Leinster SHC Round Four

Galway 6-27 Antrim 1-14

By Billy Coss at Pearse Stadium

Despite resting a number of frontliners, Galway made it three wins on the bounce and kept their Leinster Senior Hurling Championship destiny in their own hands with an emphatic victory over 14-man Antrim in the searing heat in Salthill.

It’s 82 years since Antrim defeated Galway for the first and only time in championship hurling. Thirteen goals were shared in the 1943 All-Ireland quarter-final at the old Corrigan Park as the Saffron County sensationally prevailed on the way to that season’s final.

Galway’s winning margins in the fixture have otherwise ranged from a high of 34 points down to a low of 12. This afternoon’s meeting, their third ever in Leinster, came at the upper end of that scale with 28 points dividing the teams at the finish.

The game’s direction of travel was already well established when Antrim defender Declan McCloskey was dismissed on a straight red card following an off-the-ball incident with Tom Monaghan late in the opening half. Galway were out to a 2-12 to 0-8 lead by then despite facing the wind with Brian Concannon and Anthony Burns netting their goals.

Captain Conor Whelan got Galway’s points tally moving with a terrific Kevin Cooney catch and score from the terrace sideline among the highlights, along with an exquisite Ronan Glennon pass for the first three of six on the day for Monaghan.

Antrim’s finishing was below par and Joseph McLaughlin accounted for five points of their tally before the break, with Eoin O’Neill chipping in with two as a gap of 11 separated them at the break.

With their crunch clash especially with Dublin just around the corner, Micheál Donoghue made six changes to the starting XV against Wexford with Padraic and Cathal Mannion, David Burke, John Fleming, Tiernan Killeen and Colm Molloy replaced by Joshua Ryan, Seán Linnane, Ronan Glennon, Conor Cooney, Anthony Burns and Kevin Cooney.

The winners also had the luxury of withdrawing a number of established hands, including Conor Whelan and Gavin Lee early in the third quarter. Their goal rush continued with Concannon and Burns both grabbing their second, while sub Declan McLaughlin also got on the act.

Injuries allied to a suspension for chief marksman James McNaughton robbed Antrim of firepower in attack, though they struck for a consolation goal on 67 minutes through Niall McGarrell.

There was still time for Galway to bring their green flag total up to six when Kevin Cooney struck in the next passage of play. They move on to what promises to be a high stakes final round fixture against Dublin in Parnell Park.

Davy Fitzgerald’s side will quickly shift their focus to what’s shaping up to be a Round Five ‘win or bust’ clash with Offaly in determining whether they retain their Liam MacCarthy Cup status for 2026.

Scorers for Galway: Conor Cooney 0-11 (9fs), Anthony Burns 2-2, Tom Monaghan 0-6, Brian Concannon 2-0, Kevin Cooney and Declan McLaughlin 1-1 each, Conor Whelan 0-2, and Ronan Glennon 0-2 each, Darren Morrissey and Seán Linnane 0-1 each.

Scorers for Antrim: Joseph McLaughlin 0-7 (6fs), Gerard Walsh 0-3 (3f), Niall McGarrell 1-0, Eoin O’Neill 0-2, Cormac McKeown and Niall O’Connor 0-1 each.

Galway: Darach Fahy; Joshua Ryan, Fintan Burke, Darren Morrissey; Seán Linnane, Gavin Lee, T.J. Brennan; Cianan Fahy, Ronan Glennon; Conor Whelan (captain), Conor Cooney, Tom Monaghan; Kevin Cooney, Brian Concannon, Anthony Burns.

Subs: Jack Grealish for Burke inj (35), Dan Loftus for Morrissey (HT), Micheál Garvey for Whelan (42), John Cooney for Lee (42), Declan McLaughlin for Cianan Fahy (56).

Antrim: Ryan Elliott; Stephen Rooney, Niall O’Connor, Paddy Burke; Seán McKay, Conor Boyd, Conall Bohill; Gerard Walsh, Declan McCloskey; Ryan McCambridge, Eoghan Campbell, Nigel Elliott; Cormac McKeown, Eoin O’Neill, Joseph McLaughlin.

Subs: Eoin McFerran for Burke temporary (14-16) & Rooney inj (21), Scott Walsh for Nigel Elliott (HT), Paul Boyle for McCambridge (52), Niall McGarrell for McLaughlin (54); Aodhán McGarry for O’Neill (70).

Referee: Thomas Gleeson (Dublin).

Round 4 of the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship takes place this weekend with the visit of Antrim to Salthill.

The Galway Senior Hurling team is as follows

GALWAY V ANTRIM
📍Pearse Stadium
🗓️Saturday 17th May
🕓2.30pm
📱Live Scores via WhatstheScor App
📻 Commentary on Galway Bay FM, RnaG Spórt
📺 Watch Live on GAA+

Match Tickets are on sale here ⤵️
https://www.ticketmaster.ie/galway-v-antrim-leinster-senior-hurling-co-galway-17-05-2025/event/1800627BE94088DF

Best of Luck to Micheál and the Lads !

#riseofthetribes
#gaillimhabú

Round 3 of the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship takes place this weekend with the visit of Wexford to Salthill.

