GAA Roundup Galway’s hurlers put away Clare

By Martin Breheny

The new hurling season may be only a few weeks old but already Galway are beginning to look as if they might finally deliver on the promise they have shown over the last few years.

They started the Church & General National League with a comfortable win over Offaly and followed up last Sunday with an even more impressive victory, 2-16 to 2-10, over Clare in Milltown Malbay. Rory Gantley scored 1-8 for Galway and, while Niall Gilligan countered with two goals for Clare, it wasn’t enough to save the day. Having beaten two of the big guns in the group, Galway, who have still to play Limerick, Dublin, Kerry and Antrim, look set for a semifinal slot. Offaly took their first League points with a win over Antrim, while Dublin hammered hapless Kerry.

Kilkenny and Waterford also maintained their 100 per cent records with wins over Laois and Wexford, respectively. Laois’ stock continues to dive. Kilkenny hammered them by 3-20 to 0-9, with Henry Shefflin scoring 0-10 for the rampant black-and-amber. Waterford left it late before snatching victory over Wexford. They sides were level in the final minute, but Billy O’Sullivan popped up for the winning goal right at the end.

Tipperary had a gentle lift-off in their bid to retain the League crown. They were far too good for Derry in Thurles, winning by 5-20 to 1-12.

Football

The focus switches to football next Sunday when the pick of the National League action will be at Killarney, where Kerry face Roscommon, their co-leaders in Division 1A, and at Parnell Park, where Dublin entertain Donegal.

Westmeath have their own problems as they prepare for the visit of Leitrim to Mullingar. Their manager, Brendan Lowry, has been suspended for six months by the Leinster Council arising from pitch incursions at the O’Byrne Cup final a few weeks ago.

The former Offaly star has been stunned by the a severe sentence and is planning to appeal to the GAA’s Management Committee. Unless Management take a more lenient view, he will be unable to prepare the team for the championship, which would be a bad blow to Westmeath’s plans.

Bans lifted?

Meanwhile, there is an outside chance that the bans on soccer and rugby being played at GAA grounds may be lifted in April. The Laois County Board will propose a motion at the GAA Congress, calling for a change in the rule regarding the use of GAA property. They want to give Central Council the power to decide what games could be played at GAA grounds.

The current policy precludes any sport that is deemed to be in conflict with the aims of the Association being played at GAA grounds. If the Laois motion is accepted, Central Council could make exceptions in certain circumstances. Even a slight shift in policy would be interpreted as a softening of the hardline stance by the GAA at a time when both the government and the Football Association of Ireland are proposing to build separate stadiums.