Our Senior Footballers travel to Croke Park on Saturday to face Dublin in Round 6 of the Allianz Football League.
Best of luck to Padraic, Team Management and our Senior Footballers!
Galway GAA are deeply saddened at the news that Billy, a former Galway Senior Footballer and uncle of Senior Football Manager, Pádraic Joyce has sadly passed away.
A native of Killererin, Billy lined out for the Tribesmen in a career spanning 15 years from 1969 until his retirement in 1984.
During that time, he won eight Connacht Senior Football Titles with Galway (1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1982, 1983, 1984) and played in four All-Ireland Senior Football finals (1971, 1973, 1974 and 1983). Billy played at midfield on the last Galway Football Team that won the National League Title in the 1980/1981 season.
As a coach, Billy was manager of the Galway team that won the 1985 All-Ireland Junior Football Championship. He managed the Galway Senior Football team between 1986-1989 leading them to a Connacht Senior Football title in 1987. Billy won County and Connacht Club Football titles with his beloved club Killererin in 1976 and 1978 and he also managed the Club to win the County Senior Football Championship in 2004. He also served as Club’s Treasurer for thirty years.
We extend our deepest sympathies to his wife Maura, sons Barry, Nicky & Robert, daughter Amanda and all the extended Joyce family.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam
Funeral Arrangements:
https://rip.ie/death-notice/william-billy-joyce-galway-tuam-588050
Allianz Football League Division One
Galway 1-18 (1-6-6) Tyrone 1-18 (1-2-14)
By Cian O’Connell at Tuam Stadium
A compelling contest in the west eventually ended with the spoils being divided.
Shane Walsh’s sweet two pointer free with the last kick of the afternoon into the teeth of the wind ensured Galway preserved their unbeaten record.
Mattie Donnelly had edged Tyrone in front moments earlier, but Galway’s perseverance was rewarded.
Tyrone contributed handsomely to a splendid match, enjoying many productive moments in a lively opening period with the teams departing deadlocked at the break, 0-11 to 1-8.
With Malachy O’Rourke’s outfit primed for a battle, Galway’s long range shooting was a key factor initially.
Before the interval Galway nailed four two pointers including frees from Rob Finnerty (2) and Walsh, and one gorgeous effort from play by Paul Conroy.
At the opposite end of the field, though, Tyrone, prompted by the excellent Darragh Canavan and Mark Bradley, were impressing.
A ninth minute goal, crafted in Errigal Ciaran, highlighted Tyrone’s ability as Peter Harte’s laser pass located Canavan, who supplied a crisp finish.
Canavan’s major guided Tyrone 1-2 to 0-2 ahead at the juncture and the game continued at a decent clip.
In the 13th minute Galway custodian Conor Flaherty made a sharp penalty save to deny Harte as the locals survived a significant scare.
When the interval eventually rolled around the teams were deadlocked and the issue was delicately poised.
Tyrone were backed by a strong breeze after the restart, but they were unable to shrug off Galway’s resistance.
Bradley and Canavan caused plenty of damage, but Galway were still very much in contention, trailing 1-15 to 0-15 with 12 minutes left.
Galway captain Seán Kelly was fouled by Peter Teague with Walsh converting the resultant penalty with aplomb.
Tyrone substitute Darren McCurry rifled over a brilliant point. Walsh summoned an equaliser. Then Donnelly edged Tyrone two clear with a fine score from outside the arc.
Admirably, Galway refused to be perturbed, and a Tyrone breach was punished with Walsh expertly nailing a free from the deck. It was a fitting end to a thoroughly enjoyable encounter.
Scorers for Galway: Shane Walsh 1-7 (1-0 pen, 3 2ptf), Rob Finnerty 0-4 (2 2pts), Cillian McDaid, Paul Conroy (2pt) and Jack O’Neill (1f) 0-2 each, Céin D’Arcy 0-1.
