Galway GAA discussion thread

realweirdo wrote: »

They actually bossed Kerry for most of the first half but they really struggled to get scores. But the performance agains Kerry was very promising. If we are talking progression, Galway would have to target a semi-final next year. So that would mean winning Connacht and beating a qualifier or losing Connacht but beating a provincial winner. This Galway team looks like it doesn't fear Croke Park which was always a good omen in the past.

Progress is winning Connacht and nothing else .

Can't decide whether to renew Hurling Season Ticket or buy a Football Season Ticket........ Advice??

Promotion to Division 1 shouldn't be ruled out!!

Keeping just 5 players is a bit mad, where are the other 21 members of the panel going to come from? Not like club football is very strong ATM!

FlashR2D2 wrote: »

Don't know if anybody here can think back to the mid 90's but Galway football was in fairly poor shape. If I remember right, we were playing in Div.3 of the league for one season. The turnover of players from 94-98 was huge. If you saw the team selection in '97 there was no way you would have seen an All-Ireland coming in '98. It was like a completely different team in '98 too.

With all the potential, Galway nearly dropped to Div. 3 this year, that shouldn't be happening to a team that plans to win Connacht. A quality Galway team should be driving hard though most of the opposition in Div.2. Until I see that, there will be no Connacht title.

I hope Walsh has a full clearout, keep the 5 or so interesting players. Get on with trying out some new players preferably with physical strength, maturity and experience.

This is not true. Galway were in a very poor place in the early to mid 90's. However, the turn around in Galway football began in 1995, not in 1998. Some people believe Galway came from nowhere with a young team in 1998 and won an All-Ireland. It did not happen like that.

Galway had a good team in 1995 winning a competitive Connacht championship and losing narrowly to Tyrone. In 1996 and 1997, they lost to the AI finalists (Mayo) each year. In 1997, they gave them a very good match. Niall Finnegan produced one of my all time favourite forward displays in that match. In 1998, there was a confidence that Galway could beat Mayo. It may have been a quiet confidence but it was there. Galway were considered fresher than Mayo who had just had 2 long summers. In "A Year til Sunday", there is a clip from the Sunday Game where Tony Davis predicts that the winner of the Mayo - Galway match would get to the AI final. I suspect that if the back door was in place in 96 or 97, Galway may have done quite well.

It is a myth that the Galway 98 team was full of young players. That team consisted of experienced players like Finnegan, Fallon, Walsh, Mannion, Silke, Fahey & McNamara. I am not sure if all of them featured in 1995 but certainly most of them did. Then you had players like Fergal Gavin and Damien Mitchell in the subs who would have been on that 1995 team. All of these players contributed significantly to Galway's success in 1998. Sure, you needed young players like Joyce, Savage, Donnellan (although he featured also in 97) to come along and supplement the more experienced guys. But that team was a real mix of youth and experience.

Comparing this to the current Galway team. I think you have 3 or 4 players with decent experience: Hanley, Bradshaw, Armstrong, O'Donnell. you could potentially add Sice to that list. But I think that maybe only Hanley & Armstrong have a Connacht title? Maybe Bradshaw has one. Certainly, I think Galway are at a much lower ebb at the moment than they were in 1998.

Out of curiosity, who are the 5 players that you would keep? And who are the 20 better players in Galway that you would bring in?

Kevin Walsh is correct to begin with a blank canvass in the sense that players like Duane, Concannon, Sice might still have something to offer and could be brought back. However, I think he has to look at individual performances from the last couple of years to get to know the players better. Wiping the last couple of years from memory will not help you improve next year.

Utopia Parkway wrote: »

Hurlers going into Leinster at U-21 and minor it seems.

Seems to be Intermediate for the moment. Hope I'm wrong.

No idea here's the decision anyone know which rule has been broken?
Investigation and Decision of Galway C.C.C.
Turloughmore forfeit the game in question, played on 14th September, without Award of Game to Beagh. (Ref. Rule 7.4 (b)]
Retrospectively, this changes the final Group C team placing as follows: Beagh now finish in 2nd place on 3 points and Turloughmore now finish in 3rd place on 2 points.
As Beagh therefore qualified as the 2nd placed Team in Group C, Beagh shall play Ardrahan in the Quarter Final, as per the open draw (2nd placed Team in Group C V 2nd placed Team in Group D).
This game to be played on Sunday 12th October 2014. 3.
The drawn Quarter Final game between Turloughmore and Ardrahan, played on 27th September 2014, is declared to be null and void.
In addition to imposing a penalty of forfeiture of the Game on Turloughmore (Ref 1. above), the GCCC will also commence the appropriate Disciplinary Action. [Ref. Rule 7.4 (b)]
Note
GSHC: Galway Senior Hurling Championship GCCC: Galway Competitions Control Committee
Decided Galway Competitions Control Committee (GCCC) on 2nd October 2014

nootroc wrote: »

Seems to be Intermediate for the moment. Hope I'm wrong.

I see the draws up for minor and u21 for Leinster for 2015 and no mention of Galway, for intermediate it just says TBC. Will it be in 2016?

donnem33 wrote: »

Galway drawn against Kilkenny in the intermediate semi final. winners play wexford in the final.

I reckon this opens the door for the minors and u21's to enter leinster in 2016. The leinster council are having a vote on Oct 5th i think i read to allow Galway to enter or not

What's the feeling in Galway on the minors and U21 in Leinster?

donnem33 wrote: »

Although I would prefer an open draw to take place, I am in favour of Galway entering leinster. Not sure how well they will be accepted though - apart from Kilkenny, im not sure if any other leinster county will want them competing at this level.

However, whats going to happen with the Quarter final pairing? I presume the ulster champions will be there along with the Munster and Leinster provincial finalists, however, who will make up the fourth team?

I would definitely be in favour of it; old 'anti-join-Leinster' thinking such as Mattie Murphy expressed in the wake of the semi' defeat to Limerick is simply antediluvian. The minors and U-21s starting out at the same level as their counterparts will have to benefit them in the long run - given the less than stellar success rate the seniors have enjoyed since going in, I can't see how other counties would fear them; beating KK should occupy their minds instead. GBFM said it may be up to 5 weeks before we'll know if there's a chance that it will happen.

Kevin Walsh coming off the bench at 45 for Kilannin to win the Intermediate Championship today!

Pllayed in intermediate west board final, also against moycullen in 1985(29 years ago).
Amazing how a career pans out and what a way for him to finish his career.

Typical OTT!

Good draws for both Footballers and Hurlers.

Hurlers have one of their easiest routes to the Leinster Final imo. O.K. Dublin up first but honestly I think Galway will take them.

Footballers v. New York then Leitrim and Mayo, the latter two at home (I think) and a home Connacht Final if we're in it. Should really be up to Mayo and tha game should be 50/50, but will it, that is the question.