League winners mark Golden Jubilee of Galway’s hurling revival
History now credits them as the team that laid the foundation for Galway’s hurling revival — and it was entirely fitting that the county’s hurling fraternity gathered again to honour the squad that came from nowhere to break back into the big time by winning the 1975 National League title.
That team from 50 years ago were back on centre stage at the weekend, guests of honour at the Báireoirí na Gaillimhe Social in Gullane’s Hotel, Ballinasloe.
Most of the side and squad were present, and those now gone to their reward were remembered and represented on a special night as county hurlers from through the decades enjoyed their annual re-union.
They were particularly remembering that breakthrough day of May 25, 1975, when Galway came from almost nowhere to win the league title with a 4-9 to 4-6 win over Tipperary in the final at the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick.
It was their third league title overall and their first since 1950-51 — but few could have foreseen it at the start of that season.
Galway had topped Division 1B, winning four of their five games over Kildare, Laois, Antrim and Wicklow — losing just one, to Offaly in Duggan Park.
They had defeated Cork 2-7 to 2-5 in the quarter-final in March 1975 and overcame Kilkenny 1-9 to 1-6 in the semi-final on May 4, going on to defeat Tipperary at the end of that month.
The Connacht Tribune report of that final by Michael Glynn began with the proclamation that “24 years of failure and frustration were well and truly wiped from the memories of Galway hurling fans at Limerick on Sunday, when a remarkable late rally brought the League West and firmly entrenched Galway back at the top of the hurling ladder”.
“Now all eyes are on the championship, in which Galway open their campaign late next month, and with victories on the trot over Cork, Kilkenny and Tipperary, the hopes of a magnificent double are high,” he continued.
Caption: Kiltormer’s Kilkenny brothers, Tony, Michael, Ollie and Frank, at the Báireoirí na Gaillimhe Social in Gullane’s Hotel, Ballinasloe. Photo: Joe Keane.
Don’t miss two pages of words and photos on the event in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.