Scorers for Tyrone: Darragh Canavan 1-5 (2fs), Mark Bradley 0-7 (1 2ptf, 1m, 1f), Mattie Donnelly 0-3 (1 2pt), Conn Kilpatrick, Kieran McGeary, and Darren McCurry 0-1 each.
Galway: Conor Flaherty; Johnny McGrath, Jack Glynn, Daniel O’Flaherty; Liam Silke, Seán Ó Maoilchiaráin, Seán Kelly; Cian Hernon, John Maher; Cathal Sweeney, Cillian McDaid, Jack O’Neill; Rob Finnerty, Paul Conroy, Shane Walsh.
Subs: Dylan McHugh for Glynn (HT), Céin D’Arcy for Hernon (HT), Matthew Thompson for Sweeney (55), Finnian Ó Laoi for O’Neill (58, temp), Brian Mannion for Finnerty (58, temp), Kieran Molloy for McDaid (70).
Tyrone: Niall Morgan; Niall Devlin, Peter Teague, Aidan Clarke; Michael McKernan, Rory Brennan, Kieran McGeary; Brian Kennedy, Conn Kilpatrick; Aodhan Donaghy, Mattie Donnelly, Ciarán Daly; Peter Harte, Mark Bradley, Darragh Canavan.
Subs: Joe Oguz for Donaghy (53), Darren McCurry for Peter Harte (57).
Referee: Brendan Cawley (Kildare).
Our Senior Footballers are in Tuam Stadium on Sunday and welcome visitors Tyrone for Round 5 of the Allianz Football League.
Allianz Football League Division One
Galway 0-21 (0-7-7) Donegal 0-14 (0-3-8)
By Billy Coss at Pearse Stadium
Shane Walsh of Galway in action against Brendan McCole of Donegal during the Allianz Football League Division 1 match between Galway and Donegal at Pearse Stadium in Galway. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile.
They played the second 35 minutes with 14 men following Matthew Tierney’s dismissal, and another half of it with just 13 owing to a pair of black cards, but Galway’s status as the two-point kings of the National Football League ultimately banked enough scores to hand Donegal their first defeat of the campaign and dislodge them from top spot in Division 1.
Shane Walsh maintained his terrific start to 2025 with his shooting outside the arc contributing four more two-pointers, three coming from play – taking his overall total up to 12. Tierney, Rob Finnerty and ‘keeper Conor Flaherty also got in on the act with orange flags as the hosts ran up an unanswered 17-point advantage while backed by a gale whipping in from the Árus Bothar na Trá end.
Conor O’Donnell’s 30th minute free saved Donegal from ending the half without any tangible return and their prospects further improved when Tierney picked up a straight red from referee David Coldrick seconds before the break following a challenge on Hugh McFadden.
Galway adapted best with and against the elements but would lose Daniel O’Flaherty and later Finnian Ó Laoi to black cards in the second half. However, the finishing of Walsh kept their tally ticking over as Donegal struggled to build flow or momentum.
Tellingly, the margin never dipped below eight points. 0-17 to 0-1 at the break became 0-19 to 0-6 on 51 minutes and 0-19 to 0-11 just after the hour mark. With a couple of two-pointers to his name, Daire Ó Baoill carried the biggest threat for the visitors who were missing last week’s man of the match Paddy McBrearty, Ryan McHugh and Michael Murphy.
Peadar Mogan kicked another from range and Shane O’Donnell, Ó Baoill and Ciaran Thompson all added final quarter points, but the Tribesmen held firm despite their numerical disadvantage and claimed a valuable bounceback victory following last week’s draw in Derry.
Captain Seán Kelly and John Maher were others to impress for the winners as they leapfrogged Donegal and Dublin to move to the summit of the table ahead of Tyrone’s visit to Tuam Stadium next Sunday.
Donegal, meanwhile, welcome Derry to Fr. Tierney Park, Ballyshannon for what will be their fifth straight weekend of action.
