Mayo v Galway, 18/06/16, McHale Park

[moysider]

Irish Times

Ciaran Murphy

This should be a week of fevered football conversation in my home county of Galway. It's the sort of week around which the GAA world revolves – a match with your local rivals coming up, a team announcement on Wednesday morning to get your teeth into, a debate about tickets, lifts to the game, a venue for a pre-match drink perhaps.
But having talked to a few of my friends at home, the county is wrapped in a funereal gloom.
The Euros are stealing some of the limelight for sure, Connacht Rugby's success is still casting a glow and the hurlers are in action on Sunday, all of which might siphon attention away from what was once and may well be again our flagship sporting tea. But the silence ahead of Galway v Mayo, in Castlebar this Saturday evening, is deafening.

As one man in Tuam (they might as well put "the spiritual home of Galway football" on the sign outside the town, given how often it's described as such) put it – "if you ask anyone, even in this town, how you think we'll do this year in the championship, they'll presume you're talking about the hurling."
That's a damning, depressing thought. An organisation can deal with a lot of things, but apathy is a difficult poison to eradicate. And the apathy around this team is almost all-encompassing . . . unfortunately, that also includes some of the best footballers in the county. Manager Kevin Walsh said last month that 52 players have turned down the chance to come in and train with him since he took over 18 months ago.

In the last five years, Mayo have thrown down the gauntlet, and Galway haven't even cleared their throat in response. In that time, Mayo have poured massive resources into training and preparation. The county board, despite crippling debts incurred in the redevelopment of MacHale Park, found the money from somewhere.

James Horan may not have had the best relationship with the county board, but he had the players on-board from Day One.
Horan sold them all (players, fans, officials) a dream, and they bought it. For whatever reason, successive Galway managers haven't been able to sell the dream.
If you go back to 2009, the best 15 players available to Galway were more or less there. Taking into account the massive sacrifices they have made, and cognisant of the fact that they're the people who have put their hand up and were willing to make that sacrifice, the 15 named this week by Kevin Walsh are not the 15 best players in the county.

An alternative team, taken from those 52 who said "thanks, but no thanks" to Walsh over the course of the 18 months he's been in the job would have an excellent chance of winning a match between the two.
On a macro level, it seems like a travesty. But each of those 52 players had a reason for turning down the chance to play, however badly that might sting people who still hold the idea of being 'a county man' as the pinnacle of one's sporting career.
If we can all agree the demands on our intercounty players are unreasonable, is it not unfair to then turn around and ask people why they're not willing to be treated unreasonably?

So to the list of things we ask our intercounty managers to do, we can now add "convincing people to do things they don't really want to do".
At the top level, that takes a certain kind of man – a James Horan, or a Jim McGuinness.
But it's seldom a linear problem, to be fixed in a linear fashion. Do you focus your attention on getting the players onside first? Or do you focus on getting the money together, through the county board or through supporters clubs or rich beneficiaries or local businesses, to impress on the players who are prevaricating that the sacrifices will be worth it?

The answer is – you have to do both, simultaneously, and perhaps be economical with the truth to both sides equally.
Other counties have been able to sell that dream to enough of their best players to be successful. And it shouldn't necessarily be the hardest sell in the world in Galway.
I would wager there's a good proportion of those 52 players currently choosing to be outside the camp that have either All-Ireland minor or U-21 medals in their back pockets.
I realise I'm sitting here demanding that Galway find and hire a charismatic, business-savvy, cold-blooded, ruthless, tactically brilliant manager . . . and they don't exactly grow on trees. Kevin Walsh is about as respected a figure in Galway football as there is. If he can't do it, then maybe there's an attitudinal problem in the county that is beyond the powers of even a messiah figure to fix.

But Mayo found their man in October 2010, and the gap looks more and more intimidating with every passing year. The further ahead they are in terms of preparation and physical conditioning, the less enticing a prospect it is for a young Galway footballer to put in the effort to start to claw back some ground.
But it has to start somewhere, and relying on Mayo to come back to the pack seems like a forlorn hope at the moment.

That's amazing really when you think about it.
What is this writer suggesting? It's confusing.

Anyway Horan did not sell anybody a dream - players, fans, nobody - he gave the team hard work and fans appreciated the effort. If anything John O Mahoney sold the dream after 2006AI.
Horan did his stuff quietly and did most of it right but I suspect now he knows that he messed up with a bit of personnel that cost him dearly.

