Double shot gives Cannings chance to create bit of history

TOMORROW is a huge day for the Canning family from the Portumna club in Galway with Joe and Ollie in line to create their own bit of history by winning All-Ireland hurling medals at minor and senior level respectively.

Galway have certainly made up for lost ground at minor level. They had to wait until 1983 to win their first All-Ireland title but since then have added five more titles.

Tomorrow they face Limerick and with half of last year’s winning team available, the Tribesmen will be raging favourites. However, there in an air of confidence in the Limerick camp that they can bridge that 21 year gap since they last won the Irish Press Cup.

Ironically, Limerick had former Galway senior coach Cyril Farrell as an advisor for the early rounds. Understandably he has opted out for the final, but it would be some irony if Limerick come out on top.

Team manager Tim O’Connor has been involved with the Limerick squad since their U15 days when they were beaten by Cork in the final of the Carrigdhoun tournament.

Cork crushed Limerick in the final of this year’s Munster minor final, but in subsequent games in the All-Ireland series, the Munster champions were beaten by Galway while Limerick had wins over Antrim and Dublin to set up Sunday’s final.

“Kilmallock’s success at minor level in recent years has thrown up a number of excellent players and there are five from that club on the starting 15 for Sunday. Coupled with that, the Knockaderry club provide three and we have one player who has already won an All-Ireland underage medal this year.

“Midfielder Seamus Hickey from the Murroe-Boher club was a member of the victorious St Flannan’s team which won the college title earlier in the year, so there is plenty of experience in our team.

“The success of the Doon and Kilmallock secondary schools in the Harty Cup in recent years has also played a part in this team making it to the All-Ireland final.

“I’m offering no excuses for the hammering we got from Cork in the Munster final but we couldn’t prepare for that final the way we wanted to because of the Leaving Cert. But we regrouped and are in Sunday’s final on merit having rode our luck along the way, particularly in the semi-final against Antrim.

“We are going into the final as the complete underdog. All the talk is about Galway and the possibility of them winning three All-Ireland titles this year. That puts added pressure on them which suits us fine.

“I’m extremely confident that we can get a result on Sunday. This group of players have worked very hard to get where they are and have no intention of letting this chance go.”

Galway coach Mattie Murphy is looking to steer his side to their fourth victory under his tutelage.

“It doesn’t get any easier as the years go by, but I’m loving every minute of it,” said Murphy.

“I’m a bit concerned about the hype which surrounds our minor and senior teams. The county is gone crazy and the fact that we are firm favourites makes it difficult to keep the players focused on the job in hand.

“Having played Limerick three times this year in challenge games, I’m expecting a huge challenge from them. Their style is to crowd you out and not let you hurl. We haven’t come up against that kind of play in the championship this year, so it will be interesting to see how we cope.

“Obviously I would love to get a start like we got against Cork when we went 2-5 to nil in front after just eight minutes, but that’s unlikely to happen again. I won’t deny we have a very good team and that if we play to our potential, we’ll be very hard to beat, but Limerick need a minor title badly and will strain every muscle to win it. It could go down to the wire and if it does, I feel our experience from last year will stand to us.”

If you go on results, Galway should win. Limerick were taken to a replay by Waterford in round one, before thrashing Tipperary in the semi-final, and were badly beaten by Cork in the Munster final.

They then struggled to see off Antrim and Dublin to reach the final. Galway gave Wexford a six point start before defeating them by nine, and then went on to crush Cork in the penultimate round.

Galway get the vote to win, but they would be foolish to underestimate this hungry Limerick team.

LIMERICK: G. Flynn; S. Browne, L. Hurley, T. Condon; J. Kelly, D. Moloney, G. O’Mahony; D. Moore, S. Hickey; D. Hanley, J. Ryan, B. O’Sullivan; M. Ryan, E. Ryan, D. O’Sullivan.

GALWAY: J. Skehill; A. Leech, P. Loughnane, P. Callanan; J. Hughes, C. O’Donovan, K. Kilkenny; A. Keary, K. Coen; S. Glynn, J. Greene, A. Callanan; C. Kavanagh, J. Canning, B. Murphy.