LEINSTER CHAMPIONSHIP: ONLY THE most dedicated hurling historians can recall the last time Galway abandoned their province and sought refuge across the borderlines, not that they'd exactly want to. It was the 11-year period from 1959 to 1969, and they only managed to win a single match – against Clare, apparently, although not even the most dedicated hurling historians are entirely sure of that.
Naturally, none of the current Galway panel is haunted by that experience, but as they begin their latest exodus – this time heading east into Leinster – there is some trepidation. They should handle Laois on Sunday, but after that nothing can be certain. The hope is that history won’t repeat itself.
“That last move into Munster was a little before my time,” says Joe Canning, with obvious understatement. Still only 20, Canning is heading into only his second senior championship season with Galway, and is generally enthusiastic about the move east – as are most hurling followers, given they’ll get to see more of Canning’s extraordinary talent.
“It’s a different group of players, a different era, and we’re looking to forward to it. It’s something to win, and that’s as good an incentive as you want. Winning a Leinster medal is the same as any medal.
“You’re going to cherish it. Maybe I’d still prefer a Connacht medal, being a Connacht man, but we’re Leinster people now in some sense. We want that extra few matches as well. Hopefully we can do both.”
Assuming they do get past Laois, they’ll go into the open draw to face either Kilkenny, Dublin/Antrim, or Wexford/Offaly in the Leinster semi-finals (the bookies are adamant Galway and Kilkenny will be kept apart). It makes for a far more interesting start to their season, but inevitably Canning is not looking past Laois – even though Galway have beaten them twice in the last two years by a combined score of 29 points.
“Last year they did stay with us in Pearse Stadium until near the end, when we kind of flattered the result,” says Canning.
“And a few years ago they beat us in the league. Laois can cause an upset on any day, so we certainly won’t be taking them for granted. They have that added bit of incentive in that we’re coming into their territory, trying to take their ground.”
Canning is named at full forward, with four of his All-Ireland club winning team-mates from Portumna also making the starting 15; brother Ollie at full back, and Kevin Hayes, Damien Hayes and Andrew Smith in the attack.
Anyone who tuned into the recent TV series Pride of the Parish would have seen how close the Portumna team spirit has become, and Canning reckons if Galway can somehow capture that anything is possible this summer.
“I just think if we get a small bit of success it will go a long way towards doing that. Success always brings a group of players together. If Galway won even one big game. That’s all we need. I think it would bring everyone closer together.
“We’ve been so successful with Portumna, we’re so tight knit now through the good days and the bad days. So if Galway can just get that little bit of success I think we can be a force to be reckoned with.
“Maybe we are still lacking a bit of confidence but again that comes with experience, and say closing out games that over the last few years we weren’t able to do. In the last few years Galway have played well one day, and mediocre the other, and that was our fault, really. Like beating Kilkenny in the All-Ireland semi-finals in 2001 and 2005, and then not showing up on the day of the final.
“Hopefully there is some stability now with the management as well, but it’s easy as well to point the finger at the management and say it was their fault. But us as players have to take the responsibility as well, hold our hands up and say we weren’t good enough.”
Canning continues to defy his age with his rise through the ranks, but admits that’s all down to never resting on his laurels: “I wouldn’t say you can be comfortable any year. If you’re too comfortable you’re too relaxed. You have to be on your toes the whole time, expecting the worst, that it mightn’t always go your way. You have to have that pressure on yourself, to perform every day, and be better than you were the last day.
“And that means practising most days, yes. If you’re away from it more than two or three days you do notice your touch going.
“Just that half a second that could be the difference on the day. So it could be the ball alley or out on the lawn or anywhere. It’s about getting your eye looking at the ball.”
Manager John McIntyre has included just two debutants, with former under-21 captain Kevin Hynes, who missed last year with a broken jaw, named at midfield, and Aonghus Callanan named at wing forward. John Lee returns from his academic commitments at centre back, while Colm Callanan takes over in goal from the injured James Skehill.
Team selections
GALWAY(SH v Laois): C Callanan; D Joyce, S Kavanagh, O Canning; F Moore, J Lee, A Cullinane; K Hynes, A Smith; A Callanan, K Hayes, C Donnellan; D Hayes, J Canning, N Healy.
OFFALY(SH v Wexford): B Mullins; D Franks, D Kenny, P Cleary; R Hanniffy, G Oakley (captain), J Rigney; K Brady, B Murphy; D Currams, J Brady, D Molloy; B Carroll, J Bergin, S Dooley.
LEITRIM(SF v Roscommon): N Gill; M McGuinness, J McKeon, D Reynolds; B Prior, B McWeeney, J Clancy; G McCloskey, S Canning; P McGuinness, T Beirne, C Clarke; R Cox, D Maxwell, J Clancy.
ROSCOMMON(SF v Leitrim): G Claffey; P Domican, J Nolan, P Kelly; S McDermott, D Flynn, D Keenan; M Finneran, B Higgins; G Cox, K Mannion, D Shine; C Devaney, S Kilbride, J Dunning.
