Galway club Football and Hurling thread

[Owenmoresider]

Killererin 0-12
NUIG 1-7

Galway SFC final 2007

Killererin v Milltown

When's that down for?

[GalwayBayBoy]

Killererin 0-12
NUIG 1-7

Galway SFC final 2007

Killererin v Milltown

When's that down for?

28th I think.

[Duine Eile]

Sunday, 14 October 2007 
Killererin     0-12
NUIG         1-7

BY FRANK KEARNEY

An experienced and crafty Killererin weathered a late storm to book their place in the county final at the expense of a talented NUIG side who will undoubtedly rue a plethora of squandered late chances.
A far more physical side, Killererin had a distinct advantage against the lighter and younger students throughout. While they will look on a game where the woodwork and excellent goal keeping of NUIG's Liam Grant could have denied them victory, the students kicked eight second half wides. Many of them were easily kickable.
But the College did get off to a dream start despite leaking the first score to Nicky Joyce. On six minutes they raised the green flag and subsequently dominated proceedings for a spell. The all-important goal came after neat interplay between Mark Ronaldson and Mark Gottsche released Laois man David Conway, who buried a low ball under 'keeper Alan Keane for a fantastic College goal.
Ignited by this score the students took control. Ronaldson, the other half of College's deadly inside duo, finished off a move in which Gottsche was again involved with a point. Wing-back Dermot Costello expanded the lead and Conway struck again to give the student their fourth score in quick succession. This left them in a commanding 1-3 to 0-1 position after 12 minutes played.

Killererin thunder into the contest

That was to be as good as it got for the College side in the opening half. Nicky Joyce's point stirred the North Galway side. Tomas Fahy set up Shane Hughes for a further score before Nicky Joyce combined with Jonathan Keane. His goal bound effort was just turned over the bar by Liam Grant in the NUI Galway goal.
The sensational Nicky Joyce added another point to bridge the gap to just one. Then Grant was forced into another save. He denied Killererin's Shane Hughes by deflecting his fine effort wide. From the ensuing 45, versatile goalkeeper Alan Keane pointed to level the scores.
College eventually responded with their only score of the second quarter. Fiachra Breathnach collected a free from defence and soloed capably before releasing  Mark Gottsche to finish. A student turnaround was not on the horizon as of yet, as sharp shooting forwards Nicky Joyce, Tomas Fahy and Padraig Joyce all pointed before the interval to leave Killererin 0-9 to 1-4 up at the half, a remarkable seven point turnaround from how things stood 12 minutes in.
NUIG got on the board early in the second. David Conway pointed a free two minutes in. Killererin quickly answered through a Jonathan Keane point. The scoring remained brisk when Jeff Farrell kicked a marvellous point from the left 35 minutes in to reduce the gap to the minimum.
Perhaps the tide was turning on Killererin as they were denied scores twice by the woodwork. Firstly Padraig Joyce seemed destined to ruffle the back of the net, but his effort rebounded off the crossbar. Minutes later Tom Flynn's effort for a point came off the post.
Tight encounter

The scoring now ceased to be free-flowing and it wasn't until the final quarter that Ian Reddington stretched Killererin's advantage to two points again. Although Killererin continued to dominate the possession, College managed again to reduce the deficit when surging corner back Francis Boyle slotted over a fantastic point eight minutes from the end. Killererin were again frustrated by the woodwork as Nicky Joyce watched another effort come off the post but it was the College lads who really squandered any good scoring opportunities that came their way.
Killererin clung to their one-point margin as Eddie Hoare and Mark Ronaldson were two of many to miss golden opportunities at tying the contest with time quickly running out.
In injury time Padraig Joyce created space and pointed to hand his side some breathing space and ultimately a place in the Tommy Varden senior Football Final where they will meet Milltown. 

