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Galway beat fancied KK teams in 2 cracking matches in 2001 and 2005. There is a race memory of those matches somewhere in the Galway psyche if MCintyre can find it.  The prospect of another KK all-ireland is about as exciting as thinking about Ryan Tubridy presenting the Late Late show. Even if Galway lose they'll have a better idea of what they are aiming for. The all-ireland strike rate should definitely improve over the next 20 years thanks to the leinster move. You don't need to be the best team to win an all-ireland. You need to take your chances when they materialise. Galway haven't done that since Joe Cooney and Éanna Ryan were in their prime. And St Joe of Canning is only early 20s. It's time for KK to get off the pot. They are to hurling today what shamrock rovers were to the 1980s.

A question as perennial as Posh spice and her cellulite. It must be June.

I think a lot of the posters are finding it hard to get credit from the ACC . The other thing is the championship is a bit anglo Irish bank in the weeks before the quarter finals , a bit of a zombie. Most of the players couldn't care less about winning or losing , a bit like AIB management there last year.  They know they will be bailed out by the back door.

Galway can only benefit from having a match against the cats at this time of the year. I don't care if they get beaten provided they win an all-ireland in the next 3 years in the name of all the dead generations of non premier, non  rebel and non cat counties.   

It's funny that galway are going into Leinster in 209, a bit like Brian Lenihan taking over Anglo Irish in november after all the damage was done. 2006 would have been the year to do it. 2005 was so promising. Anyway at least there's Joe Canning to look forward to. 

The Sunday tribune had an interview with one of the Wexford hurlers who has a company advising young fellas on pulling technique. Very interesting character.  Anyway I presume Offaly fans will be content with the Irish Open for 2009.

It's pure joy to read the sports news on Monday and find the latest exploits of Joe Canning therein. Besting King Henry and everything. Even if the Iseq is back to where it was in 1995 we need to go back a few more years to 1988 to the successful exploits of the last great Joe to wear a maroon jersey.

Unbelieveable day for Mickey Harte who has reached the summit after being as low as he could be following that Down match when everyone thought it was over.

Lovely to see Tyrone with 3 all-Irelands, no Kerry 3 in a row ..and Armagh still only have one Sam.

Galway are the Lehman Bros of hurling. All that talent and no strategy.
How many underage all-irelands in the last 15 years ? How many senior ?
Mattie Murphy won 4 minor all-Irelands and there were the John Hardy ones and all those u-21 riches ...

Where does it all go wrong ?  How can Kilkenny win 6 out of 8 all-Irelands
when Galway have a ratio of maybe 1 out of 4 ?

There's no excellence mentality. No consistency. One of the saddest things about the litany of failure is the fact that so many good hurlers never get a chance to get to the level of the Cork lads of a few years ago - knowing what the rest of the line will do, just because they have played together and won together for so long. Becoming more than just the sum of 15 individuals.   

The move into Leinster would be a good thing but not enough. The heads need reprogramming too.   

One day it will all come together and then some...
   

AZ:   "My overriding emotion in terms of Waterford is sadness for them. I'd hate anyone to start gloating when Offaly ship a beating like that, so I'd be the last to start gloating at Waterford today."

Sure didn't Uibh Fhaili take a beating in the 84 final only to win it the year after ? 

I feel very sorry for the Deise. I suppose they should have won it about 4 years ago. At least they made it to the final, inspired a lot of young fellas, got a bit of mortas cine going. 

KK were awesome but these things don't tend to last. I look forward to a rejuvenated Galway slaying the cat dragon. Go mbeimid beo ar an am seo aris.

One feature of the GAA that really sickens me is public bitching. I don't think I've seen it in any sport elsewhere. Ger Lock having a go at the Clare hurlers, then his  captain responding. Davy Fitz talking about people who want to cut him down. It's very sad.  Is it a post colonial thing ? 
   

I think on paper KK have it won but the match is still going ahead on Sunday as far as I know.
It is Kilkenny's to lose. Look at what Galway did to them in 2005. 

Waterford via an inhuman effort. For f"ck's sake, it's well past time.
There hasn't been a romantic result in this fixture for 10 years.

Kilkenny don't need any more all Irelands until next century anyway.   

Why don't they just get rid of the holy Munster championship and run it along the lines of the champions league group stages? More hurling, more matches, less old firm all irelands. If Tipp want to play  Cork in early July around hay time I'm sure goal could organise something. 

Even if it's going wrong, 6 points down at half time

http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=G7qEivYkgZM

Everyone's a prostitute . E-bay is more dignified than a full interview and spread with VIP magazine.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2008/0829/1219875242019.html

John Allen going on about pre match 'war music' to be played for the Waterford hurling team on the big day.

What songs would you recommend for the Deise ? Youtube links welcome.