JOE COONEY has been through it all in the maroon and white. Still he turns to speak and his face is as full of enthusiasm as that of a 19 year old. League finals may be appetisers for some counties, but when famine has been biting right through the decade they take on the appearance of something a bit more substantial.

"There is an awful lot of training put into this league. It's a long time since we won a major trophy. We have a good mix of hurlers here at the moment. We're looking forward to a league and a championship."

The long gap until championship action always preys on Galway minds. This summer they hope to fill some of that time looking back on a fulfilling spring.

The league is the only way we can gauge ourselves," says Cooney The championship is a long way off for us. They were hard to shake off. All Wexford teams are that way, but we stuck at it."

Michael Coleman leans on his hurleys and considers Wexford to have been slightly unlucky in the course of a second half which saw their challenge evaporate. With improvement, he thinks Wexford can launch a summer challenge.

"We found it hard in the first half. Wexford played hard. They were unfortunate in that the wind died on them in the second half and a couple of other things went against them. Joe Rabbitte is thriving out on the wing getting scores for us. We need that from Joe.

It the young lads can get going for us over the next few weeks I think we will be looking forward to the summer. We have the talent. We have lost finals in the last few years and there is pressure there to see if we can do it this time around. This year the attitude is right. This is a big step for us. Can we go that bit further? In the next few weeks there will be a lot of soul searching."

Joe Rabbitte speaks of his own day in tones of quiet satisfaction. Five points from play and a level of involvement which made him the afternoon's most influential player combined to make yesterday one of his best days in a Galway jersey. The memory of a nightmare All Ireland semi final last season had been erased slightly.

"To be taken off in Croke Park last August was a nightmare. I came up today and I had a point to prove to a lot of people. The most pleasing thing for us was actually winning the game. We came to win it and in the second half we were able to put them away."

Liam Griffin, the Wexford manager, offers his congratulations to Galway and then settles down to calling a spade a spade. No gloss.

"We were beaten fair and square by a team that played better. We over carried when we had opportunities. We weren't taking long range scores. We have work to do, but in spots it was really close to what we wanted. We were doing some ground hurling and holding it together, but up against a good team like that it is hard to keep the plans going. Players get panicky.

Is it demoralising to lose in the league like this. "Ask Clare," says Liam. "Ask Clare."