Callanan: we’re all playing catch-up
On the inter-county scene, Colm is vying with James Skehill for the number one shirt for Galway who face Kilkenny in the Leinster SHC semi-final at Tullamore on Saturday. That’s the same Kilkenny who have won 11 of the last 12 Leinster titles, the same Kilkenny going for four-in-a-row All-Ireland crowns.
No matter which way he turns, no matter which jersey he pulls over his shoulders, he faces a huge challenge.
“Portumna are to club hurling what Kilkenny are to inter-county,” he says. “And we’re all playing catch-up.
“In 2007 we met Portumna in the county final in Galway and got a bit of a lesson. We conceded three goals in the first 20 minutes and it was impossible to come back from that.
“It was very disheartening, but fair play to Portumna they did what they had to do.
“We reached the knockout stage again in 2008 – we’re trying to build, but it’s not easy.”
On the inter-county front, Galway too are trying to build and as part of that building process, they find themselves in Leinster facing the champions. It won’t be easy he agrees.
“It’s a huge challenge. We’ll probably have to hurl the perfect game, and even then you’re hoping for a few breaks along the way. But, if we want to win an All-Ireland – and we do – we were going to have to meet them somewhere along the line. This is exactly what we wanted when we went into Leinster. Up to now it was a case of the first big game we lost we were out, but who better to test yourself against at this time of the year than the All-Ireland champions. Whatever happens, however it goes, we’ll get the chance to improve before we play our next game.”
He is in awe of the team Brian Cody has built. “They’re some outfit – three All-Irelands, going for four-in-a-row, six titles won since 2000. What they’ve achieved in the last few years will probably never be surpassed. They have a few injury worries this week but still they have lads like John Dalton, John Tennyson, Richie Hogan, Michael Rice to come in – they’re the ‘who’s who’ of inter-county hurling. Fair play to them, but we’ll just have to get on with it, we have to hurl our own game and if it’s good enough, it is, if not, it’s not.”
Spoken with total pragmatism, nothing there with which anyone could argue. Just as Portumna are the benchmark in club hurling nationwide, so Kilkenny are now the benchmark at inter-county level, every other side overtaken and left in the dust.
If Galway are to win this game, then they ARE going to have to hurl the perfect game, and they ARE going to have to get the breaks. Perhaps, even, one of those breaks might be a long-distance pointed free from Colm himself, a point such as the reported 125-yard rocket he launched against Mullagh in the county quarter-final of 2007, one of three he scored in a two-point win.
“I don’t know who had the measuring tape out that day!” he laughs, “It was over in Loughrea, two frees and a 65, but there was a strong breeze, I wouldn’t read too much into it! I got one against Tipp in the league this year, but had two wides also the same day so the less said about that the better! I scored one against Kilkenny in the All-Ireland quarter-final in 07 in Croke Park – PJ Ryan (Kilkenny keeper) said it wasn’t over the bar but the white flag went up, and that’s all that matters!”
Like Portumna, however, eventually Kilkenny will be beaten, eventually that great run will come to an end. In the meantime, with both Kinvara and Galway, Colm Callanan will just have to keep trying, and keep the faith.
“That day will come, and you’re hoping your team will be the team to do it. Kilkenny hit hard, they’re a physical team, but everyone is getting so much faster and stronger now; you can’t stand back and admire them – it’s hard for the rest of us, but they’re up there to be knocked.”
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