Minors face tough battle

Date Published: 16-Aug-2007

It is 12 years since the Galway minors last played at Croke Park and 21 years since they won their fifth All-Ireland title. Interestingly, current manager Alan Mulholland was a member of that winning side in 1986.

He now has the opportunity as a mentor to emulate that feat. “When I took the job in the first place, that was in the back of my head. I saw when we won it at the time what it meant to everybody and what it meant to the county. I think there is a great romance about the minor, in that it can generate hope within a county.

“With a senior team, a few people can sometimes get disillusioned, whereas with a minor team it is fresh and new. It would be great if we were successful, but first we have a semi-final to play and that is all we are looking at. Getting to an All-Ireland final is a good goal to have now.”

Of course, a significant factor on Sunday will also be how both sets of teenagers react to playing at GAA headquarters in front of 80,000 people. “That is the big thing; that is the big ‘if’, how they will react to the occasion. None of our players have played there before and we are playing Kerry as well.

“So all we are looking for is a…..