© 2007 GalwayFirst.ie

Well we did it, it might have taken a first round loss and two replays but we're into another county final. Back to Sunday's game, we were lucky to get out of it with the win really, NUIG came right back into it in the last ten minutes but thank f*** they couldn't score to save their lives. It was a good team performance but not a great one. Full back line was atrocious. Tommy Joyce and Mike Mitchell were given the run around by their men, they'll really need to improve for the final. Declan Kelly wasn't far behind them but he was carrying a knee injury. Half backs weren't too bad, Ian Reddington got one super point in the second half, Damien FLa did well too. Poor Tom Flynn saw more ball than any other man on the field but did nothing with it whatever was wrong with him. Mid field dominated all day, some of Tom Hughes fielding was out of this world, just a pity his kicking isn't the best in the world Micheal Keane was quiet enough in the first half but came into it well in the second half. Two possibilities for Liam Sammon perhaps. James Mannion made some good runs but James Hughes will probably be back in for the final if he's fit enough. Johnny Keane had one of the best games I've ever seen him play. Hopefully he'll have another one in the county final! Nicky played well for a man just back from holidays!Got some lovely scores, can play better though. Shane Hughes played fairly well, Padraic was involved in a lot of the play, we need him scoring more though. Tomas Fahy is playing great stuff at the moment too. Can't wait for the final, just hope we finish the job now, won't be easy listening to the Scans if they win!

[MaroonAndWhite]

Yeah, it was a day when pure and utter cuteness won out in the old.........the old dog for the hard road so to speak. Killererin have been around the block for a few times and say what you want about them, but they dont do charity when it comes to second chances.
They held the ball so well..........few if any wasted kick passes/fumbles.......Bar big Tom giving the crowd a laugh by tripping himself up in the process of trying to lift the ball  They ran the extra fitness outta NUIG.
I know what you're saying about the full back line but Stephen, Murt and John on the line didnt help them. Tommy Joyce is not, and never will be the fastest in the world (Tommy Bulmers!) and it was obvious that Gottsche at centre forward would run at him but he was given little protection. Id have thought that when they decided to run Gottsche at him that they would have opulled the half forward line deeper, clog up the middle and in the process give Padraig, Nicky ,Johnny Keane and Shane Hughes more space up front. It would also have sorted the problems Mike Mitchell had with Breathnach. Breathnach is like a young pup.....mad for running but usually not too sure where he's going!
Id fear for the backs against Milltown.......aerial bombardment on the way Id say. Very tall Milltown forward line. That said, alot depends on midfield and the two half lines. They can only cause problms if they have the ball and as we saw the last day, its not easy take it from Killererin.
Its an old school final anyway...........hopefully we'll get Frank Fox back to the Gap to give Austin and Connie a fine fairwell before selling up!!!

[mouview]

Where's Austin off to?

Could be a good w/end for the Bomb as he's training Monivea/Abbey Intermediates who're in the final against favorites Moycullen. M/A's minor team are in the final also, so things are going well in this part of the county.

[MaroonAndWhite]

Off back up to his home place, Sligo I believe so if anyone wants to buy the Red Gap........get in before Sunday week cos you'll be minted after that weekend!!!

[MaroonAndWhite]

By the way, any Scans care to get involved? And for the love of Jesus, you'd swear there was no hurling final the county at all!!!

[Duine Eile]

Hey MaroonandWhite, any truth to the rumour that a certain "larger than life" character (if you get my drift ) is interested in buying the Red Gap? All sorts of stories flying around the parish!The big question on my mind is, are the senior team going to lose their sponsorship when it is sold? The Red Gap have been behind them a fair few years now.It'll be sad to see Connie and Austin go though, they've been great supporters of the club since they took over a fair few years ago now.

A few of us were talking today and we realised this is our 5th county final in 9years, not bad going for a small parish!When is the intermediate final on?It's not the same weekend as the senior is it? It'll be a tough game but I think we have the better midfield and forwards and I think that should swing it for us even though the Scans will be mad up for this game, it'll probably come down to the wire.

[GaillimhIarthair]

Portumna to survive major test from surprise packets     
Written by John Fallon     

A good handicapper should ensure the best comes to the forefront in a race and it is not insignificant that the only two teams not to lose a match all year will contest the county hurling final at Pearse Stadium on Sunday.

No surprise that Portumna — a driven force for twelve months since their bitter fall to Loughrea — are back for their fifth County Cup final in a row but you would have got some odds on Kinvara making it this far.

True, there has been considerable work and success at underage level in the expanding south Galway parish in recent years but this is a club that had only made it to one final before.

That was back in 1979 and after a rampage through the county which was epitomised by an attack that was populated by giants and seemed to score more goals than points, they choked in the final and slumped to a 2-13 to 0-6 defeat.

In county senior final terms, they haven't been heard of since. Kinvara people who remember that county final capitulation to Castlegar must have punched the air when the most prolific winners of the County Cup were sent packing in the semi-finals last Sunday week.

Redemption comes in many forms and after hitting them with a brace of sucker-punch goals early on, to outscore them on the points tally as well must have wiped away some of the bad memories of '79. But Kinvara know that it will be all in vain if they don't produce the performance of their lives on Sunday, for that is what it will take if they are to topple Portumna.

