Sports
City clubs anger as Salthill/Knocknacarra unveil plans for complex in Rahoon
A turf war looks set to get underway between Salthill/ Knocknacarra and the surrounding GAA clubs following a decision by the Seasiders to build a €1.3 complex outside its ecclesiastical parish boundaries at Mincloon, Rahoon.
Salthill/Knocknacarra’s members endorsed a motion last Monday night to proceed with the purchase of over 10 acres of zoned recreational and amenity land at Mincloon “with a view to developing two full-sized GAA pitches, subject to approval of the proper authorities”, according to a statement issued by the club to Tribune Sport on Wednesday.
The statement stated that the proposed development was for the youth of the community, highlighting the club fields in excess of 50 teams a week between football, hurling, camogie and ladies football. “The need for playing pitches has never been greater,” declared the club.
However, the surrounding clubs – St Michael’s and Barna (football) and Rahoon/Newcastle (hurling) – have expressed their concerns over the venture, and have chastised Salthill/Knocknacarra for not having the “common courtesy” to inform them they were seeking to develop facilities in their areas.
Aside from that though, they all believe another club, particularly one as successful as Salthill/Knocknacarra, coming into their district will have huge ramifications in terms of it being a drain on their playing resources.
“At the end of the day, there is nothing wrong with what Salthill are doing – there is no law against it – but what you are talking about is down the line,” said Barna Chairman John Flaherty, who outlined many of their playing members hailed from the Mincloon area.
“Boleybeg [national] school is just up the road and it is in our parish. We use the west side of Rahoon and they go to Boleybeg school and they play for us. My view is that if this development comes along there, there are no kids going to come out all the way back to Barna if there is a pitch in Mincloon.
“No parent is going to bring their kids back to us. Let’s say you live in Rahoon and your children go to Boleybeg school, where are you going to go on Saturday morning. You are not going to come back to Barna if there is a pitch right beside you.”
With St Michael’s and Rahoon/Newcastle expressing similar concerns, the three clubs came together to pen a letter to Galway GAA CEO John Hynes seeking clarification in relation to Salthill/ Knocknacarra GAA’s proposed infringement on their catchment areas.
“We genuinely believe if this proposed development takes place it will have a detrimental impact on the recruitment and advancement of GAA players and members alike in relation to the club outlined and, indeed, in relation to the development of GAA in both City and County into the future,” the letter stated.
The clubs outlined Salthill/Knocknacarra GAA currently has the use of a facility in the parish of Barna – two playing pitches and changing rooms at Cappagh Park – as well as the use of other facilities at ‘The Prairie’ on Dr Mannix Road and ‘McGrath’s Field’ on Shangort Road.
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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