GAA
It’s Galway’s day at last
Galway 1-9 Kilkenny 0-7
AT long, long last . . . Galway, after years of heartbreak and disappointments, are All-Ireland senior camogie champions and, all of a sudden, the tears of yesteryear have been wiped away. Let’s say it again: Galway are the 2013 All-Ireland senior camogie champions. And deservedly so.
There was something succinctly poignant about this victory and the abiding memory may well be of the county’s greatest warrior, Therese Maher, collapsing to the ground at the final whistle. Head in hands. Overcome by relief, joy and, ultimately, euphoria. Her sixth All-Ireland final. Her first success. She was a woman reborn.
It just summed up the effort and toil that had been exerted over the years by her – and all in Galway camogie – to get the county to this point. For 16 long seasons, campaigns built on sweat, blood and, yes, those tears, had been pursued in search of a dream and it was somewhat fitting that Maher’s team-mates and the management would descend upon her when the long shrill sounded. Poignant, moving, beautiful.
There were others too who must surely have thought to themselves if this day would ever come. Those like Susan Earner, Therese Manton, Sarah Dervan, Sinead Cahalan, captain Lorraine Ryan, Niamh Kilkenny, Emma Kilkelly, Brenda Hanney and Ann Marie Hayes. Some have more miles left on the clock than others but, as they have come to realise, few victories are won by sentimentality. If any.
Arguably, the most relieved set of players will be those who lined out in Galway’s only other senior win in 1996. For almost two decades, they have held the baton aloof, urging the next generation to take up the mantle. It’s passed on now. New names. New heroes.
Bar one. Manager Tony Ward has the distinction of managing both of Galway’s All-Ireland winning senior sides while, in front of a crowd of 15,063 at Croke Park on Sunday, he also pulled off another remarkable double when leading the intermediates to a national victory.
If he was a Premiership soccer manager, Ward would be worth his weight in gold but, in many respects, it was always going to take a highly regarded figure like the Sarsfields man to cajole Galway camogie back to the promised land. For he is to Galway camogie what Alex Ferguson was to Manchester United. A perfect fit.
For all intents and purposes, this was the ‘big one’ – for all concerned. Ward did not have to – his place in the pantheon of Galway camogie was well and truly secure – but in returning to the post he put himself, and his reputation, on the line.
Just to put this into perspective. Galway had only claimed one O’Duffy Cup win in 15 previous attempts prior to Sunday and this included losing three finals between 2008 and 2011. The weight of history lay heavily on both the management’s and players’ shoulders.
In the end, though, they made light of it and the Tribeswomen were worth every bit their five-point win in the 2013 decider. Indeed, outside a few pockets of Kilkenny dominance at intermittent stages, they owned this game.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
THE Rebels are on the march and have a clean sweep of the senior, U20 and minor All-Ireland hurling titles in their sights – but Galway U20s have the opportunity of stopping resurgent Cork’s treble quest in the first of those deciders at Semple Stadium on Tuesday (7.30pm).
Jeffrey Lynskey’s charges gained revenge on Dublin in the recent Leinster Final and will be seeking the county’s first title at this level since 2011.
Galway are the outsiders to carry the day, but will be looking to the likes of team captain Seán Neary, Ian McGlynn, Seán McDonagh, Donal O’Shea, Oisín Flannery and John Cooney to lead the way.
Meanwhile, the county minors will also set up an All-Ireland Final against Cork if they ovecome Kilkenny in tomorrow evening’s (Friday, 7.30pm) semi-final in Thurles.
See full previews in Tribune Sport, part of 18 pages of coverage in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now – or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie
Corofin 7-17
Oughterard 0-11
IS there anything to be said for splitting Corofin in two? We jest, of course, but the Dublin-like dominance of the North Galway club on the local scene in the past decade shows no sign of abating.
A new championship, a new-look team, but the same old classy Corofin who were in seventh heaven after bagging a record seven goals in their 27-points victory over hapless Oughterard.
That Kevin O’Brien could spring dual county star, Daithi Burke, and Galway senior footballer Ian Burke, as second-half substitutes when the game was over as a contest, highlights the embarrassment of riches in the Corofin camp.
Nine of Corofin’s starters were on the starting 15 that won an historic three-in-a-row of All-Ireland titles in January, but the introduction of former Galway minor Matthew Cooley, who scored a goal off the bench on his senior club debut, highlighted, too, how they have young talent coming through.
Leaving aside the lack of resistance, particularly in the second half, the ruthless manner in which Corofin annihilated their Connemara opponents was frightening for all other pretenders to the throne.
As warnings go, this was savage, as Corofin signalled their intent about securing an eighth successive county title, with a clinical brushing aside of an Oughterard outfit whose heads-dropped early. Corofin had 11 different scorers, including seven goal scorers; all bar one of their 17 points, were from play.
Darragh Silke who finished with 1-7, ran riot in the second half, and was the game’s best performer, and Micheál Lundy (1-3) proved a handful on the inside line, but Corofin had quality dotted all over the field, and in truth, won without clicking into high gear.
If things went their way in the opening half, Oughterard’s spirits might not have been drained so soon, but they failed to convert the chances they had.
That was the big difference in the first half-hour: Corofin converted 10 out of 10 scoring opportunities that presented themselves, whereas Oughterard hit five wides, including two shots that should at the very least have troubled goalkeeper Bernard Power.
For Oughterard, this will cut deep. The 2019 All-Ireland intermediate winners were unbeaten in championship last season but got a rude awakening on their re-introduction to senior. Their first championship match back in senior in nearly 20 years, and they’re annihilated. To add to the embarrassment, it was televised live on TG4 for all to see.
It was effectively over at half-time, but it shouldn’t have been. Oughterard had enough of the play, and enough chances, to be still in with a shout at the change of ends and they just failed to punish their more ruthless opponents.
Full report in this week’s Connacht Tribune.
GALWAY minor football manager Dónal Ó Fátharta has praised his young charges for the manner in which they responded to their Connacht final defeat to Mayo.
Ó Fátharta’s squad turned on the style when taking down Leinster champions Kildare in their All-Ireland quarter-final at Pearse Park, Longford last weekend to set up a semi-final meeting against a Kerry outfit chasing an incredible six-in-a-row of titles at this grade.
However, the Galway manager admitted he was concerned initially as to how his players would respond to the provincial final loss to Mayo. “After the Connacht final, the guys were down. We gave them a week off, which we were going to do anyways. When they came back in for our meeting and the usual stuff, I was worried, but, after that meeting, I wasn’t worried. I was hopeful.
“For the last two weeks, they have worked hard. We played Dublin in a challenge and it was one of those games of 30 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes. We were very sharp that night. That reinforced it for me that there was a performance in these guys. The next challenge is a game in Croke Park, which is another step up, but I am delighted that they are there and they have that opportunity.”
Indeed, Ó Fátharta described his players’ display against Kildare as “a complete performance”, noting: “Structurally, I think we were very good. I think we took our chances, and we did everything that we talk about doing every day. They took their chances when they had to; they worked hard; they put in shifts, and all that sort of stuff. So, we are delighted with the performance.”
See full report and reaction in Connacht Tribune Sport.
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