Galway restore pride

Date Published: 23-Jun-2009

Pride has been restored and the embers of passion have been stoked once more. It could yet be a long, exciting summer for Galway hurling.

However, at the end of this thrilling Leinster senior hurling semi-final played out in sunny O’Connor Park last Saturday evening, John McIntyre’s men – for men they were – had come up just short against the powerhouse of modern day hurling … a Kilkenny team that many believe are unbeatable.

No doubt, the Tribesmen well and truly put that assertion to the test as with just a quarter of this clash remaining, they led the All-Ireland champions on a scoreline of 3-11 to 2-11, after Joe Canning (a free) and Niall Healy had pounced for second half goals on 38 and 45 minutes respectively.

It was then, though, that Kilkenny came into their own. Drawing on every ounce of experience that they have amassed in recent years, the Cats subsequently and incredibly hit 10 unanswered points between the 48th and 67th minutes to eventually overhaul the brave men from the West.

It is a pity to have to look at the negatives rather than the positives of this contest in the cold light of day, but, in doing so, Galway can benefit from some of the harsh lessons they learned in this gut-wrenching defeat to Kilkenny.

Some may point to the short puck-outs of goalkeeper Colm Callanan in the latter stages or the dismissal of substitute Richie Murray – within a minute of his introduction – as two key factors in the loss, but, for this reporter at least, they are just superficial reasons.

Simply, when it…