St Thomas’ join the local greats thanks to hat-trick of title triumphs

Turloughmore  0-15

STEPHEN GLENNON AT KENNY PARK

THREE was the magic number at Kenny Park, Athenry, last Sunday. With St. Thomas’ chasing a Turloughmore outfit that had hit three unanswered points to take and hold the lead with three minutes to go, St. Thomas’ answered in kind with three of their own to snatch a victory that secured the champions the coveted three-in-a-row of county SHC titles.

Not many have achieved such a feat in Galway hurling, with only Portumna (2007 – 2009) and Athenry (1998 – 2000) doing the same in the last quarter of a century. Coincidentally, the last team to achieve it previous to this was Turloughmore in winning an historic six-in-a-row between 1961 and 1966.

Since the first county SHC title was handed out to Meelick in 1887, Castlegar (1936 – 1940), Peterswell (1899 – 1900) – the half-parish of St. Thomas’ – and Ardrahan (1894 – 1896 & 1901 – 1903) have also accomplished it but none of those teams were forced to do so in the midst of a global pandemic.

Against such a backdrop, St. Thomas’ deserve every plaudit bestowed on them. Although they were courted by defeat on a couple of occasions – none least by Castlegar in a thrilling championship opener – they always rejected the hollow sweet nothings of defeat and found a way to win.

That, as captain Conor Cooney and others proclaimed afterwards, became their 2020 mantra and, certainly, they brought that to bear in the closing stages of an absorbing county final last Sunday.

An early Cooney goal had ensured Kevin Lally’s charges led 1-11 to 0-12 entering the home stretch but then three points in as many minutes from the brilliant Sean Linnane (2) and Sean Loftus nudged Turloughmore in front for only the second time in the contest. It looked as if they had seized the lead at the opportune moment.

Yet, as has been remarked upon at various stages in recent years, it is these tight and tense exchanges that St. Thomas’ have thrived on. It is these moments when they fill their lungs with character and their hearts with a never-say-die spirit. The chests come out and the grind begins.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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