Craughwell and St. ThomasÕ lead mini-revolution

Date Published: {J}

A MINI revolution has already taken place in this year’s Galway senior hurling championship. For the first time in a decade, the semi-final line up will feature neither Portumna nor Loughrea, while St. Thomas’ have reached the last four for the first time since the late eighties, along with a Craughwell team which, so far in 2011, has certainly been making light of its reputation for being a ‘bit flaky’ when the pressure comes on.

Of course, champions Clarinbridge are still on the premises and the manner in which they emphatically dismissed Mullagh’s disappointing challenge in last Sunday’s semi-final replay at Kenny Park underlines the fact that John Lee’s squad remain the team to beat. A few of their players, like Jamie Cannon, the Kerins brothers, and Paul Coen, may be moving on in years, but you can’t put a price on experience at the business end of the championship.

The final club to have made it to the county semi-final is Gort, but their progress this year comes as no real surprise despite their failure to even emerge from the group stages in 2010 – a scenario more reflective of complacency among the players and management rather than the talent in the squad. To their credit, Gort have heeded the lesson in humility and with Richie Cummins finally recovered from that protracted ankle injury, they look well equipped to make a bold bid for a first title since 1983.

Frankly, they will be expected to get through Sunday’s South Galway semi-final derby collision with a young St. Thomas’ outfit whose narrow win over Portumna in the quarter-finals reads better on paper than was the actual reality. The former kingpins were seriously undermined by suspensions to Joe Canning and Andy Smith, not forgetting the continuing of Michael Dolphin’s injury nightmare.

Portumna’s troubles on the day were best highlighted by the selection of long-time regular goalkeeper Ivan Canning in attack, while his veteran brother, David, was asked to gallop around in a midfield role.For all that, Portumna nearly survived and it took an exhibition of point scoring from young James Regan to help St. Thomas’ tip the balance in their favour. They are a team I have been keeping a close eye on for several years now and it’s encouraging that John Burke’s squad have finally made a big breakthrough despite almost failing to emerge from their group. In their multitude of Burkes, together with the Kellys and Cooneys, they have no shortage of emerging young talent, but understandably St. Thomas’ still have to develop the physical hardness which is so critical for outright glory, especially as the year drags on and bad weather becomes a greater influence on matches.

You’d imagine that St. Thomas’ wouldn’t possess the steel to cope with a Gort outfit which has no shortage of experience – it’s only 2008 since they last appeared in a county final – and really looked like a team on good terms with itself in comfortably disposing of Loughrea earlier in the month. The likes of Peter Cummins, Mark McMahon, Sylvie Og Linnane, Andy Coen, Jason Grealish, Greg Lally, Gerry Quinn, Ollie Fahy, the teak-tough Paul Killilea, Aidan Harte and Cummins will spearhead their challenge on Sunday, while Brian Regan, out for several months with a bad hand injury, should also be match sharper after returning for the quarter-final.

The second semi-final has even more of a derby appeal to it and it’s not overstating the reality to insist that Craughwell and title holders Clarinbridge wouldn’t have much time for each other. There’s nothing wrong with that as the GAA’s lifeblood at grassroots level stems from the intense rivalry between neighbouring parishes so, against that background, we wait in anticipation of a spicy affair on Sunday.

The ‘Bridge almost came a cropper in their drawn match against Mullagh, but they heeded the lessons from that outing in making no mistake in the clubs’ weekend replay. Obviously, Eanna Murphy’s softly conceded first-half goal was a self-inflicted blow Mullagh could have done without but, ultimately, you can’t argue with a ten points beating. Clarinbridge appear to be hitting the groove at just the right time again.

For more, read this week's Connacht Tribune.