New edge to Galway hurling championship title pursuit

STEPHEN GLENNON

A NEW era in club championship hurling in the county will dawn this weekend when the revitalised senior and intermediate championships – as recommended by the Galway Hurling Review group – will get underway.

Under the old system, reigning county champions Gort could afford to ease their way into competitive action. However, under the new structure, they face a challenging defence of their title against next-door neighbours and nearest rivals, St. Thomas – a side Gort narrowly defeated in the 2011 semi-finals.

This, without question, is the tie of the weekend and given the depth of talent in the St. Thomas’ squad – such as David Burke, in sparkling form at present, Conor Cooney, James Regan and Bernard Burke – they have the ability to reverse last year’s result.

While other games of note include Clarinbridge v Beagh, Craughwell v Mullagh and Portumna v Sarsfields, in truth, every single contest boasts of some angle to whet the appetite of even the most cursory of supporters and that, quite simply, can be attributed to the competitive nature of the new structure.

Indeed, the anticipation among hurling enthusiasts regarding the commencement of these eagerly awaited championships far exceeds that in the run-in to the old format of yesteryear. That, in itself, has reinforced the need for change.

Added to this, Galway Hurling Board has been very active in promoting the new-look championship – a lesson those at national level could certainly take a leaf from when it comes to marketing their games.

To mark the commencement of the championships, a special 32-page programme with the details of all senior and intermediate teams will be available at €3 each and this will not only be applicable to this weekend’s fixtures but will also be in use for second round games. Consequently, squads will be numbered in accordance to the numbers in the programme.

In addition, the Board has launched their €150 pass which entitles the bearer entry to all hurling club fixtures and this is available through club secretaries; or, alternatively, patrons can enter these championship fixtures for just €5 if they show their adult membership card for Galway Hurling Supporters Club.

To further promote these fixtures, every schoolchild in the county has received a complementary pass for this weekend, with these passes subsequently to be included in a draw at these venues for Galway hurling jerseys.

SATURDAYArdrahan v Kinvara(Kenny Park, Athenry 5pm)

Kinvara – saved from relegation in the boardroom – should be a great deal stronger this time round with the return of fully fit duo Shane Kavanagh and captain Ger Mahon. Indeed, with the likes of goalkeeper Colm Callanan and defenders Alan Leech and Jonathan Kavanagh in their ranks, Kinvara do not lack quality but, quite often, they have over-relied on David Huban and Conor Kavanagh to get the scores in attack. In this respect, the return of Colm Burke from his time abroad should significantly bolster this area.

Ardrahan looked to be on the rebound from their 2011 relegation scrap but they now face an injury crisis with a number of key players in a race to be fit going into this opener. These include David Greene (ankle), Niall Greene and Padraig Diviney (both hamstring), Joe O'Leary (shin) and Pat Holland (back), although selector Dermot Fahy is hopeful of having some of these players available. Verdict: Kinvara. 

For more, read this week's Galway CityTribune.