Scorers for Galway: Shane Walsh 0-11 (3 2pt, 1 2ptf); Rob Finnerty 0-3 (1 2ptf); Matthew Tierney (2pt) and Conor Flaherty (2 pt) 0-2 each; Daniel O’Flaherty, John Maher and Liam Silke 0-1 each.
Scorers for Donegal: Daire Ó Baoill 0-6 (2 2pt), Peadar Mogan (1 2pt), Conor O’Donnell (1f) and Ciaran Thompson 0-2 each; Oisín Gallen and Shane O’Donnell 0-1 each.
Galway: Conor Faherty; Johnny McGrath, Seán Fitzgerald, Daniel O’Flaherty; Dylan McHugh, Liam Silke, Seán Kelly (captain); Cian Hernon, John Maher; Matthew Tierney, Céin D’Arcy, Cathal Sweeney; Rob Finnerty, Shane Walsh, Sam O’Neill. Subs: Connor Gleeson for Flaherty (HT), Finnian Ó Laoi for O’Neill (44), Jack Glynn for Fitzgerald (44); Seán Mulkerrin for Hernon (51); Matthew Thompson for Finnerty (61).
Donegal: Shaun Patton; Mark Curran, Brendan McCole, Peadar Mogan; Eoin McHugh, Caolan McGonagle (captain), Ciaran Moore; Hugh McFadden, Domhnall Mac Giolla Bhríde; Odhran Doherty, Dáire Ó Baoill, Jamie Brennan; Conor O’Donnell, Oisín Gallen, Shane O’Donnell. Subs: Eoghan Bán Gallagher for Eoin McHugh (HT), Ciaran Thompson for Mac Giolla Bhríde (HT), Niall O’Donnell for Doherty (HT), Jeaic Mac Ceallabhuí for McFadden (57), Charles McGuinness for Brennan (57).
Referee: David Coldrick (Meath).
Our Senior Footballers are back in Pearse Stadium on Sunday and welcome visitors Donegal for Round 4 of the Allianz Football League.
Allianz Football League Division One
Derry 0-16 (0-1-14) Galway 1-13 (1-3-7)
By Michael Wilson at Celtic Park
Substitute Lachlan Murray inspired Derry’s superb second half fightback as Paddy Tally’s Oak Leafers picked up a first league point of the season against a Galway team who remain unbeaten after three games.
Indeed Padraic Joyce’s outfit looked set for a third straight victory when they lead by nine at half-time, but where instead grateful to John Daly’s late block on Ethan Doherty’s shot with only 10 seconds left on the clock.
It was a remarkable transformation from the home side. Tepid and laboured in the opening half, Derry were through the gears to outscore the Tribesmen by 0-12 to 0-3 in a thrilling second half in which Murray helped himself to 0-3 in a hugely impressive cameo.
There was more good news for Derry with the late introduction off the bench of Padraig McGrogan for his first appearance since suffering a cruciate ligament injury nine months ago.
Honours even, with both side having plenty top take from a game that only really caught fire in the second half. Both teams will feel they should have won; both won’t be too disappointed with the draw.
Coming into the game with a perfect record after two games, Galway started like a side completely at ease with Gaelic football’s bright new era, Walsh in particular enjoying himself with 0-6 before half-time, two of which were from his now trademark two pointers.
In contrast Derry’s build up looked laborious, too many passes, too slow and lacking imagination throughout an opening half that was dominated by the Tribesmen who could have been further ahead than their eventual 1-10 to 0-04 interval lead.
That came about largely thanks to Dylan’s McHugh’s ninth minute goal which handed Padraic Joyce’s team a grip that tightened as the opening half progressed. And like the five Kerry hit in Celtic Park two weeks previous, this was another Derry won’t want to see back again.
The excellent John Maher was the architect, picking out McHugh who had ran off Anton Tohill’s shoulder to get himself in on goal. The half-back still had plenty to do, but despite his low shot looking central, it still had too much for Neil McNicholl making his second appearance in the Oak Leaf net.
