This was a canter for Galway as Shane O’Neill picked up a convincing victory in his first National League game as manager, although playing against Westmeath’s 14 men for all of the second half softened his side’s route to victory at Pearse Stadium.

An uninterrupted seven-point first-half scoring burst set NUI Galway on their way to the quarter-finals of the Electric Ireland Fitzgibbon Cup as they proved superior to CIT last night.

Tipperary’s Willlie Maher and Kilkenny’s Conor Phelan will manage the senior side bidding to prevent a Scottish five-in-a-row of series wins.

Galway advanced to the semi-finals of the Allianz League thanks to an impressive display in the second-half when they were playing against the wind at Pearse Stadium.

More than 50,000 supporters turned out across Galway to greet the All- Ireland hurling champions as they returned home, having won the senior and minor titles for the first time in the same year.