Galway hurling has received a timely lift with the ratification of Conor Hayes' management team and the announcement that Seán Silke will come on board as a coach and, as expected, Séamus Coen will join the existing management team as a new selector.
Silke and Coen were teammates of Hayes on the 1980 All-Ireland winning team and join Pearse Piggott and Gerry Dempsey in the backroom team for the coming season.
After his messy re-appointment at the end of last year, Hayes had hoped that former All-Ireland winner and Hurler of the Year Joe Cooney would agree to act as a selector. When this wasn't possible, he was felt to be under pressure to bring in a recognised name to freshen up the management involved last year when the team won the National Hurling League but received a drubbing from Kilkenny in the championship.
Silke's decision to get involved wasn't widely expected but he is very highly regarded in the county and has maintained a consistent if low-key involvement with Galway hurling, including helping the county to an intermediate All-Ireland title.
"He has huge ability," according to new Galway hurling board secretary John Fahey, "and we were very, very happy to get someone of his talents making himself available."
A human resources executive, Silke won't be a selector only, because he preferred to define his input as an exclusively coaching role. Asked was it Silke's own choice not to be involved as a selector, Fahey replied: "Absolutely".
Coen was a member of the Galway team that made a memorable breakthrough, winning the county's first hurling All-Ireland in 57 years in 1980. He played on the left wing of the defence in place of the injured Iggy Clarke, and also won an All Star in 1985.
Silke was a member of the 1980 side along with Hayes and Coen. He played centre back and was twice an All Star
He also captained the side that went down to Offaly in the 1985 All-Ireland final.
The appointments were ratified by the Galway hurling board earlier this week and lay to rest an awkward few weeks, which have seen a controversy over Hayes's re-appointment - after a sub-committee had recommended that Matt Murphy take over - and reported discontent among players left out of the new training panel.
It is understood Murphy is willing to make himself available to continue as manager of the minor hurlers, with whom he won last year's All-Ireland.
One other item of interest from the hurling board meeting is the news that Galway hurlers will be kitted out by Gaelic Gear for the next three years. The deal replaces O'Neills as the county hurlers' suppliers.
"It's a playing gear partnership," said John Fahey, "the same as most counties have with suppliers, guaranteeing royalty payments on sales.
"Supermacs will continue as our jersey sponsors for the 14th season.
"We were approached by companies, and Gaelic Gear came up with the best package from our point of view."
Galway is unusual in having two high-profile county teams with different jersey designs as a result of each having different sponsors.
The county footballers will continue to use O'Neills.
Meanwhile, the Munster Council have confirmed that they will be forwarding a cheque for €15,000 to Croke Park for inclusion in the GAA's South Asia Disaster Fund Appeal. This amount is the proceeds of the four quarter-final matches in the McGrath Cup on Sunday and Monday of this week.
The amount is made up of €9,071 (net gate receipts), €560 (stilesmen's payments contributed), €3,700 (participating team and travel expenses), €260 (officials' travel expenses contributed) and the balance from the council itself.
Tipperary make two changes for the weekend's McGrath Cup semi-final with Cork IT. Benny Hahessy comes in for the injured Niall Fitzgerald, whereas Liam England takes over from Declan Browne, who is in Hong Kong with the All Stars.
TIPPERARY (SF v Cork IT): B Enright; D Byrne, N Curran, P King; P Morrissey, R Costigan, B Hahessy; E Hanrahan, K Mulryan (capt.); A Fitzgerald, L England, P Cahill; J Shanahan, F O'Callaghan, D O'Brien.
