches; they are overpowering the teams which have stood in their way. Their level of consistency is admirable for young players starting off on the inter-county journey, while the team’s temperament appears to be bombproof, no matter what is thrown at them.
Having romped through Leinster, Galway should have been a bit rattled by being only level (0-4 each) after 20 minutes and being a little fortunate not to have been behind; or when Cork stormed out of the blocks at the start of the second half by hitting 1-4 to just a solitary point in reply, but there was never any trace of panic in their ranks.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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GALWAY United need to guard against any kind of complacency when they make the short hop down the M18 this Friday to take on Treaty United at the Markets Field (7.45pm).
The game is a meeting of the two form teams in the division, and as in previous meetings between the sides, will have an additional edge given the number of former United players in the home side’s ranks, and the pair of Limerick lads playing for United.
There might have been just the eight meetings between the sides since Treaty became the latest iteration to represent Limerick in the League of Ireland in 2021, and while United have yet to lose to the men in the candy-cane strips, there has never been more than a goal in four of their eight wins.
The most recent of those was back in February, when Rob Slevin scored the only goal of the game in Eamonn Deacy Park after a tough battle against a side who made a slow start to the season, before finally finding their groove in the past month.
Having taken just three points from their first six games before finally getting a win against Longford Town, they reverted to type with just one point from their next three games, but are now on a run of four wins on the spin, scoring 12 goals and conceding just one.
Their most recent win was a 3-0 victory away to Longford Town last Saturday, and they could have won by double that against the only side to have beaten United this season. That in itself is a warning.
For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.
Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App
Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.
Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Soccer Wrap with Mike Rafferty
While the Salthill Devon men’s team might have lost their grip on the Connacht Junior Cup that they held for two seasons, the club’s women’s side have picked up the mantle and on Sunday last in Headford were crowned provincial champions with a 4-3 win over Manulla.
Following midweek wins for Maree/Oranmore and Knocknacarra, the stage is now almost set for the semi-finals of the Michael Byrne Cup with Salthill Devon meeting St Bernard’s on Sunday in an outstanding quarter-final, with the winners advancing to a semi-final against Maree/Oranmore, while Colga will face Knocknacarra in the other last four contest.
Just one league issue remains to be decided, with the Championship runners-up position up for grabs, as Dynamo Blues have to win their two remaining games in order to overtake Colemanstown United who have finished their programme.
WOMEN’S CONNACHT CUP FINAL
Salthill Devon 4
Manulla 3
Ellerose O’Flaherty scored twice as Salthill Devon were crowned provincial champions with a win over a Mayo side who were losing in the final for the second year in succession.
Backboned by a number of players who previously had League of Ireland experience with Galway WFC, Devon suffered an early set back when Jess Nolan put Manulla ahead, before O’Flaherty levelled matters with a cracking finish on 20 minutes, which was quickly followed by a long-range free-kick from Aoife Walsh.
For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.
Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App
Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.
Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
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