Galway’s rising stars too strong for gallant Kilkenny

Kilkenny 0-14

THERE was to be no double/double for the Galway senior and minor hurlers in Croke Park last weekend but there was still major cause for celebration and optimism in the county on Sunday evening following the exploits of Jeff Lynskey’s minor side who secured a second title in-a-row and a third in the last four years with victory over a fine Kilkenny side.

The end result of 0-21 to 0-14 may seem harsh on the Cats when reflecting back on the game but having overcome a difficult opening period, where Kilkenny threw everything at the young Tribesmen, Lynskey’s side upped the ante no end and dominated their opponents for the majority of the second period to earn the county’s 12th Irish Press Cup in all.

There has been much talk of this Galway side up along through the underage grades and on Sunday last, they came of age on the big stage, signalling their arrival as Galway’s newest batch of rising stars and this victory will no doubt inspire a number of them to go on to bigger and better things in the maroon and white jersey.

It was hard to know what the new championship would bring this year. The differences between U-18 and U-17 have certainly been plain to see, particularly in terms of the physicality of players appearance wise, and in the game itself, but the quality of hurling on-show in this year’s championship has been second to none, and as a whole, it has been a satisfactory first year for both players and spectators.

As well as the change in age grade, the tweaks to the championship whereby Galway enter the championship at the quarter-final stage, with two games against the beaten provincial finalists in Munster and Leinster, has also worked out favourably.

Though Lynskey and his management team, and the people of Galway in general, are still unsatisfied given that the county’s rightful place lies in the Leinster championship, this year has definitely proven a step in the right direction.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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