Minor final preview: Galway hurlers seeking double on two fronts
Four training sessions a week since January, strength and conditioning lessons from the renowned Polish guru Lukasz Kirszenstein and 15 games mean that Galway are in a good place going into tomorrow’s All-Ireland final. The All-Ireland minor final that is.
Like Micheál Donoghue, Jeffrey Lynskey is hoping to put back-to-back titles together, for the first time since 2004/2005 at this level, and to annex a third title in four years. It’s an excellent strike rate that he didn’t quite see coming when he took the reins.
“Did I see three All-Ireland finals in four years? Probably not, to be perfectly honest with you. But we work incredibly hard. We’re back since January 4 so this will be our 16th game including challenges and championship. The lads have done 100-plus sessions.
Part of the reason I got the job (in 2015) was that I was there so long with the academy. I’m there since 2008/2009 with U15s, U16s, U17s. What I try and do is develop hurlers so they’re ready to go to U21 and then senior.
"Sean Loftus, Tom Monaghan, Jack Kyne, those type of lads, they’re the lads who I would have started off with. But that’s part of the job. Part of it is to try and get these lads educated, not only hurling-wise but also the journey they’re on. Whether we win or not on Sunday, for me is it the be all and end all? No. It’s where they are in four years’ time.”
Minor isn’t quite what it used to be with the age change. And while the change in size is obvious, Lynskey has highlighted another challenge.
“We focus on concentration. I’m a school teacher. So, you’ll see it (in classes). Two or three of the lads are only in their second year. When we’re doing a video analysis session, the concentration levels wouldn’t be there. You can even watch them in games. You can see they have to reset and stuff - they’re switched off. So, you’re trying to do it in the coaching sessions, engage the mind for a long period.”
The change in age could also have led to a leadership vacuum as it’s a completely new group, but again Lynskey was proactive. He explained: “The network in Galway regarding club and schools is very good. So, everyone knows everyone else. I do a lot of background check on the lads when we go back at the start of the year and then create the leadership groups. So, Seán Neary and Diarmuid (Kilcommins) and Shane Quirke, these lads would be identified as the leaders.”
The involvement of Kirszenstein is also of benefit and illustrates the joined-up thinking that exists at inter-county level.
I would probably talk to him once every two weeks. You just have to be careful that you don’t step on anyone’s toes because if you work in a staff and someone is parachuted in, people sometimes get upset. But we’ve got over that part of it and there is a relationship there where we are feeding off each other.
It’s Kilkenny in the opposite corner tomorrow — a side Galway have defeated already this season. “We played them in the round robin but this is a new game. We had a seven-point margin on them but they — like ourselves — have tweaked and improved since then. Richie (Mulrooney) has been there for a good while as manager so he brings that experience with him.”
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