Galway needs to address why it is not pitch perfect

Inside Track with Stephen Glennon

Galway suffered a disappointing defeat to Dublin in the National Hurling League last weekend and, while there were elements of play that were disappointing – particularly the lack of work-rate at times – let’s be realistic about just where things are at presently.

This is not about late appointments or fall-outs between managements and players, but an issue far more pertinent. This week, the Galway senior hurlers travel up to the Connacht Centre of Excellence in Bekan, Ballyhaunis, to train. Let’s take a moment to let that sentence sink in.

Galway’s senior hurlers, some of whom are in college or working in various parts of the country, have to travel on to Mayo to train. Regardless of those facilities being the best in Connacht, the question has to be asked – why? The reason is quite simple. The amenities are not there in Galway.

There is Loughgeorge, but even that is limited with the number of teams it can cater for. Founded by the footballing community, it really only became all-inclusive when Mountain South went bust on the hurling fraternity. All of a sudden, those availing of Loughgeorge’s resources had doubled.

What highlights Galway’s plight is that when those clad in the maroon and white travel to other parts of the country, they see the facilities their rivals have at their disposal – vast centres of excellence where floodlit – playable – pitches are 10 a penny!

The lack of facilities in Galway is increasingly becoming a critical issue. For instance, when it comes to the knockout stages of the club championships later in the year – and the All-Ireland club series next Spring – you will have a number of Galway clubs travelling to Clare, Tipperary, Limerick and, indeed, Bekan to train or play.

For Galway hurling, Mountain South is undoubtedly a millstone around the neck, dragging it further and further down. Clubs are paying huge levies to ensure the County Committee and Galway GAA does not go under, and the officials there are fighting tooth and nail to keep the ship afloat.

You wouldn’t wish it on your worst enemy and what it means is the possibility of putting in play floodlit – be they field, sand-based or synthetic artificial (3G) – pitches to accommodate county teams or, indeed, play-off club fixtures in less favourable weather conditions is a long, long way off.

Just imagine if you had a 3G GAA pitch in Galway where you could run off your U-21 hurling and football championships in February and March without the fear of clubs coming back with the news that pitches are unplayable. It would take a huge amount of pressure off fixtures in this county.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.