Final crowds aren’t the same but St Thomas’ keep doing their stuff

Inside Track with John McIntyre

LONG gone are the days when crowds of 10,000 plus attended Galway hurling finals. A combination of too many sporting attractions on TV, the lateness of the year and the Pearse Stadium factor contributed to an attendance of around half that figure at Sunday’s showdown in Salthill.

The hurling people of east Galway largely shun the county’s premier GAA ground due to its western location in the city. Sure, they made an exception when the Portumna and Loughrea rivalry was at its peak about a dozen years ago, but not even the prospect of modern-day hurling history being created on Sunday could entice them back in any great numbers.

December county finals are a hard sell in any event and, unfortunately, Galway are the worst offenders when it comes to getting their programme completed before the depths of winter. Sure, they have been unlucky with boardroom appeals in recent years and the Covid-19 semi-final hold-up in 2021, but some tidying-up is required in the number of championship rounds.

None of this will bother St Thomas’ or their supporters as celebrations of their magnificent four-in-a-row continue. Maintaining their remarkable record of never losing a county final – Sunday’s triumph represented six out of six – underlines the self-belief and composure in their ranks when big games are in the melting pot.

Compared to their recent final successes against Liam Mellows (twice) and Turloughmore, Clarinbridge’s youthful vibrancy and clutch of quality stickmen presented a different challenge to the champions, but St Thomas’ had them well figured out long before the finish. They only won by three points, but they wouldn’t have been flattered by a margin twice that.

For more, read this week’s Connacht 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.