Have the Conquerors got a record out yet?
Much to be happy about yesterday but plenty for concern too.
Positives
*Full back line and keeper looks solid. Biggest tests yet to come but doing everything asked of them so far. Capable of the odd rousing score as well. Coen needs to cut out the sloppy mistakes.
*Daithi Burke becoming the commanding influence we need him to be.
*Andy Smith. Broke up so much Cork play around midfield. Yesterdays unsung hero. I think the captaincy suits him and Iâd leave him at it.
*The scoreline of 2-28. Epic scoreline and should have been much bigger. All forwards and midfield scoring by HT, wonât always be so easy though.
*Jonny Glynn. Got the biggest cheer of the day when he came off. Almost the perfect performance. Was rightly dismissive of Cantwell, Galway have one of the best all round forward units in the game, anyone who doesnât know that just hasnât been paying attention. Mannion, Flynn, Donnellan, Joe and now Conor Whelan. I know Donnellan and especially Joe were off the pace yesterday but I wouldnât be losing too much sleep over it. Conor Cooney, our best forward from last year should be available for the next day too.
*Squad depth. Having the likes of Collins, Cooney, Moore, Lally to come in offers a level of reassurance we wouldnât be accustomed to. Fergal Healy, not so much
*Sideline. Cunningham made the big call starting Whelan and was handsomely rewarded. Made the switches at the right times yesterday too I thought
Negatives
*Wide tally of 23. Just shocking really.
*Still making silly mistakes. Tannion and David Burke most at fault yesterday but not the only ones. David Burke looked better yesterday but like against Kilkenny his habit of taking the unnecessary and wrong option tends to cancel out his more positive contributions.
*Joe still going for it on sideline cuts. Every time he misses (and I thought bot were off target yesterday), it just hands the initiative to the opposition.
Overall youâd have to be happy. We were quite simply much superior to Cork all over the pitch. That said we should have put the game to bed much sooner than we did, by half time really. Based on yesterday weâre good enough to beat Tipp but still a good bit off Kilkenny
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This lad must have pictures of Cunningham riding a boy, canât see how heâs been picked for the last few years.
We are still competing in the following Championships
Senior Hurling (All Ireland Quarter Final)
Senior Football (All Ireland Qualifiers Round 4B)
Intermediate Hurling (All Ireland Final)
Under-21 Hurling (All Ireland Semi Final)
Minor Hurling (All Ireland Semi Final)
Minor Football (All Ireland Quarter Final)
Under-16 A Hurling (Group Stage)
Under-16 B Hurling (Group Stage)
Under-14 H Hurling (Group Stage)
Under-14 B Hurling (Group Stage)
& Masters Football (First Round)
I am worried about the Under-14 Bs but expect the rest to all win out
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Called out to aul lad earlier - watched the match with him again. Wouldnât take a lift from me yesterday, so headed on his own - bus to Heuston, train to thurles, train back, bus home. Got home about 9.30, had a sandwich and a cup of tea and headed over to his GAA club to revel in it. Iâll go to semi final now with him and hopefully final.
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Good summation.
I doubt Conor Cooney will play any meaningful part this year. Niall Burke also appears to be out of sorts with injuries.
Davy Gleenon didnât even make the match day panel yesterday so perhaps heâs injured too.
Tannian had a poor game yesterday, completly missed the first ball he went for⌠Led to a Cork point. Hit a clearance straight at a Cork playerâŚled to a Cork score. I am a huge fan of him but these types of mistakes will the difference in beating Tipp or not.
Daithi Burke and Mannion have brought a lovely bit of steel to the defence.
Yesterday could have been the best thing that happened to Canning. He still made a decent contribution but those wides will play heavy on his mind for the next few weeks.
Whelan has played himself onto the team and it will be difficult to displace him now. He held his own yesterday without setting the world in fire.
Continuing the discussion from Galway GAA, Tiocfaidh ĂĄr lĂĄ:
Agree 100% with this.
I think itâs safe to say heâll be starting the next day at CB. Iâm sure management have told him to look up before he clears the ball and not look to take the ball into contact as much as he does but he does it anyway. I doubt heâs going to suddenly get the message in the next three weeks.
