Galway minor footballers aim to follow in the footsteps of hurling counterparts

REGARDLESS of the result of Sunday’s All-Ireland minor football championship final (throw-in, 1pm, extra-time if necessary), a dream double is on the cards for one of the teams.

The Galway footballers are hoping to follow-up the triumph of their U17 hurling counterparts a fortnight ago, to make it a first ever All-Ireland success in both codes at the minor grade in the same year. Cork, who stand in their way, are chasing an underage football double – the county’s U20s already collected All-Ireland silverware earlier this Summer, as the football revival Leeside continues.

Whichever team wins will end a famine of sorts; Galway hasn’t won an All-Ireland minor football title since 2007, and Cork last lifted the Tom Markham Cup in 2000.

Twelve and 19 years respectively is a long time to be without All-Ireland glory for counties with such footballing pedigree and both teams will fancy their chances now that Kerry, who won the last five titles, are out of the equation.

As passages to All-Ireland finals go, Galway’s was far from smooth. Two provincial defeats were lowlights of a topsy-turvy campaign that was illuminated by an incredible victory over the Kingdom in the semi-final.

At the start of the year, pundits predicted whoever beat Kerry would win the All-Ireland but, unfortunately, it’s not that simple and Cork will regard Galway’s win at the penultimate stage as having done them a huge favour – taking out their bogey team.

Cork haven’t beaten Kerry at minor in donkeys’ years . . . there’s just something about the green and gold jersey . . . but they’d fancy their chances against the Tribesmen.

“You’d imagine so, but that would be a natural feeling because of what Kerry have done over the last number of years,” said Galway boss, Dónal Ó Fátharta.

“Having said that, Cork are shrewd enough to know that on any given Sunday, the top six to eight teams have a chance of beating each other. It’s all about this Sunday now, and we are working to just get over the line.”

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.

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