St Michaels and Bearna to meet in Galway senior club championship semi-final

Two West Board football clubs will battle it out to reach the final of the Galway senior club championship for the first time in their history later this month.

Neighbours, city club St Michael’s and Barna, on the western edge of Galway City, who have been paired against each other in the semi-final, have never before competed in a senior football championship decider.

The Bushypark, Westside and Newcastle outfit was formed in 1956, and has twice before reached the semi-final stage of the senior football championship – in 1962 when they lost to Dunmore McHales, and in 1987, when they were beaten by Tuam.

Barna, founded in 1965, has reached the senior semi-final just once previously, in 2010 when they narrowly lost out to subsequent beaten finalists, Corofin.

Barna overcame a highly fancied Caherlistrane outfit in Corofin on Saturday afternoon, running out 2-15 to 1-13 winners; while later on, St Michael’s defied the bookies’ odds to edge out Annaghdown in a thriller in Tuam Stadium, 0-12 to 0-11.

Having avoided the ‘big two’, Corofin and Milltown, neither St Michael’s nor Barna will complain about the draw and both will fancy their chances of making the county showpiece.

Milltown overcame last year’s county finalists, Salthill/Knocknacarra, in a tight game, running out 1-13 to 0-15 winners; while Corofin cruised into another semi-final with a clinical showing against Mountbellew/Moylough. The final score was 1-13 to 1-7, and already the semi-final between Corofin and Milltown is being billed as the ‘real’ county final.