Portumna have been going around all year with legs that will not match their driven minds. Yet, it would be a fool that would dismiss them.

They are up there on a par with the great Sarsfields and Athenry teams of the past 15 years — yet they know that three county final defeats in five years would leave a questionable legacy.

Damian Hayes doesn't dominate matches like a few years ago, yet he is always good for three or four points and maybe a goal. The crowd now gasp when Joe Canning, who has just turned 19, hits a rare wide and there is scarcely applause when he fires over his twelfth or thirteenth point.

Expectation brings a dehabilitating pressure, although the experience of Ollie Canning, Mike Gill, Eugene McEntee and Eoin Lynch should be decisive.

Kinvara, like Portumna, will revel in the vast expanse of Pearse Stadium and they will be looking to Shane Kavanagh and Ger Mahon to man the defensive central channel in front of the superb Colm Callinan between the posts, who captains the side.

Alan Leech and Paul O'Sullivan augment a very strong defence which is capable of dealing with Portumna's running game.

The biggest question mark about Kinvara concerns their attack. David Huban stood up and was counted against Cashel (which should get him a bit of attention on Sunday), Conor Kavanagh must be good for a goal but they key question is whether the others can contribute enough on the scoreboard.

Gerry McInerney, the 42 year old player/manager, will be introduced in the second-half and it would be fairytale stuff for him to finally get his hands on the County Cup.

Chances like this don't come along every day for the likes of Kinvara. They showed in the quarter-final win over Mullagh and again in the Cashel match that they have serious potential but it is hard to bet against Portumna.

[GaillimhIarthair]

By the way, any Scans care to get involved? And for the love of Jesus, you'd swear there was no hurling final the county at all!!!

I think the scans reside over on the Hoganstand.  Probably the ideal spot for them 

[GaillimhIarthair]

Two stars from different eras collide in this year's hurling final
By Ray Silke


Gerry McInerney - Player, Manager, Impact Sub, and 42 years old

Few fans of Galway hurling will ever forget the dash, dander, and genuine exhilaration that Gerry McInerney with his long mane of jet black hair and his snazzy white boots brought to proceedings in the Galway glory era of the mid 1980s.

The only advertisements GAA players did on TV in those days seemed to involve dosing stock with either fluke or ringworm problems and yet here you had a swashbuckling wing-back who seemed to have been flown straight in off the set of Miami Vice to play in All-Ireland finals. GAA stars just weren't supposed to be that cool in the mid 1980s.

The fact that he hooked up with the likes of Keady and Finnerty to make a nationally recognisable half-back line just added to his magnetism and charm.

Now here we are, 20 years later and that young kid with the white boots is gone, and yet there is a distinct buzz of anticipation about next Sunday in Pearse Stadium because Gerry McInerney is back at centre stage.

His is a remarkable story and that he is donning the Kinvara senior jersey at 42 - 25 years after his debut - as player-manager in a county final only heightens his allure.

Like a lot of GAA stars his humility and humour is a joy to behold and he talks and answers questions as if men in their 40s see action in county hurling finals on a regular basis.

"It's great to be involved. And training with the lads keeps me active and helps to keep you focused on the job. We are very lucky in Kinvara that we have a few good men helping out like Mike Kilkelly, Michael Helebert, Anthony Connolly, John Butler, and Michael Haverty which allows me to try to push for a place on the team and keeps everyone on their toes. We are having a good season, but obviously coming up against a quality team like Portumna will be a big step up for us."

I try to bring him back to explaining how he has the enthusiasm and drive to train as hard as he does and still have the desire to put himself above the parapet when he is on the wrong side of 40. His answer is simplicity itself.

"I really enjoy it. I always have, and my attitude is to keep going as long as I can. I am lucky in that the hard training does not really bother me. It never did. The fact that I work in construction and am busy all day is probably a big help."

Genetics is also a significant factor too, no doubt.

A man's DNA cannot be dismissed. McInerneys father, James is 91, and his mum Kitty is 86, and both are still going strong.

"That is a factor I suppose.There is a lot of longevity in the family which might keep the engine ticking over smoother than some others. Dad is still motoring away the finest and he is a very fresh 91. He still gardens a lot and he has a good keen interest in hurling too. His brother was 96 when he passed away and his sister is 93, so hopefully those genes have been passed on to the next generation."

McInerney is armed with a lively sense of humour. I ask him how his wife Ita feels about him still togging out after all these years. (He first played senior with Kinvara in the championship back in 1982.)

