Galway hoping to 'right those wrongs' after semi-final pain

Since winning the 2018 All-Ireland semi-final against Clare in a replay, Galway have lost three last-four games to Limerick

Darren Morrissey on Galway's Leinster final victory over Dublin: “It was like we nearly won it by a point when the final whistle blew, it was kind of like there was an awful lot of release of emotion." Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

Galway senior hurling captain Darren Morrissey didn’t hide away from his side’s ambitions for the big prize later this summer.

Cathal Mannion, Padraic Mannion, Conor Whelan, Daithí Burke, Tom Monaghan and Conor Cooney are the only Galway players who have tasted victory when it comes to All-Ireland semi-finals back in 2018.

Since then, the Tribesmen have been defeated by Limerick in three All-Ireland semi-finals in 2020, 2022 and 2023.

“Now that we are here, you want to stay winning. We are not training for the last few weeks for nothing. We watched the Cork and Offaly game, hopefully we can take a few things from it and hopefully bring it on Saturday,” said Morrissey.

“A few All-Ireland semi-final defeats against Limerick and they probably weren’t our best performances. We’re hoping to right them wrongs again now.

“We are in an All-Ireland semi-final, anybody you’re going to meet it’s going to be a tough game, I suppose when you go back training in Loughgeorge in November these are the days you want to be playing in. You want to be coming up against the best forwards in the country, hopefully we are going to be in a right position to take them on as well."

Morrissey hasn't been surprised by how seamlessly Galway's young players have adapted to inter-county hurling, having already seen their quality first hand when facing some of them during the club championship.

“Not really, you’re looking at them the last few years and you’ve seen what they've been doing with their clubs at underage level and you’ve been hearing all the talk about them. Until you get to see them and train with them on the pitch, you realise how actually talented they are, the likes of Aaron (Niland), Jason (Rabbitte) and Cullen (Killeen) they’ve been unbelievable down through the years with their schools and their clubs.

“When you actually come in and play 15-a-side games against them, they just fit in seamlessly. They’re great young lads, they are so willing to learn and they are all asking questions, fair play to them. I wish I was like that when I was that age.” 

His cousin, Niall Morrissey, who was part of the Sarsfields team that won the Galway Senior Hurling Championship in 2015, is someone he has looked up to from a young age.

“My earliest memory was probably going to games with my father, watching my cousin Niall play for Sarsfields for numerous years. He was hitting the frees, I used to always love going home and pretending I was Niall out in the front lawn and hitting points over the bar. I used to love the occasion of going into Kenny Park on a Saturday and Sunday, I lived for them days really in behind the goals waiting for balls to go over the bar, fighting for balls behind the goals, it was unreal, they were probably my earliest memories really.

“I just continued hurling from then on, I’ve always said when I would have been asked who would be my biggest inspiration in hurling and it probably would be Niall. Even during the summer, when he would be working, he would come down the road. We would be playing hurling and soccer on the front lawn, I loved it. It fairly toughened you up. He wasn't taking it easy even though he was 10 years older than me.”

The Galway captain said it was almost like a release valve to see the Tribesmen get over the line and win their first Leinster SHC since 2018.

“It was like we nearly won it by a point when the final whistle blew, it was kind of like there was an awful lot of release of emotion. It was great to see such celebrations, it was really special even looking back on it there, it would nearly bring a tear to your eye to see the older lads enjoying it so much. It was definitely a really special day for us.” 

The Sarsfields clubman came into the Galway panel in 2019 and this year he has been able to put injury struggles behind him and enjoy impressive performances at corner back. Since joining the panel, he felt the experienced players played a big role and still continue to do this year.

“They were huge role models for us growing up, we probably watched them winning All-Ireland’s in 2017 and said I want to do that one day. I came in 2019, lads like that took me under the wing and showed me the ropes. Fair play to them, they’ve been unbelievable to me and the younger lads over the last few years. They’re great lads if you ever have any questions they’ll answer them and they’re role models to us and the younger kids around the county as well."