Connacht Tribune
If local GAA on the ball over 10,000 should land in Salthill
Inside Track with John McIntyre
IF the GAA in Galway gets its act together, there is a glorious opportunity at Pearse Stadium on Sunday to pull off a public relations bonanza for the county’s hurlers and footballers. This attractive big-game double-header in Salthill has the potential to attract a crowd of over 10,000, but only if the local powers that be market the games with the necessary professionalism and gusto.
Unfortunately, that is hardly a given as the GAA authorities in this county have been taken supporters for granted in recent years and that not alone has been reflected in diminishing crowds on the terraces for Galway hurling and football games, but also in relation to attendances at local county championship matches.
All the while, the Connacht rugby team have been winning the battle for the hearts and minds of the Galway sporting public, especially in the city, but Sunday’s attractive double bill presents the ideal chance for the GAA to start fighting their corner in terms of winning back lost support. There should be advertisments on local newspapers and radio, posters placed all over the county, incentives for schoolchildren to attend, and quality on-field entertainment – and I don’t mean some ballad singer or Céili music – during the half-time breaks in both games. Will any of this happen? Don’t hold your breath.
Regardless of the crowds which turn up at Pearse Stadium on Sunday, we should know a little more about the championship potential of both the Galway hurlers and footballers. Kevin Walsh’s charges stand on the brink of promotion to Division One after their comfortable weekend win over Down, and will be desperately keen to get the job done after a couple of false dawns over recent years.
The fact that Sunday’s opponents Kildare have already secured their Division One status means that Galway will have an obvious edge in motivation – look what happened to already-promoted Wexford in their Division Four clash against Westmeath at the weekend – and it will be disappointing if they can’t take advantage. In that scenario, the counties will meet for the second time in eight days in the upcoming Division Two final at Croke Park.
Though Galway were expected to defeat Down in Newry last Sunday, it was no formality. The first-half was a tight affair with Shane Walsh picking off three points from play and Michael Farragher holding his own in a leftfield selection at centre-back. The teams retired level (0-8 each) at the break, but the visitors quickly turned the screw on the resumption.
Goals from the lively Walsh and Eamonn Brannigan (penalty) put them in the driving seat, but the subsequent dismissal of defender Declan Kyne made things a little ropey and goalkeeper Rory Lavelle had to make a quality save when the margin was back down to three points. Subsequently, Galway settled the issue when Brannigan finish off the rebound off his own penalty in a second half which saw Gary Sice make a big impact and wing back Gary O’Donnell landing his second point from play.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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.
Get the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.
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
Marathon Man plans to call a halt – but not before he hits 160 races