The money stuff I don't get. Not relevant. Mayo have spent more because their seasons have been longer for a start. And we all know about how tight Mayo CB were and there was other fundraising in NY to cover slack.

He puts in a line about Kevin Walsh being so respected but at the same time the article suggests that some players don't want to play for him - 52 players turned down the opportunity to get involved!  Kevin said that himself and was foolish to do so. Cutting a stick to beat himself with. Crazy stuff as well as the stuff he said about O Curráin.
Why do they not want to play for you and Galway Kevin? A man that had greater respect in the game than Horan or McGuiness. Horan and McGuiness were only given their gigs reluctantly. Neither had the standing of Walsh. Walsh is blue chip.  Some players will always feel that county football is beyond them but the implication that refusal is because of the 'demands' on an intercounty footballer is risible. Players in other counties ( pick one of several) show up year after year.

The lack of interest and apathy in Galway footballing public is nothing new. They only seem to get interested when they smell/expect success. I remember a championship game in Sligo when Bosco was in charge and only parents and siblings from Galway attended. I remembered Bosco looking around bemused when a Galway score got a few cheers. A couple of years later they got Donnellans and Joyces and they came out for the golden years.

[seafoid]

Anyone who thinks underage All-Ireland medals will matter next Saturday in McHale Park is off their rocker. Recent Connacht Senior medals is a better metric, but even that won't matter when the ball is thrown in.

The main question is whether or not Galway will give this a real go, like last year, or lie down like other recent years. If it is the latter it doesn't matter what Mayo do, we will win handy.

However if they really go for it and build up a head of steam, say an early goal, then it could be very interesting. Mayo are missing a few and a Galway team that gets ahead early could stay ahead. DOC and Caff are very big losses, COC is just coming back and midfield looks lighter than usual.

The tradition of this fixture makes me a little worried, but recent form and history point to a Mayo win.

Mayo have dominated this fixture recently but didn't win anything for all the power .It is very strange.  If I was KW I would focus on this psychological aspect
.

[seafoid]

Moy
Galway fans go with the flow. I remember Tomás Mannion's sister around 1992 observing the abuse the players were getting. 95 was just a few years away.
I don't think winning is as urgent as it is in Mayo.

[galwayman]

I'm sure there are some of the supposed figure of 52 who decided they couldn't give the required level of commitment but who is to know all of the reasons.
You can be sure plenty of those lads would have been fringe guys who would not have made it anyway.
I know of one of the guys who was asked in who could not take up the offer as he was under contract with an LOI soccer club.

[Kurtz]

Gaelic Games have fallen down the pecking order in many counties with Galway included

[rosnarun]

Gaelic Games have fallen down the pecking order in many counties with Galway included

True, well never get the massive crowds of up on 9K that Connaught rugby get

The Dream Horan sold was it was a great thing to play for mayo where as Kevin Walsh what ever about his other attributes has failed to do like wise in Galway Even if 52 seems exaggerated , how many would have been likely prospects anyway ,

[seafoid]

Gaelic Games have fallen down the pecking order in many counties with Galway included

I don't think Galway is necessarily different to the usual. The team has been mediocre for a while. It'll be back and when it is the crowds will return.
I would like to see signs of progress on Sunday. Mulholland started from rock bottom and the CB has had a focus on stability so hopefully the players can respond.   

[Tubberman]

The Mayo team for Saturday's Connacht Senior Football semi final clash against Galway in Elvery's MacHale Park at 7pm is:

1.    Robbie Hennelly (Breaffy)
2.   Brendan Harrison (Aghamore)
3.   Kevin Keane (Westport)
4.   Keith Higgins (Ballyhaunis)
5.   Lee Keegan (Westport)
6.   Colm Boyle (Davitts)
7.   Patrick Durcan (Castlebar Mitchels)
8.   Tom Parsons (Charlestown)
9.   Jason Gibbons (Ballintubber)
10. Kevin McLoughlin (Knockmore)
11. Aidan O'Shea (Breaffy)
12. Jason Doherty (Burrishoole)
13. Evan Regan (Ballina Stephenites)
14. Cillian O'Connor (Ballintubber, captain)
15. Conor O'Shea (Breaffy).

Team Manager: Stephen Rochford.
Selectors: Donie Buckley, Tony McEntee & Sean Carey.


Missing 3 definite starters in Caff, Seamie and Doc. Hopefully will be enough, but there are areas that Galway can exploit if they're good enough.