I think Niall Burke is out for the year with some kind of leg/knee injury.
http://cart.kennys.ie/News/OldGalway/02112006-AllIrelandChampions1980/
One of my memories of that great day, September 7th 1980, was how everybody in the car , even though we hardly had a voice between us, cheered loudly as we drove home across the bridge at Athlone. We were, after all, heading west across the Shannon with the McCarthy Cup for the first time in 57 years.
The moment the final whistle went, everything changed. In an instant the pitch in Croke Park was covered in maroon. All of those years of frustration, of being gallant losers and worthy opposition, of being classed as also-rans, of being told we had some of the finest hurlers never to win an All-Ireland, all were forgotten in that unforgettable moment. Strong men cried. It was the culmination of a great deal of physical and mental pain and led to a huge outburst of emotion and frenzied celebration, all of which is beautifully captured in this photograph taken by Stan Shields.
Some say it was the Papal Visit the previous year that finally banished the curse on the Galway team, but in fact that year they had already won the Railway Cup, appeared in the League Final, Castlegar were All-Ireland Club Champions, UCG had won the Fitzgibbon and Galway were Vocational Schools All-Ireland winners. The first Sunday of September was the best of all.
TI can still remember the reception the injured Iggy Clarke got as he made his way to the dugout ; the brilliant saves of Michael Conneely who seemed to be able to block the wind that day ; the epic battle between Niall McInerney and Joe McKenna ; the steely resilience of Sylvie Linnane and Conor Hayes; The concentration of Seamus Coen ; Impeccable Jimmy Cooney ; the silken artistry of the Sean of that name; the workrate of Steve Mahon & the grace of Michael Connolly; Joe Connolly,s leadership; Frank Burkeâs distribution; Noel Laneâs runs at the opposition; P.J.Molloyâs goal; John Connollyâs elegance; Bernie Fordeâs ability to score from half chances; the backroom team of Inky Flaherty, Bernie OâConnor & Cyril Farrell.
Then of course there was that unforgettable âA Mhuinntir na Gaillimhe, tar eis seacht bliain is caogaďż˝âŚâ speech of Joe Connollyâs, ending with the papal blessing âPeople of Galway, we love youâ, all of which was followed by Joe McDonaghâs âThe Westâs Awakeâ.
We savoured every moment.
On the way home we spoke of those great Galway hurlers who played year in, year out and never threw in the towel, and never won All-Irelands. This day was for them just as much as those listed above.
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That was my first AIF and I kept thinking if only Cregan had managed to make contact on the rebound from that save from Kineely (was that yere goalies name?)
Even as a Galwayman I have to admit we got a small rub of the green that day. Conneely was unreal between the sticks, Bernie Forde kicked a goal when most south Galway lads would struggle to kick a football, and the entire Limerick defense stood still waiting for a whistle allowing PJ Molloy an eternity to lift and strike the second goal. I would never begrudge Limerick an AI win after it, they fought to the last whistle that day and Cregan was a joy to watch.
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Ah look ye deserved it that day. We really left it after us the following year when Sean Foley decided to use his hurley as a machette
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Cregan damn near beat us on his own. One of the great all Ireland displays. It never seems to get mentioned but he was absolutely brilliant, and a joy to watch.
Even though he was one tough nut, I think PJ himself would agree Foley was attempting to slap down on his hurl. PJ ran with a forward tilt with the head down and got caught in the face. Donât think it was a malicious stroke, although reckless. It was the turning point though.
It was still a sending off though and as you say a turning point. We still managed a draw that day which really makes me feel like we left it behind us. Replay was a cracker with Cregan dragging us into it again only for John Connoly to break our hearts
How ye lost Offaly that year, I ll never know
We tired badly in the second half, probably a result of the two tough SF games. Leaving Forde on with his head in tatters didnât help. Fair play to Offaly though for fighting back, although I still get annoyed thinking about the little bollix throwing the ball into the net.
I wouldnt worry about that one
Ye were totally robbed in 85 with that goal
Jesus a blind man could see it was over line
Christ when I think about it that was some Galway team between 80 and 90
Ye won two and should have had another 3 (probably 4 if you include 89)
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My father often says he was the best player heâd ever seen and if he played for Cork, Kk or Tipp at the time instead of limerick heâd be mentioned in the same breath as Ring and Mackey.
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My auld lad just said there thatâs utter nonsense. A brilliant player, but canât be compared to those 2.
Mackey was from Limerick you dipshit, so your reasoning on Creagan being more feted if he was from somewhere else is bizarre.
Thatâs a clamping.