The goal was the game’s third score after early points from Shane McGuigan for Derry and Cillian O Curraoin for Galway, but thereafter only Paul Cassidy’s three points put a dent in Galway’s first half charge.
Walsh, who had been quiet in the opening quarter, exploded into life on 19 minutes with his opening two pointer, firing over from out under the main Celtic Park stand, and then followed it up with a second less than 90 seconds later.
The scoring burst took Galway to 1-8 against Derry’s 0-3 and it could have been worse for the home side when Daly’s sublime ball picked out the inside run of Matthew Tierney who was through on goal. Conor Doherty was chasing back, and he fouled Tierney.
Celtic Park held it’s breath, but free was referee David Gough’s decision, Walsh tapping over to make it a personal 0-5 without reply.
Cassidy’s third stemmed the tide momentarily but when Walsh sold a lovely dummy and pointed, Galway were well worth their commanding nine point interval lead.
McGuigan’s second of the game, a free after a foul on Conor Glass, signalled more intent from the home side. A fisted point from Cein Darcy’s was Galway’s instant response but within seconds Derry keeper Nicholl was charging through on to McFaul’s probing pass.
A midfielder by trade, McNicholl did everything right, surging inside and firing a shot that bound for the top corner until John Daly did brilliantly to get his hand to it and deflect the shot over the bar.
A point was scant reward for a great move but the pendulum had swung and Derry were making hay. Both McFaul and Toner had already sent efforts short before Galway were penalised for a three-on-three infraction and McGuigan hit Derry’s first two pointer of the evening from the resulting free.
Now six down, he introduction of Murray transformed the Oak Leaf attack his point, along with two from McGuigan and Conor Glass brought Tally’s men back to within three at 0-11 to 1-11 with 15 minutes left to play.
Walsh landed his third pointer, this time from the free moved forward, but it failed to halt the Derry charge. Murray’s third point was followed by two McGuigan frees to tie the game.
Derry looked set for victory when Doherty broke through, but John Daly had other ideas.
Scorers for Derry: Shane McGuigan 0-8 (1tpf, 3f), Paul Cassidy 0-3, Neil McNicholl 0-1, Lachlan Murray 0-3, Conor Glass 0-1,
Scorers for Galway: Shane Walsh 0-8 (2tp, 1tpf, 1f), Cillian O Curraoin 0-1 (01), Dylan McHugh 1-0, Matthew Tierney 0-1, John Maher 0-1, Sam O’Neill 0-1, Cein Darcy 0-1,
Derry: Neil McNicholl, Diarmuid Baker, Eoin McEvoy, Martin Bradley, Conor Doherty, Brendan Rogers, Declan Cassidy, Conor Glass, Anton Tohill, Ciaran McFaul, Paul Cassidy, Ethan Doherty, Ben McCarron, Shane McGuigan, Niall Toner.
Subs: Lachlan Murray for B McCarron, 43mins; Mark Doherty for D Cassidy, 50mins; Cahir McMonagle for N Toner, 58mins; Padraig McGrogan for McBradley, 64mins
Galway: Connor Gleeson, Johnny McGrath, Sean Fitzgerald, Liam Silke, Dylan McHugh, John Daly, Sean Kelly, Paul Conroy, John Maher, Sam O’Neill, Shane Walsh, Cein Darcy, Cillian O Curraoin, Matthew Tierney, Finnian O Laoi.
Subs: Robert Finnerty for C O Curraoin, 43mins; Johnny Heaney for F O Laoi, 48mins; Kieran Molloy for S O’Neill, 54mins; Daniel O’Flaherty for C Darcy, 60mins.
Referee: David Gough (Meath).
Our Senior Footballers travel to Celtic Park on Saturday to face Derry in Round 3 of the Allianz Football League.
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Allianz Football League Division One
Galway 0-26 (0-7-12) Mayo 0-16 (0-1-14)
By Colm Gannon at Hastings Insurance MacHale Park
Galway saw off Mayo in ease by 10 points in Castlebar, thanks in a large part to their expertise of taking advantage of the new rules. They kicked seven two pointers in total, with two of them coming from Mayo giving away frees for not having three men back in their own half.
