Sports
Hurson lands Summer Rally after setting a winning pace
FORMER National rally champion Peadar Hurson (Subaru WRC) took a start to finish victory in the 4×4 Exporter Galway Summer Rally, the penultimate round of the Triton Showers National Rally Championship.
The Warrenpoint driver and his Monaghan co-driver Damien Connolly finished the nine-stage event with a winning margin of one minute and 9.1 seconds. Monaghan’s Niall Maguire/Enda Sherry (Subaru WRC) took second spot with Donegal’s Declan Gallagher/Ryan Moore (Toyota Starlet) a fraction of a second behind in third.
The top local crew was that of Tom Flaherty/Patrick Curley (Escort), they finished 16th overall and fourth in Class 14. Another local crew, Paul Curley/Jason Ollerenshaw (Subaru WRC) were five places further behind in general classification.
Outgoing national rally champion Declan Boyle crashed out on the opening stage, his Ford Fiesta WRC slid off and the impact with the Galway scenery damaged the front right wheel and suspension. Meanwhile, Peadar Hurson set the pace and led the Subaru WRC of Alan Ring by 14.6 seconds.
The Warrenpoint driver also dominated the remaining stages of the loop and arrived at the Athenry service with a lead of 32.5 with Maguire into second place – 1.8 seconds ahead of the Subaru of Steve Wood. Rally leader Hurson admitted he was cautious through the second stage where he clipped a bale and knocked off the left hand wing mirror. Maguire was untroubled in second while Wood admitted he found it difficult to find the braking points.
Fourth placed Roy White had an issue with the brakes during the second stage, but it was sorted prior to the start of the final stage of the loop. Gallagher led the two-wheel drive category in fifth spot with Alan Ring, having chosen the wrong tyres, completing the top six.
Meanwhile, Ed O’Callaghan punched in a strong time on S.S. 3 and occupied seventh in a top ten that featured the Fiesta R5 of Daniel McKenna and the Escorts of Chris Armstrong and Jonathan Pringle.
Paddy McVeigh in the ex-Patrick Elliott Subaru WRC was 11th. In Group N, following the demise of Aidan Wray with a clutch problem, Gary Cairns (Mitsubishi) led the way from Trevor Bustard and Paul Barrett. Meanwhile, Kevin Barrett withdrew his Subaru at the service due to suspension problems, earlier, smoke filled the cockpit of the car on the third stage.
On the second loop of stages, Hurson extended his lead to 51.8 seconds: “I’m taking it steady, not taking any chances,” he said at the Athenry service as he marvelled at the performance of Declan Gallagher, quickest through S.S. 5, who slotted his Toyota Starlet into second spot – 2.8 seconds ahead of the Subaru of Niall Maguire. A 7.7 second margin covered Gallagher, Maguire and Ring with the latter gaining slightly on Maguire.
White was trouble free in fifth with Ed O’Callaghan (Escort) posting the second fastest time on S.S. 6, a fraction of a second behind Hurson, completing the top six. Wood lost between 15 and 20 seconds when he spun his Subaru as he exited a right hand junction near Attymon, he dropped from third to seventh. The remaining places in the top ten were annexed by Daniel McKenna (Fiesta R5) and the Escorts of Chris Armstrong and Jonathan Pringle, who spun on S.S. 5.
For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.
Galway 3-18
Cork 1-10
NEW setting; new opposition; new challenge. It made no difference to the Galway minor hurlers as they chalked up a remarkable sixth consecutive double digits championship victory at Semple Stadium on Saturday.
The final scoreline in Thurles may have been a little harsh on Cork, but there was no doubting Galway’s overall superiority in setting up only a second-ever All-Ireland showdown against Clare at the same venue on Sunday week.
Having claimed an historic Leinster title the previous weekend, Galway took a while to get going against the Rebels and also endured their first period in a match in which they were heavily outscored, but still the boys in maroon roll on.
Beating a decent Cork outfit by 14 points sums up how formidable Galway are. No team has managed to lay a glove on them so far, and though Clare might ask them questions other challengers haven’t, they are going to have to find significant improvement on their semi-final win over 14-man Kilkenny to pull off a final upset.
Galway just aren’t winning their matches; they are overpowering the teams which have stood in their way. Their level of consistency is admirable for young players starting off on the inter-county journey, while the team’s temperament appears to be bombproof, no matter what is thrown at them.
Having romped through Leinster, Galway should have been a bit rattled by being only level (0-4 each) after 20 minutes and being a little fortunate not to have been behind; or when Cork stormed out of the blocks at the start of the second half by hitting 1-4 to just a solitary point in reply, but there was never any trace of panic in their ranks.
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.
GALWAY United need to guard against any kind of complacency when they make the short hop down the M18 this Friday to take on Treaty United at the Markets Field (7.45pm).
The game is a meeting of the two form teams in the division, and as in previous meetings between the sides, will have an additional edge given the number of former United players in the home side’s ranks, and the pair of Limerick lads playing for United.
There might have been just the eight meetings between the sides since Treaty became the latest iteration to represent Limerick in the League of Ireland in 2021, and while United have yet to lose to the men in the candy-cane strips, there has never been more than a goal in four of their eight wins.
The most recent of those was back in February, when Rob Slevin scored the only goal of the game in Eamonn Deacy Park after a tough battle against a side who made a slow start to the season, before finally finding their groove in the past month.
Having taken just three points from their first six games before finally getting a win against Longford Town, they reverted to type with just one point from their next three games, but are now on a run of four wins on the spin, scoring 12 goals and conceding just one.
Their most recent win was a 3-0 victory away to Longford Town last Saturday, and they could have won by double that against the only side to have beaten United this season. That in itself is a warning.
For more, read this week’s Galway City 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.
Soccer Wrap with Mike Rafferty
While the Salthill Devon men’s team might have lost their grip on the Connacht Junior Cup that they held for two seasons, the club’s women’s side have picked up the mantle and on Sunday last in Headford were crowned provincial champions with a 4-3 win over Manulla.
Following midweek wins for Maree/Oranmore and Knocknacarra, the stage is now almost set for the semi-finals of the Michael Byrne Cup with Salthill Devon meeting St Bernard’s on Sunday in an outstanding quarter-final, with the winners advancing to a semi-final against Maree/Oranmore, while Colga will face Knocknacarra in the other last four contest.
Just one league issue remains to be decided, with the Championship runners-up position up for grabs, as Dynamo Blues have to win their two remaining games in order to overtake Colemanstown United who have finished their programme.
WOMEN’S CONNACHT CUP FINAL
Salthill Devon 4
Manulla 3
Ellerose O’Flaherty scored twice as Salthill Devon were crowned provincial champions with a win over a Mayo side who were losing in the final for the second year in succession.
Backboned by a number of players who previously had League of Ireland experience with Galway WFC, Devon suffered an early set back when Jess Nolan put Manulla ahead, before O’Flaherty levelled matters with a cracking finish on 20 minutes, which was quickly followed by a long-range free-kick from Aoife Walsh.
For more, read this week’s Galway City 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.
Families queue up for school’s offer of free house
West has lower cancer survival rates than rest
Galway minors continue to lay waste to all opponents
Gardaí and IFA issue a joint appeal on summer road safety
Marathon Man plans to call a halt – but not before he hits 160 races
