Sports
Salthill Fives set for 40th birthday celebrations
40 not out – an average enough score in cricket, but not a bad innings for a soccer tournament, not to mention it being half a lifetime for anyone who has ever played in it.
The 2016 version of the Salthill Fives celebrates its 40th birthday this year, and has become something of an institution in Galway over the Whit weekend. This year’;s event is once again being sopnsored by Carlsberg, and Pete Kelly of the organising committee says that great tournaments do not happen by accident, great tournaments are unsustainable without resilient and quality sponsors.
“At Salthill Devon we are grateful for have the continued support of Carlsberg. Including the previous sponsorship stints of Harp Lager and Budweiser, we have now been partners with the Diageo group for well over 20 years,” he said.
One man was synonymous with the Fives for over 35 years: Brendan ‘Shaughs’ O’Shaughnessy was everything from organiser to chief cook and bottle washer, being the man who came up with the idea of the Fives, and he has watched it grow from tis infancy to adulthood with pride.
There will be two full days of football on three pitches. There will be the main competition, an Over 35’s section and a women’s section, which last year was a great success on its restoration to the festival of football that is The Fives.
“As we say at Salthill Devon If Carlsberg did football tournaments . . . wait, this is it!” says Kelly.
The Salthill Fives format has remained virtually the same since day one, a knock-out format, which has seen teams come from as far away as Boston, only to play just 10 minutes and then be knocked out.
However as the tournament evolves there is a ‘second chance’ available this year in the main tournament, where first round loser will enter into a Plate competition.
During its tenure the Fives has witnessed many changes in Irish soccer. Some years back when the League of Ireland was played through the Winter, teams from clubs such as Shelbourne, Shamrock Rovers and Derry City were regular attendees, and one of the great attractions for teams entering was the possibility of getting to play the professionals.
Today, with League of Ireland being played in the same calendar year, there are virtually no League players taking part. However, what the tournament is seeing is the star players from the U-19s and up and coming players strutting their stuff in the final rounds. A case in point is recent winners featuring Colm Horgan and Alex Byrne, now starring for Galway United.
The cream of soccer players in Galway and much further afield have starred in the Fives – many have come to relish the opportunity each year and they hold a winners medal amongst their prize possessions. It was not until 2003 that a team actually retained their title, and no team has done so since.
For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.
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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GALWAY United need to guard against any kind of complacency when they make the short hop down the M18 this Friday to take on Treaty United at the Markets Field (7.45pm).
The game is a meeting of the two form teams in the division, and as in previous meetings between the sides, will have an additional edge given the number of former United players in the home side’s ranks, and the pair of Limerick lads playing for United.
There might have been just the eight meetings between the sides since Treaty became the latest iteration to represent Limerick in the League of Ireland in 2021, and while United have yet to lose to the men in the candy-cane strips, there has never been more than a goal in four of their eight wins.
The most recent of those was back in February, when Rob Slevin scored the only goal of the game in Eamonn Deacy Park after a tough battle against a side who made a slow start to the season, before finally finding their groove in the past month.
Having taken just three points from their first six games before finally getting a win against Longford Town, they reverted to type with just one point from their next three games, but are now on a run of four wins on the spin, scoring 12 goals and conceding just one.
Their most recent win was a 3-0 victory away to Longford Town last Saturday, and they could have won by double that against the only side to have beaten United this season. That in itself is a warning.
For more, read this week’s Galway City 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.
Soccer Wrap with Mike Rafferty
While the Salthill Devon men’s team might have lost their grip on the Connacht Junior Cup that they held for two seasons, the club’s women’s side have picked up the mantle and on Sunday last in Headford were crowned provincial champions with a 4-3 win over Manulla.
Following midweek wins for Maree/Oranmore and Knocknacarra, the stage is now almost set for the semi-finals of the Michael Byrne Cup with Salthill Devon meeting St Bernard’s on Sunday in an outstanding quarter-final, with the winners advancing to a semi-final against Maree/Oranmore, while Colga will face Knocknacarra in the other last four contest.
Just one league issue remains to be decided, with the Championship runners-up position up for grabs, as Dynamo Blues have to win their two remaining games in order to overtake Colemanstown United who have finished their programme.
WOMEN’S CONNACHT CUP FINAL
Salthill Devon 4
Manulla 3
Ellerose O’Flaherty scored twice as Salthill Devon were crowned provincial champions with a win over a Mayo side who were losing in the final for the second year in succession.
Backboned by a number of players who previously had League of Ireland experience with Galway WFC, Devon suffered an early set back when Jess Nolan put Manulla ahead, before O’Flaherty levelled matters with a cracking finish on 20 minutes, which was quickly followed by a long-range free-kick from Aoife Walsh.
For more, read this week’s Galway City 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.
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