[mayo.mick]

[UpMeeyo]

The Mayo team for Saturday's Connacht Senior Football semi final clash against Galway in Elvery's MacHale Park at 7pm is:

1.    Robbie Hennelly (Breaffy)
2.   Brendan Harrison (Aghamore)
3.   Kevin Keane (Westport)
4.   Keith Higgins (Ballyhaunis)
5.   Lee Keegan (Westport)
6.   Colm Boyle (Davitts)
7.   Patrick Durcan (Castlebar Mitchels)
8.   Tom Parsons (Charlestown)
9.   Jason Gibbons (Ballintubber)
10. Kevin McLoughlin (Knockmore)
11. Aidan O'Shea (Breaffy)
12. Jason Doherty (Burrishoole)
13. Evan Regan (Ballina Stephenites)
14. Cillian O'Connor (Ballintubber, captain)
15. Conor O'Shea (Breaffy).

Team Manager: Stephen Rochford.
Selectors: Donie Buckley, Tony McEntee & Sean Carey.


Missing 3 definite starters in Caff, Seamie and Doc. Hopefully will be enough, but there are areas that Galway can exploit if they're good enough.

Same team named as was named for London, so it probably means damn all.

[seafoid]

Loads of beards playing for Mayo. 

[rosnarun]

The Mayo team for Saturday's Connacht Senior Football semi final clash against Galway in Elvery's MacHale Park at 7pm is:

1.    Robbie Hennelly (Breaffy)
2.   Brendan Harrison (Aghamore)
3.   Kevin Keane (Westport)
4.   Keith Higgins (Ballyhaunis)
5.   Lee Keegan (Westport)
6.   Colm Boyle (Davitts)
7.   Patrick Durcan (Castlebar Mitchels)
8.   Tom Parsons (Charlestown)
9.   Jason Gibbons (Ballintubber)
10. Kevin McLoughlin (Knockmore)
11. Aidan O'Shea (Breaffy)
12. Jason Doherty (Burrishoole)
13. Evan Regan (Ballina Stephenites)
14. Cillian O'Connor (Ballintubber, captain)
15. Conor O'Shea (Breaffy).

Team Manager: Stephen Rochford.
Selectors: Donie Buckley, Tony McEntee & Sean Carey.


Missing 3 definite starters in Caff, Seamie and Doc. Hopefully will be enough, but there are areas that Galway can exploit if they're good enough.

Same team named as was named for London, so it probably means damn all.

The Printers team ( can i claim copyright on that ?)

[cornetto]

Say silke writing in local paper.

Galway have not beaten Mayo since July 13, 2008 in championship football.

That is a long time without a win and the bookies do not think they can beat them this Saturday in McHale Park (7pm ) either.

The money men have put Galway at 4/1 to win the Connacht semi-final and they are giving them a five-point headstart (+5 ) in the handicap betting too.

Only three Galway players, Gary Sice, Gareth Bradshaw and midfielder Paul Conroy who saw action in 2008, will start on Saturday evening. Those men and others have taken enough beatings from Stephen Rochford's Mayo over the past seven years. So what must they and their colleagues do to produce a massive upset by 8.30pm on Saturday evening?

1 - Stop Aidan O' Shea

O'Shea made bits of Sligo in last year's Connacht final and he was also practically unstoppable in Galway's defeat to Mayo in Pearse Stadium. His height, footballing ability and sheer power make him a serious asset when he lumbers into full-forward.

If, and when, he gets possession of the leather, the Breaffy man is hard to dispossess.

It is fair to say that if he were in Galway's ranks on Saturday evening, most people would give Galway a great chance of winning the game.

Galway's new full-back Declan Kyne cannot be expected to stop O'Shea by himself if he goes into the edge of the square at stages during the game.

Kyne will need championship debutant corner backs David Wynne and Eoghan Kerin sweeping up the breaks, and probably a sweeper back cutting the ball out from going directly into O'Shea too.

However, if too much attention is focused on O'Shea, then it will leave additional space for Conor Loftus, Cillian and Diarmuid O'Connor to exploit, and Galway will be in trouble.

2 - Dominate central diamond

Galway have a new championship debutant goalkeeper in Bernard Power (Corofin ) and he has a fine kick-out.

However, when that ball lands out the field, it will be up to midfielders Tom Flynn, Paul Conroy, and both the half-back lines and wing-forwards Gary Sice and Johnny Heaney, to mop up any breaks and really take the fight to Mayo.