Mayo had held a narrow one-point lead at half time, having twice battled back from four-point deficits.
The hosts struck first, with Seán Morahan scoring within the opening minute, it was followed by a ’45’ from Conor Gleeson and a close-range point from Paul Conroy, giving Galway an early advantage.
Conor Reid quickly levelled for Mayo, but Galway responded strongly, with points from Sean Kelly, Shane Walsh, and Dylan McHugh pushing them three points clear.
Kelly then squandered a clear goal-scoring opportunity, his shot saved by Colm Reape, but it didn’t take long for Conroy to extend Galway’s lead to 0-6 to 0-2.
Mayo attempted to begin their comeback with a point from Frank Irwin, and Davitt Neary looked to have narrowed the gap further, but his score was disallowed due to a Mayo not having three players in their defensive half and Cillian Ó’Curraoin converted the resulting free, restoring Galway’s four-point cushion.
Mayo’s response was swift. Paul Towey scored a fine point, and Conor Reid added another to reduce the deficit to two.
Towey then hit for the game’s first two-point score, levelling the match at seven points each. Donnacha McHugh put Mayo in the lead, but then missed a chance to extend it, scuffing a close-range shot wide. Sean Kelly equalised for Galway, but Towey scored his third point of the half just before the break, giving Mayo a 0-9 to 0-8 lead.
The second half began with Walsh immediately putting Galway into the lead with a long-range two-point effort effort. Ó’Curraoin then added a point to put Galway two infront, and his two-point free extended their lead to four.
Neary responded for Mayo, but Walsh landed another long-range shot, giving Galway a commanding 0-15 to 0-10 lead with fifteen minutes remaining and he repeated the trick on 49 minutes and Galway were seven to the good and the two league points firmly in their back pocket for the trip home.
There was still time for Galway to add nine more points before the end of the game with Cillian Ó’Curraion adding a brace of two pointers and Walsh adding another two pointer to his personal tally as they ran out comprehensive winners.
Scorers for Galway: Shane Walsh 0-9 (2 2pt, 2 2ptf), Cillian Ó Curraoin 0-8 (1 2pt, 2 2ptf, 1f), Paul Conroy 0-3, Seán Kelly 0-2, Rob Finnerty 0-2 (2fs), Dylan McHugh 0-1 and Connor Gleeson 0-1 (45)
Scorers for Mayo: Paul Towey 0-5 (1 2pt), Ryan O’Donoghue 0-3 (3fs), Davitt Neary 0-3, Conor Reid 0-2, Sean Morahan 0-1, Donnacha McHugh 0-1, and Frank Irwin 0-1.
Galway: Connor Gleeson; Johnny McGrath, Séan Fitzgerald, Daniel O’Flaherty; Dylan McHugh, Liam Silke, Séan Kelly, Paul Conroy, Cillian McDaid; John Maher, Finnian Ó’Laoí, Céin Darcy; Cillian Ó’Curraoin; Shane Walsh, Sam O’Neill.
Subs: Jack Glynn for Sean Kelly, Robert Finnerty for Sam O’Neill, Cathal Sweeney for Cillian McDaid, Johnny Heaney for Finnian Ó’Laoi, Colm Costello for Shane Walsh
Mayo: Colm Reape; Sam Callinan, Rory Brickenden, Enda Hession; Stephen Coen, David McBrien, Seán Morahan; Donnacha McHugh, Matthew Ruane; Conor Reid, Fergal Boland, Davitt Neary; Paul Towey, Frank Irwin, Ryan O’Donoghue.
Subs: Darren MacHale for Fergal Boland, Diarmuid O’Connor for Conor Reid, Eoghan McLaughlin for Matthew Ruane, Bob Tuohy for Diarmuid O’Connor, Cian McHale for Frank Irwin.
Referee: Noel Mooney (Cavan).