The Galway Team to face Wexford is as follows

GALWAY V WEXFORD
📍Pearse Stadium
🗓️Saturday 10th May
🕓3.15pm
📱Live Scores via WhatstheScor App
📻 Commentary on Galway Bay FM
📺 RTE

Match Tickets are on sale here ⤵️
https://www.ticketmaster.ie/galway-v-wexford-leinster-senior-hurling-co-galway-10-05-2025/event/1800627BE5238688

Best of Luck to Micheál and the Lads !

#riseofthetribes
#gaillimhabú

Leinster Senior Hurling Championship Round Two

Galway 2-25 Offaly 1-14

By Kevin Egan at Glenisk O’Connor Park

Galway put their Leinster championship campaign back on course with a comprehensive win over Offaly, achieved largely on the back of an outstanding performance from Cathal Mannion.

For Offaly, the optimism that followed their strong showing in Parnell Park will have dissipated, as they failed entirely in their bid to raise a gallop in front of 10,073 supporters in their first home Leinster SHC game since an equally dismal showing against Wexford seven years ago.

They got the start they wanted through an early Killian Sampson goal, but from the throw in, they were shipping water in the full-back line.

Colm Molloy’s introduction for his championship debut was a late change to the starting 15 and the diminutive corner-forward wasted no time in making his mark, firing over three points in the first 10 minutes, leading to his marker Pádraig Cantwell being called ashore with 21 minutes played.

Then there was Mannion, whose main early contribution was to pounce on a misplaced Mark Troy puckout to fire the ball under the goalie for Galway’s first goal.

The Tribesmen moved four clear before a brace of frees and a majestic Charlie Mitchell point cut the gap to the minimum and got the crowd into the game by the 15 minute mark, but from then until half-time it was one-way traffic.

Daithí Burke’s return to full back made a strong impact as he controlled that key position, with Pádraic Mannion and TJ Brennan also dominant in the wing-back berths. However it was Mannion who really ran the show, converting his own scores and also dropping outfield to orchestrate play for the Tribesmen.

There was a stroke of luck to their second goal as he dropped in a ’65 and it deflected off Donal Shirley’s hurl past Mark Troy for a second Galway goal, but Offaly were handed another lifeline when the sides sparked off one another going into the dressing room at half-time, and Daithí Burke was shown a straight red card by James Owens after the two teams emerged from the dressing rooms.

It could have been more. Troy made two stunning saves to deny Mannion further goals, initially from a 20 metre piledriver and then again when Molloy collected the rebound and was dragged to the ground for a penalty.

Instead of seizing the advantage with their extra man, Offaly scored just two points in the third quarter, and by then Galway were out of sight. Their most egregious miss was when Cillian Kiely fired wide from close-range after being put through by Mitchell, but between frees and open play, plenty more went abegging. Even the introduction of Adam Screeney for his first senior action of the year couldn’t rouse the crowd, as only Mannion’s brilliance illuminated another flat encounter.

He added to his tally and set up more opportunities for Concannon, Molloy and Brennan, but the dull pace of the contest started to infect the rest of the Galway team too, with the Tribesmen adding eight final quarter wides when they could have put a gulf between the teams.

As it stands, they got the result they needed, but the sense that they have ground to make up on Kilkenny – at least – will remain.

Scorers for Galway: Cathal Mannion 2-8 (1-0 65, 3fs), Colm Molloy 0-5, Brian Concannon 0-3, TJ Brennan 0-3, Conor Whelan 0-2, David Burke 0-1, Tiernan Killeen 0-1, Cianán Fahy 0-1, John Fleming 0-1.
Scorers for Offaly: Brian Duignan 0-5 (4fsf), Killian Sampson 1-1, Adam Screeney 0-3 (2fs), Charlie Mitchell 0-2, Dan Ravenhill 0-2 (0-1f), Oisín Kelly 0-1.

Glaway: Darach Fahy; Fintan Burke, Daithí Burke, Darren Morrissey; Pádraic Mannion, Gavin Lee, TJ Brennan; Cianán Fahy, David Burke; John Fleming, Tiernan Killeen, Conor Whelan; Brian Concannon, Cathal Mannion, Colm Molloy.

Subs: Tom Monaghan for Killeen (33), Conor Cooney for Fleming (55), Donal O’Shea for Molloy (60), Seán Linnane for David Burke (62), Ronan Glennon for C Mannion (68).

Offaly: Mark Troy; Pádraig Cantwell, Ciarán Burke, Ben Conneely; Ross Ravenhill, Donal Shirley, Jason Sampson; Cathal King, David King; Killian Sampson, Daniel Bourke, Oisín Kelly; Dan Ravenhill, Brian Duignan, Charlie Mitchell.

Subs: Cillian Kiely for J Sampson (21), James Mahon for Cantwell (24), Adam Screeney for D King (42), Eoin Burke for Kiely (48), Colin Spain for Conneely (62).

Referee: James Owens (Wexford).

Our Senior Hurlers make the trip to Glenisk O’Connor Park on Saturday to face Offaly in Round 2 of the Leinster Senior Hurling championship.

📍Glenisk O’Connor Park, Tullamore
🗓️Saturday 26th April
🕓6.30pm
📱Live Scores via WhatstheScor App
📻 Commentary on Galway Bay FM

✖️ Please Note the game is Not Streamed or Televised, please do not click on any fake links ✖️

Match Tickets are on sale here
https://www.ticketmaster.ie/offaly-v-galway-leinster-senior-hurling-co-offaly-26-04-2025/event/1800627BAF4053EA

Best of Luck to our Senior Hurlers and Management !

#riseofthetribes
#gaillimhabú