Mayo's half-back line of Keegan, Boyle and Durcan is very strong. The first two have All-Stars to confirm their ability and experience. Galway will need to target them and stop their forward sallies if they are to have any chance of reaching a Connacht final against Roscommon on July 10.

If Galway can get enough possession in that diamond area, and get ball forward fast to Shane Walsh, Eamonn Brannigan, Danny Cummins and Damien Comer, then they have the pace and footballing ability to trouble the Mayo defence.

3 - Belief

Having been beaten as often as they have by Mayo in the past four years and seeing some of their players in All-Ireland finals on TV in 2012 and 2013, and doing well in division one, Galway's confidence may have been sapped.

However the squad on Saturday evening must stamp out any doubts and have no fear of what lies ahead.

They have to believe, as Tipp did last weekend against Cork, that they can produce a huge performance and rock the GAA's status quo.

[Mayo4Sam]

Irish Times

Ciaran Murphy

This should be a week of fevered football conversation in my home county of Galway. It's the sort of week around which the GAA world revolves – a match with your local rivals coming up, a team announcement on Wednesday morning to get your teeth into, a debate about tickets, lifts to the game, a venue for a pre-match drink perhaps.
But having talked to a few of my friends at home, the county is wrapped in a funereal gloom.
The Euros are stealing some of the limelight for sure, Connacht Rugby's success is still casting a glow and the hurlers are in action on Sunday, all of which might siphon attention away from what was once and may well be again our flagship sporting tea. But the silence ahead of Galway v Mayo, in Castlebar this Saturday evening, is deafening.

As one man in Tuam (they might as well put "the spiritual home of Galway football" on the sign outside the town, given how often it's described as such) put it – "if you ask anyone, even in this town, how you think we'll do this year in the championship, they'll presume you're talking about the hurling."
That's a damning, depressing thought. An organisation can deal with a lot of things, but apathy is a difficult poison to eradicate. And the apathy around this team is almost all-encompassing . . . unfortunately, that also includes some of the best footballers in the county. Manager Kevin Walsh said last month that 52 players have turned down the chance to come in and train with him since he took over 18 months ago.

In the last five years, Mayo have thrown down the gauntlet, and Galway haven't even cleared their throat in response. In that time, Mayo have poured massive resources into training and preparation. The county board, despite crippling debts incurred in the redevelopment of MacHale Park, found the money from somewhere.

James Horan may not have had the best relationship with the county board, but he had the players on-board from Day One.
Horan sold them all (players, fans, officials) a dream, and they bought it. For whatever reason, successive Galway managers haven't been able to sell the dream.
If you go back to 2009, the best 15 players available to Galway were more or less there. Taking into account the massive sacrifices they have made, and cognisant of the fact that they're the people who have put their hand up and were willing to make that sacrifice, the 15 named this week by Kevin Walsh are not the 15 best players in the county.

An alternative team, taken from those 52 who said "thanks, but no thanks" to Walsh over the course of the 18 months he's been in the job would have an excellent chance of winning a match between the two.
On a macro level, it seems like a travesty. But each of those 52 players had a reason for turning down the chance to play, however badly that might sting people who still hold the idea of being 'a county man' as the pinnacle of one's sporting career.
If we can all agree the demands on our intercounty players are unreasonable, is it not unfair to then turn around and ask people why they're not willing to be treated unreasonably?

So to the list of things we ask our intercounty managers to do, we can now add "convincing people to do things they don't really want to do".
At the top level, that takes a certain kind of man – a James Horan, or a Jim McGuinness.
But it's seldom a linear problem, to be fixed in a linear fashion. Do you focus your attention on getting the players onside first? Or do you focus on getting the money together, through the county board or through supporters clubs or rich beneficiaries or local businesses, to impress on the players who are prevaricating that the sacrifices will be worth it?

The answer is – you have to do both, simultaneously, and perhaps be economical with the truth to both sides equally.
Other counties have been able to sell that dream to enough of their best players to be successful. And it shouldn't necessarily be the hardest sell in the world in Galway.
I would wager there's a good proportion of those 52 players currently choosing to be outside the camp that have either All-Ireland minor or U-21 medals in their back pockets.
I realise I'm sitting here demanding that Galway find and hire a charismatic, business-savvy, cold-blooded, ruthless, tactically brilliant manager . . . and they don't exactly grow on trees. Kevin Walsh is about as respected a figure in Galway football as there is. If he can't do it, then maybe there's an attitudinal problem in the county that is beyond the powers of even a messiah figure to fix.

