Rebuild is paying dividends for Galway’s sleeping giant

Turloughmore’s pursuit of a ninth county senior hurling championship title – their first since 1985 – could be filed under the heading ‘From Here To Eternity’, such has been the club’s trials and tribulations over the past three and a half decades.

In this time, Turloughmore have only appeared in two more county senior deciders, losing to Killimordaly in 1986 and Kiltormer in 1990, and for a club of its size and stature, that is far too long.

Whatever the reasons for this lack of success at senior, there has been a renewed urgency within the club in recent times to reach the summit of Galway hurling once more.

Indeed, over the last decade, their success at underage has been phenomenal, winning the county Féile in 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2019, adding to their previous four titles; while in 2010, 2018 and 2019 they were also crowned All-Ireland U-14 champions.

Success followed in minor in 2013 and 2014 – taking their minor county title total to seven – and at U-21 in 2016 and 2017, which, incredibly, was their first titles at this grade. Since then, they have also won silverware at U-12, U-13, U-15, U-16, Junior ‘A’ and Junior ‘C’.

Yet, the fruits of this “labour of love”, as joint manager Joe Hession describes it, is only coming to fruition at senior now.

“If you look at any club trying to be successful, it just doesn’t happen overnight. You don’t just flick a switch; you have to work at it,” he says.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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