A rivalry born out of respect
Out the road in neighbouring Tubber, it’s a similar story. For those perched on the bar stools at O’Grady’s and Finnerty’s, there’s only one item worth discussing.
The Galway-Clare rivalry rarely rears its head during the summer months, but when it does, the strongest tremors are normally felt along the old Ennis road.
“We’re right on the cusp of it,” laughs Gort native and former Galway hurler Slyvie Linnane.
As a player Linnane’s only dealings with the Banner came in league encounters, proudly declaring he was never on a Galway team defeated by the saffron and blue.
During Cyril Farrell’s second term at the helm, Galway stumbled across the Banner in the 1987 league decider emerging victorious by two points in Thurles, but the corner-back claims there was no extra buzz from turning over the neighbours.
“It is nice to win the local one, but I wouldn’t get overawed. If Galway isn’t playing I’d be shouting for Clare. I was shouting for them in 1995.”
Delving a little deeper, it soon becomes apparent that while a rivalry is evident, once matters on the field are done and dusted, that’s that. Gort and Tubber are but one large community of hurling enthusiasts, divided only by a stroke on the map.
“Sure when you’re living here right on the border there was always a bit of rivalry between Clare and Galway, a good rivalry though. Clare lads come into Gort for a pint and we’d often meet them. It would be good natured banter,” remarks Linnane, a sentiment shared by former Clare hurler and Tubber native Pat O’Connor.
“There is huge cooperation here between the local clubs in challenge matches, sharing pitches, fellas going from Galway to coach in Clare and vice versa,” said O’Connor.
“It is a lovely relationship in the sense that the rivalry, and there is plenty of rivalry in it, is left on the pitch. We’d love to beat Galway and Galway would love to beat us, we’d leave it then though, there is no carry on from it.”
The two men are well accustomed from their playing days and that rivalry has even moved on a generation with Patrick and Slyvie Óg crossing swords in the 2009 All-Ireland semi-final. Clare had the upper hand on that occasion but Pat says Tubber folk are keeping their powder dry ahead of this latest instalment.
“Gort is our local town,” he smiles. “Here in Clare we are very wary there would be a huge backlash from Galway. Gort would be our place for socialising so we don’t want to get caught boasting and get a hammering.
“No real bragging going on as of yet, Clare people are afraid of what Galway will do. You have a young mobile team in Clare that can punish you, but then when you see what Galway did to Kilkenny in last year’s Leinster final, they could do that again at any stage, blow out the lights.”
One would envisage that the Tubber-Gort relationship on the field would be confined to an odd challenge game here and there, nothing more, but a spate of tournaments in south Galway and north Clare ensures a constant power along the border.
Though the Tubber hurling tournament abated in recent years, the Kilbeacanty sevens celebrated its 50th anniversary in June with All-Ireland hurling club champions St Thomas’ taking the honours. Such competitions have forged strong links between the said parishes.
“Sure I only live three quarters of a mile from the Gantley’s in Beagh, the four Gantley’s represented Galway at all levels and John Moylan. They’re only down the road from me, Eamon Taaffe and my brother Enda.
“Oh by god have we crossed swords,” quips O’Connor.
“There was times when we helped each other too, when we went across the border when teams were short, we were very cooperative with players. That would be just at underage, if one team is short it would be handy to call across the border for an extra body or two.”
Much like O’Connor, Linnane and the Gantleys, acquaintances were first made during school days. Indeed, Gort Community School has reaped rich dividends from the convergence of stickmen from both sides of the divide.
In 2009, the school’s senior hurling team comfortably overcame the challenge of Portumna to complete the five-in-row of Connacht Colleges hurling titles. In so many of those victories, James Regan and Richie Cummins provided the match-winning tallies, while further back the field, Patrick O’Connor and fellow clubman Ronan Taffee, nephew to All-Ireland winning corner-forward Eamon, operated a frugal rearguard unit.
“Those teams were probably made up of 85% south Galway, 15% north Clare,” said the schools hurling manager Eamon Veale.
“We had lads from Gort, Kinvara, Ardrahan, Michael Cusacks [an amalgamation of Kilbeacanty and Beagh], St Thomas’, Tubber, Crusheen and Kilanena. Other products of this school that we’ll see on Sunday are Conor Cooney, Iarla Tannion, Niall Donoghue, Colm Callanan, Shane Kavanagh and Aidan Harte.”
Pat O’Connor recalled: “They were unlucky that they didn’t win an All-Ireland. He [Patrick] played with them right up along and is still very good friends with them all the time.”
Indeed, while Patrick O’Connor and St Thomas’ James Regan will line out in opposition tomorrow afternoon, everything is left on the pitch, continuing the tradition of those gone before them.
“There was a time they [James and Patrick] were having their 21st together, but hurling got in the way. They would all go the 21st parties together and it is more of a hurling gathering than anything.
“It is great that they can go out on the pitch, give it 100% and then socialise afterwards,” added Pat.
Friendships, however, have been put on hold for now and understandably so. There is an All-Ireland quarter-final at stake, and while Galway are keen to return to the penultimate round for a second consecutive season, Clare haven’t forgotten the 4-25 to 0-20 hammering served to them two years ago in Pearse Stadium. The tremors recorded on that occasion were off the scale.
As throw-in looms ever closer, the hype will continue to build down Gort country. For those who travel daily the R458 this is the big one. “You can say that again,” smirks Sylvie. “You can say that again.”
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