Heartbreak and ecstasy on GalwayÕs GAA fields

Date Published: {J}

FOR two prominent Galway GAA clubs over the weekend, there was absolute devastation; for another, it was sheer joy. When teams lose big finals in extra time, there is always a massive sense of regret, but when they had the match virtually wrapped up in normal time, the pain becomes even more acute. To say the least, there are a lot of troubled players and mentors in the Loughrea hurling and Killererin football camps this week.

Both teams were almost home, almost in dreamland. Padraic Joyce had just saluted the Killererin crowd after putting the Galway football champions three points up on the stroke of full time against St. Brigid’s of Roscommon at Tuam Stadium, while barely 15 miles away Loughrea were also protecting a three points advantage with only four minutes remaining in the county hurling final at Kenny Park.

In the end, both clubs had little more to give in extra time. The massive psychological disappointment of being caught at the post would have left Loughrea and Killererin, in particular, vulnerable in the extended 20 minutes of action in any event and neither team could cope with their respective opposition’s resurgence which had been fuelled by dramatic finishes as St. Brigid’s and Clarinbridge earned late reprieves.

The hurling replay in Kenny Park was a grand occasion. Blessed with a remarkable day of November sunshine and supporters responding positively to the Hurling Board reducing the admission charge to €10, the match had to be delayed as around 10,000 flocked to Athenry. They got value too as Clarinbridge displayed tremendous resilience to claim only the club’s second county title on a day Jamie Cannon and David Forde were heroic in the winners’ half-back line.

For long periods, however, it appeared that Loughrea were about to justify their favourites’ tag. With the team’s full back sector of Tom Regan, Damien McClearn and Brian Mahony utterly dominant, Neil Keary accurate from frees, Johnny Maher picking off three points in total and Kenneth Colleran causing big problems for ‘Bridge captain, Paul Callanan, in the opening-half, the 2006 champions were the more convincing outfit.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.