Sports
Tributes paid to Galway native and former U-21 international
By David Connors
Tributes having being pouring in following the untimely death of Galway native and former Republic of Ireland U-21 international Eamonn Dolan at the age of 48 last week.
Dolan had previously represented the likes of West Ham United, Birmingham City and Exeter City and along with several Irish youth level teams, before his playing career was cut short in 1993 because of testicular cancer.
Following this, he began a 13-year stint with Exeter City, working in various roles within the club, starting as community officer right up to the first team manager position in 2003.
He then joined Reading FC as academy manager where his role saw him oversee the development of many top level young players. Irish internationals such as Shane Long and Kevin Doyle are amongst those to have come through the ranks of Dolan’s youth sides.
His twin brother Pat played for Galway United and was a former manager of St Patricks Athletic, before transitioning into media as a football pundit and writer.
FAI chief executive John Delaney said he has “great memories of meeting Eamonn many times at games during his time with Reading”.
“He was just a brilliant person and very engaging. He contributed greatly to the development of many talented Irish players and was very proud of being from Ireland.”
Reading FC Chief Executive, Nigel Howe, said that “Eamonn was a proud Galway man and his love of Irish football meant some great Irish players joining the Royals”.
Current Exeter City chairman, Julian Tagg, who worked alongside Dolan for years, spoke highly of his contribution to the youth programme in the club.
“Eamonn was loved and adored by every single person at our football club. He laid the foundations that have seen our club go from strength to strengthen.
“He was the driving force behind setting up our academy which was not only a benefit to the club but to the whole community of Exeter, which now sees 200 kids involved today. He was an inspiration, his drive was second-to-none and has left an incredible lasting legacy here at Exeter City FC and we are eternally grateful,” he said.
In the end, it was cancer that cut his life short and during his battle, tributes appeared with the Reading supporters having a minute’s applause following his tumour removal surgery last year. It was held on the 21st minute to mark the incredible success he had achieved with the Reading U-21 side, getting them promoted the previous season.
The Reading assistant academy manager, Lee Herron described Dolan as a “dear, dear friend.” Speaking about Dolan he said that “the work that he did at the club wasn’t really a job. Day in, day out, we would spend more time there than anywhere else because he loved it. We had serious fun with what we did”.
For more, read this week’s Connacht 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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