Damien Hayes: All-Ireland title vindicated Galway players’ ousting of Anthony Cunningham

By Paul Keane

Former All-Star attacker Damien Hayes says the players’ decision to oust Anthony Cunningham as manager three years ago has been vindicated by their success.

Galway are two wins from retaining the All-Ireland title and will return to the decider if they beat Clare at Croke Park on Saturday.

That will be their third semi-final in a row since Micheal Donoghue replaced Cunningham as manager in late 2015, following a player heave.

Cunningham guided Galway to finals in 2012 and 2015, coming up agonisingly short of Kilkenny on both occasions. He initially attempted to remain in place, but the current Dublin coach finally relented and stood down that November following failed mediation talks and with reports of the players being ready to strike.

“The players did what they did and it has been a successful move,” said Hayes, who lined out for Cunningham in the 2012 All-Ireland final. The players knew the standards, they knew where they wanted to get to, they knew what was required.

“They did what they felt was right for them and what was right for Galway hurling and they went on and won an All-Ireland.

“The goal was to win an All-Ireland, and that’s why they did it. I stood over what they did. A lot of lads didn’t, but I said, ‘well done’ to the lads.”

Hayes made light of the claim that such a move could have split the squad or at least led to divisions that may have undermined the group.

“But it didn’t, it didn’t, so it’s irrelevant. It didn’t. The players did what they felt was right,” said the three-time All-Star.

“I wasn’t a part of it, I was a spectator watching this. I said they did what they felt was right.”

Hayes is a club mate of Joe Canning — the 2017 hurler of the year — at Portumna and feels the Galway players who made the stand against Cunningham in 2015 were wrongly criticised by various commentators at the time.

“You have to remember, the first year involved (with Donoghue), they could have won the All-Ireland, the very first season, with only half a season’s training, and then, the second year, they won the All-Ireland, and now they’re in their third year. This team, potentially — it’s almost the same core of players — could potentially be going for four All-Irelands.

“Four years ago, they didn’t turn up in the second half of the final against Kilkenny, the same group of players. Then, Micheal Donoghue’s first year, they got beaten by, as I recall it, an unbelievable goal by ‘Bubbles’ O’Dwyer of Tipperary. Last year they won the All-Ireland and here we are now this year.

“I’ve always said the players have been there to do it and I’ll always support the players. I think they’re a great bunch. They’re amateur players, they give their own time. The players did what they did and it has been a successful move.”

Hayes, who won four All-Ireland club medals with Portumna, claimed that if Galway play near to their potential in the remainder of the championship they will win it and retain the MacCarthy Cup.

“I don’t want to be putting pressure on them, but it is Galway’s All-Ireland to lose,” he said.

“It’s not just me saying it, Galway are genuinely the best team out there, but they need to be very careful of this Clare team. Clare will be really up for this game, but I still think Galway are the best team in the championship and I think it’s Galway’s All-Ireland to lose.

“I think if you said about Galway at the start of the year that they could get to the All-Ireland final by playing Clare and Limerick or Cork, and if you asked: ‘Do you think they would win it? I think you’d say they would.”

EirGrid, the official timing partner of the GAA, is calling on GAA supporters to submit an image showing their favourite GAA moment in time, as a player, volunteer or supporter. Four provincial winners will receive a LED digital clock and scoreboard for their club. See EirGrid Facebook and Twitter channels.