"You have to train them in well at the start and then there is no problem later on down the road." He laughs and changes track.

"Aggh no. Sure she is well used to me and with the children all able to look after themselves (Colleen, 18, Gearóid 17, Seán 14). She is probably glad to see the back of me in the evenings."

"Time passes so quickly, and you have to enjoy it when you can. Those wins back in 1987 and 1988 with Galway seem like a lifetime ago, and if you blink a few years can go by, so you have to take the chances when they come by. Portumna are a hugely experienced team and they have a great panel of hurlers. We know we will have to be at our absolute best to beat them. They are hot favourites and rightly so, but sure we'll give it our best shot."




Joe Canning - Superstar, freetaker, and 19 years old.


Joe Canning is one of the main men that McInerney must plan to stop. Canning is one of the hottest properties in the GAA world and people are just waiting for him to step out into the light in a county senior jersey in 2008.

I ask him will he still be playing with Portumna in 2029 after 25 years of hurling like Mc?

"Playing hurling? I'll be happy to be still above ground. The commitment that Gerry has given to Kinvara and Galway won't be repeated by many. To play with your club for a quarter of a century at senior level is a fantastic achievement.

" I'm not looking past this weekend and trying to bring my winning average in county finals up to 50 per cent. We lost in 2004 and last year, so I'd need to try to improve my win-ratio.

"We have worked hard all year and our management team of Jimmy (Heverin), Dinny (Cahill), Johnny Kelly, Oisín O'Neill and Frankie (Canning) have left no stone unturned to get us back to another county final, so we are keen to try to get a win on Sunday.

"Kinvara have conceded very little all year at the back and I know from hurling with four or five of them at minor and u-21 level just how good they are. They have not lost a game all year, so it should be a ding-dong battle. We are looking forward to it and hopefully it will be a good game."

Joe Canning was not even born in September 1988 when Gerry McInerney collected his second All Ireland senior medal with Galway in Croke Park.

Now almost 20 years on in Pearse Stadium, these two stars of the game from different decades will collide in club fare. It is stories like this that make the GAA what it is and so worthwhile.

Last words to Gerry Mc.

"Like everyone else, my career started with the club and it will end with the club. Anything in between was a bonus. If we could win on Sunday, it would be just as sweet a success - if not sweeter than any other that I have had."

[MaroonAndWhite]

Hey MaroonandWhite, any truth to the rumour that a certain "larger than life" character (if you get my drift ) is interested in buying the Red Gap? All sorts of stories flying around the parish!The big question on my mind is, are the senior team going to lose their sponsorship when it is sold? The Red Gap have been behind them a fair few years now.It'll be sad to see Connie and Austin go though, they've been great supporters of the club since they took over a fair few years ago now.

A few of us were talking today and we realised this is our 5th county final in 9years, not bad going for a small parish!When is the intermediate final on?It's not the same weekend as the senior is it? It'll be a tough game but I think we have the better midfield and forwards and I think that should swing it for us even though the Scans will be mad up for this game, it'll probably come down to the wire.

"Larger than life"  Dunno about that DuineEile but I hear TP has started the bidding  I believe Eircom are looking for a new team to sponsor after last night......maybe they can get the exposure they need on a national basis from Killererin!! Agree wholeheartedly on your comments re the Walsh's, they out the money where their mouth was where the club was concerned and they'll do well to get someone as generous again.

Some record considering our pick alright. I do get slightly miffed with the heart, guts, pride of the parish shite from Jim Carney and some of his colleagues as if you get to 5 finals in 9 years without a good bit of quality as well as these things. I reckon if these lads are ever to get the credit they deserve, they need to win on Sunday and if they do, they need to win Connacht.

[Owenmoresider]

Cheers for that GBB, might take a spin down to it.

BTW why are Milltown called the 'scans'?

[GalwayBayBoy]

Cheers for that GBB, might take a spin down to it.

BTW why are Milltown called the 'scans'?

You know OMS I haven't a clue. All I know is that if you're from Milltown you're a scan. It's part of the north Galway vernacular. If you're from Tuam = Sham. Milltown = Scan. Hence St. Jarlath's legendary John "scan" Concannon. Arguably one of the greatest schools players of all time.

I even checked slang.ie and their description is...

Scan
n.

Person from Milltown,Co.Galway

"Hows things scan?"

[Owenmoresider]

If you're from Tuam = Sham.

Well that certainly doesn't need an explanation.