Connacht Tribune
It’s dressingroom mayhem as Galway United celebrate making FAI Cup history
By Ciaran Tierney
In May of 1991, Galway United pulled off the greatest triumph in the club’s history when a late goal by team captain Johnny Glynn saw the Tribesmen defeat Shamrock Rovers 1-0 in the final at DALYMOUNT PARK. The Connacht Tribune takes a step back in time and reproduces our post-match coverage of a red letter occasion for the club.
“FANTASTIC”, “Unbelievable”, “Delighted”, “A Dream Come True” – a thousand cliches could hardly begin to describe the ecstatic mood in the Galway United camp after they had defeated Shamrock Rovers to capture a major trophy for the very first time.
Yes, there was that League Cup victory in 1986, but this was the day that will never be forgotten. “Wait ‘til Gazza sees Carraroe!” was the slogan of the moment in the post-match dressing room as players pinched themselves, guzzled back Harp cans, and kept asking each other whether it really was true or if it had sunk in yet.
It was an unusual sight, to say the least, as a large band of Dublin journalists mobbed the likes of Malone, Cleary, and Glynn and few ventured near the morgue which was the Shamrock Rovers room. Few noticed as the dejected Dublin players made a quiet exit from the ground. So much for the pre-match hype!
It was sweet revenge, too, for that narrow defeat back in ’85 when Rovers put an end to Galway’s cup dreams with a “sneaked” late goal. How sweet it was to go to Dublin, out-play the opposition (and a very biased-looking referee), grab a late goal . . . and win! So often in the near past we have seen Galway teams travel to the capital to play in a final, play well, and then have victory snatched from them.
The match programme highlighted the total contrast between the sides. Shamrock Rovers: League Championships, 14; F.A.I. Cup titles, 24. Galway United: League Championships, 0; F.A.I. Cup titles, 0. Galway, one of the youngest sides in the league, were up against the most successful club ever in domestic soccer.
Most of the Dublin papers favoured Rovers, which was hardly surprising considering that some of the journalists had probably not even seen United play this season. But those of us who had witnessed the team’s powerful displays in the earlier rounds – as they saw off the challenges of Cobh (3-1), Shelbourne (2-0), Limerick (2-1) and St. James’ Gate (3-1) – knew just what United were capable of.
This time they left it late, very late. No doubt many fans among the large contingent in the crowd of 15,257 had begun to think about another Dublin trip for the replay until Keane, and Glynn combined so brilliantly to produce the crucial goal.
“Was there really only four minutes left?” asked a delighted John Glynn once he had been surrounded by a sea of notebooks, tape recorders and pens. “Wow . . . I thought there was about ten to go!”
Who will forget 4.45p.m. on Sunday? We were 86 minutes into the game when the decisive breakthrough came. “The ball came in low, I just saw it flying into me and hit it with my left foot,” said John. “I had seen the advertising hoarding behind the goal before the match and decided to run over it if I scored.”
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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Significant state investment is required to address ‘shocking’ inequalities that leave cancer patients in the West at greater risk of succumbing to the disease.
A meeting of Regional Health Forum West heard that survival rates for breast, lung and colorectal cancers than the national average, and with the most deprived quintile of the population, the West’s residents faced poorer outcomes from a cancer diagnosis.
For breast cancer patients, the five-year survival rate was 80% in the West versus 85% nationally; for lung cancer patients it was 16.7% in the west against a 19.5% national survival rate; and in the West’s colorectal cancer patients, there was a 62.6% survival rate where the national average was 63.1%.
These startling statistics were provided in answer to a question from Ballinasloe-based Cllr Evelyn Parsons (Ind) who said it was yet another reminder that cancer treatment infrastructure in the West was in dire need of improvement.
“The situation is pretty stark. In the Western Regional Health Forum area, we have the highest incidence of deprivation and the highest health inequalities because of that – we have the highest incidences of cancer nationally because of that,” said Cllr Parsons, who is also a general practitioner.
In details provided by CEO of Saolta Health Care Group, which operates Galway’s hospitals, it was stated that a number of factors were impacting on patient outcomes.
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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.
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GARDAÍ and the IFA have issued a joint appeal to all road users to take extra care as the silage season gets under way across the country.
Silage harvesting started in many parts of Galway last week – and over the coming month, the sight of tractors and trailers on rural roads will be getting far more frequent.
Inspector Conor Madden, who is in charge of Galway Roads Policing, told the Farming Tribune that a bit of extra care and common-sense from all road users would go a long way towards preventing serious collisions on roads this summer.
“One thing I would ask farmers and contractors to consider is to try and get more experienced drivers working for them.
“Tractors have got faster and bigger – and they are also towing heavy loads of silage – so care and experience are a great help in terms of accident prevention,” Inspector Madden told the Farming Tribune.
He said that tractor drivers should always be aware of traffic building up behind them and to pull in and let these vehicles pass, where it was safe to do so.
“By the same token, other road users should always exercise extra care; drive that bit slower; and ‘pull in’ that bit more, when meeting tractors and heavy machinery.
“We all want to see everyone enjoying a safe summer on our roads – that extra bit of care, and consideration for other roads users can make a huge difference,” said Conor Madden.
He also advised motorists and tractor drivers to be acutely aware of pedestrians and cyclists on the roads during the summer season when more people would be out walking and cycling on the roads.
The IFA has also joined in on the road safety appeal with Galway IFA Farm Family and Social Affairs Chair Teresa Roche asking all road users to exercise that extra bit of care and caution.
“We are renewing our annual appeal for motorists to be on the look out for tractors, trailers and other agricultural machinery exiting from fields and farmyards,” she said.
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.
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
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