Sports
Kevin Walsh and Anthony Cunningham reappointed for 2016 GAA season
‘Peace for Our Time’ – a phrase made famous by British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain in his speech concerning the Munich Agreement and the Anglo-German Declaration in 1938, a year before the outbreak of World War II.
While ‘war’ might be too strong a word to describe the civil unrest in Galway hurling over the Winter months in recent years, the Galway Hurling and County Committees would appear to have learned from the harsh lessons of the past by moving quickly to reappoint their senior managers this week.
At a County Committee meeting in Loughgeorge on Monday night, both Anthony Cunningham and Kevin Walsh were reappointed as 2016 senior hurling and football managers respectively after they had both addressed delegates.
For Cunningham, who was made to fight hard to hold onto the post last year before guiding the Tribesmen to the All-Ireland senior hurling final last month, his prompt ratification should ensure still waters in Galway hurling over the slow months between October and January.
“The important thing was to do it very timely and quickly and get positivity out there so we could move on,” said Galway Hurling Chairman Michael Larkin this week.
“I would say from the Hurling Committee point of view – and Galway GAA – we basically wanted to ensure continuity [after reaching the All-Ireland].
“Things go on and things move on quickly. There is a 10-week break to the inter-provincials (v Ulster), which take place on the first week of December, while the first round of the Walsh Cup is on January 3. So, it was important to move quickly.”
Despite coming under intense competition from other candidates within the county in late 2014, including his former coach Mattie Kenny, Cunningham was backed by the County Committee to remain in the post for another two years, with a review to take place after the first.
After the All-Ireland defeat to Kilkenny, the GAA Committees locally moved swiftly to reappoint Cunningham for a fifth year, although it remains to be seen if any changes are to be made to his backroom staff, which includes trainer Eugene Cloonan and selectors Damien Curley and former team-mate Pat Malone.
“Like everything else, Anthony will be reviewing all aspects of his management team, and his backroom team, because that is part of the review that has to take place. If you just expect to continue with what you have, you are basically going to stand still and at the end of the day we know we have to improve and beef it up again,” said Larkin.
“We certainly don’t want a situation like we had where there was a lull in 2013 after reaching the All-Ireland final the year before. We need to ensure that type of situation doesn’t happen again and ensure we get back into the All-Ireland final next year and this time go one better.”
For more, read this week’s Galway City 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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