But Mayo found their man in October 2010, and the gap looks more and more intimidating with every passing year. The further ahead they are in terms of preparation and physical conditioning, the less enticing a prospect it is for a young Galway footballer to put in the effort to start to claw back some ground.
But it has to start somewhere, and relying on Mayo to come back to the pack seems like a forlorn hope at the moment.

That's amazing really when you think about it.
What is this writer suggesting? It's confusing.

Anyway Horan did not sell anybody a dream - players, fans, nobody - he gave the team hard work and fans appreciated the effort. If anything John O Mahoney sold the dream after 2006AI.
Horan did his stuff quietly and did most of it right but I suspect now he knows that he messed up with a bit of personnel that cost him dearly.

The money stuff I don't get. Not relevant. Mayo have spent more because their seasons have been longer for a start. And we all know about how tight Mayo CB were and there was other fundraising in NY to cover slack.

He puts in a line about Kevin Walsh being so respected but at the same time the article suggests that some players don't want to play for him - 52 players turned down the opportunity to get involved!  Kevin said that himself and was foolish to do so. Cutting a stick to beat himself with. Crazy stuff as well as the stuff he said about O Curráin.
Why do they not want to play for you and Galway Kevin? A man that had greater respect in the game than Horan or McGuiness. Horan and McGuiness were only given their gigs reluctantly. Neither had the standing of Walsh. Walsh is blue chip.  Some players will always feel that county football is beyond them but the implication that refusal is because of the 'demands' on an intercounty footballer is risible. Players in other counties ( pick one of several) show up year after year.

The lack of interest and apathy in Galway footballing public is nothing new. They only seem to get interested when they smell/expect success. I remember a championship game in Sligo when Bosco was in charge and only parents and siblings from Galway attended. I remembered Bosco looking around bemused when a Galway score got a few cheers. A couple of years later they got Donnellans and Joyces and they came out for the golden years.

Nonsense of an article that could be written down the pub, I can't believe the Irish Times actually pays Murph to write a column.

[Dubhaltach]

Irish Times

Ciaran Murphy

This should be a week of fevered football conversation in my home county of Galway. It's the sort of week around which the GAA world revolves – a match with your local rivals coming up, a team announcement on Wednesday morning to get your teeth into, a debate about tickets, lifts to the game, a venue for a pre-match drink perhaps.
But having talked to a few of my friends at home, the county is wrapped in a funereal gloom.
The Euros are stealing some of the limelight for sure, Connacht Rugby's success is still casting a glow and the hurlers are in action on Sunday, all of which might siphon attention away from what was once and may well be again our flagship sporting tea. But the silence ahead of Galway v Mayo, in Castlebar this Saturday evening, is deafening.

As one man in Tuam (they might as well put "the spiritual home of Galway football" on the sign outside the town, given how often it's described as such) put it – "if you ask anyone, even in this town, how you think we'll do this year in the championship, they'll presume you're talking about the hurling."
That's a damning, depressing thought. An organisation can deal with a lot of things, but apathy is a difficult poison to eradicate. And the apathy around this team is almost all-encompassing . . . unfortunately, that also includes some of the best footballers in the county. Manager Kevin Walsh said last month that 52 players have turned down the chance to come in and train with him since he took over 18 months ago.

In the last five years, Mayo have thrown down the gauntlet, and Galway haven't even cleared their throat in response. In that time, Mayo have poured massive resources into training and preparation. The county board, despite crippling debts incurred in the redevelopment of MacHale Park, found the money from somewhere.

James Horan may not have had the best relationship with the county board, but he had the players on-board from Day One.
Horan sold them all (players, fans, officials) a dream, and they bought it. For whatever reason, successive Galway managers haven't been able to sell the dream.
If you go back to 2009, the best 15 players available to Galway were more or less there. Taking into account the massive sacrifices they have made, and cognisant of the fact that they're the people who have put their hand up and were willing to make that sacrifice, the 15 named this week by Kevin Walsh are not the 15 best players in the county.

An alternative team, taken from those 52 who said "thanks, but no thanks" to Walsh over the course of the 18 months he's been in the job would have an excellent chance of winning a match between the two.
On a macro level, it seems like a travesty. But each of those 52 players had a reason for turning down the chance to play, however badly that might sting people who still hold the idea of being 'a county man' as the pinnacle of one's sporting career.
If we can all agree the demands on our intercounty players are unreasonable, is it not unfair to then turn around and ask people why they're not willing to be treated unreasonably?

