Connolly senses ‘wind of change’ in Galway mentality

fter 29 years of demeaning criticism and having their manliness questioned, Joe Connolly is relieved to finally see a new breed of Galway hurler emerging.

The 1980 All-Ireland-winning captain was milling about the CityWest Hotel yesterday morning when asked for his thoughts on Sunday’s All-Ireland double. He was happy to oblige, knowing full well the interview requests will become less and less frequent now that Galway’s celebrated men of the 80s have seen the baton – at long, long last - passed on.

Last Wednesday evening, Connolly, along with Noel Lane, Cyril Farrell, Conor Hayes, and Pete Finnerty, made up the panel for a Galway Bay FM preview show in Loughrea. These former stars, he tells us, are fed up of being the spokesmen for Galway hurling, with Connolly revealing a deep frustration that the county “sleep-walked” through the last 29 years.