So to the list of things we ask our intercounty managers to do, we can now add "convincing people to do things they don't really want to do".
At the top level, that takes a certain kind of man – a James Horan, or a Jim McGuinness.
But it's seldom a linear problem, to be fixed in a linear fashion. Do you focus your attention on getting the players onside first? Or do you focus on getting the money together, through the county board or through supporters clubs or rich beneficiaries or local businesses, to impress on the players who are prevaricating that the sacrifices will be worth it?

The answer is – you have to do both, simultaneously, and perhaps be economical with the truth to both sides equally.
Other counties have been able to sell that dream to enough of their best players to be successful. And it shouldn't necessarily be the hardest sell in the world in Galway.
I would wager there's a good proportion of those 52 players currently choosing to be outside the camp that have either All-Ireland minor or U-21 medals in their back pockets.
I realise I'm sitting here demanding that Galway find and hire a charismatic, business-savvy, cold-blooded, ruthless, tactically brilliant manager . . . and they don't exactly grow on trees. Kevin Walsh is about as respected a figure in Galway football as there is. If he can't do it, then maybe there's an attitudinal problem in the county that is beyond the powers of even a messiah figure to fix.

But Mayo found their man in October 2010, and the gap looks more and more intimidating with every passing year. The further ahead they are in terms of preparation and physical conditioning, the less enticing a prospect it is for a young Galway footballer to put in the effort to start to claw back some ground.
But it has to start somewhere, and relying on Mayo to come back to the pack seems like a forlorn hope at the moment.

That's amazing really when you think about it.
What is this writer suggesting? It's confusing.

Anyway Horan did not sell anybody a dream - players, fans, nobody - he gave the team hard work and fans appreciated the effort. If anything John O Mahoney sold the dream after 2006AI.
Horan did his stuff quietly and did most of it right but I suspect now he knows that he messed up with a bit of personnel that cost him dearly.

The money stuff I don't get. Not relevant. Mayo have spent more because their seasons have been longer for a start. And we all know about how tight Mayo CB were and there was other fundraising in NY to cover slack.

He puts in a line about Kevin Walsh being so respected but at the same time the article suggests that some players don't want to play for him - 52 players turned down the opportunity to get involved!  Kevin said that himself and was foolish to do so. Cutting a stick to beat himself with. Crazy stuff as well as the stuff he said about O Curráin.
Why do they not want to play for you and Galway Kevin? A man that had greater respect in the game than Horan or McGuiness. Horan and McGuiness were only given their gigs reluctantly. Neither had the standing of Walsh. Walsh is blue chip.  Some players will always feel that county football is beyond them but the implication that refusal is because of the 'demands' on an intercounty footballer is risible. Players in other counties ( pick one of several) show up year after year.

The lack of interest and apathy in Galway footballing public is nothing new. They only seem to get interested when they smell/expect success. I remember a championship game in Sligo when Bosco was in charge and only parents and siblings from Galway attended. I remembered Bosco looking around bemused when a Galway score got a few cheers. A couple of years later they got Donnellans and Joyces and they came out for the golden years.

I think the article correctly points out the fundamental problem facing Galway football i.e. an apathetic public. How you address the problem is where the article goes a bit astray. Like you Moy, I don't think a McGuinness/Horan messiah like figure is the solution.

There is no way that 52 players would reject the chance to join the Mayo, Donegal or Kerry county panels. Even when Mayo and Donegal were going through recent fallow periods, similar to Galway, there wouldn't have been anywhere near that number. The thing is, in Mayo, Donegal and plenty of other of other counties, you at least got a bit recognition from the general public for playing for the county. It went some way to making all the sacrifices worth while. However, the profile of the Galway football team seems to be at it's lowest ever ebb within the county it is no wonder players are asking themselves, Why bother? The likes of Seafoid might think that the historic cycle will run it's course and that Galway will rise to the top again without any radical intervention, I wouldn't be so sure. Especially when you consider the demands on county players are in a different universe when compared with any point in the last century.

The challenge faced by Galway football is made tougher by the fact that football doesn't rule the roost in Galway the way it does in other counties, particularly with hurling and rugby on the up. I reckon if Galway are serious about getting to the top again they need to start boosting the profile of their county team. Be it via the media, online, promotional tickets etc. I actually think something similar is going on with Cork football at the moment. At the end of the day, the more counties you have competing at the top, the better the championship will be.