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Celtic Challenge a chance for Tribesmen hurlers to shine for Galway

The Galway Tribesmen U17 hurlers who play Derry in tomorrow's Bank of Ireland Celtic Challenge Corn William Robinson final in Tullamore.

The Galway Tribesmen U17 hurlers who play Derry in tomorrow's Bank of Ireland Celtic Challenge Corn William Robinson final in Tullamore.

By Michael Devlin

It’s a case of déjà vu for Galway Tribesmen as they head into this weekend’s Bank of Ireland Celtic Challenge Division Three final against Derry in Tullamore.

It’ll be same competition, same venue, same weekend, and same opponents as 2018 when the Galway U17 selection lost 2-18 to 3-12 to the Oak Leaf County in the Corn William Robinson final.

While all those variables remain the same, a new feature will be the presence on the sideline of Tribesmen team manager, Padraig Mannion.

Not that this is the Ballygar club man’s first year coaching the Tribesmen squad or anything. He was at the helm for the team’s 2018 campaign, but was unable to make the game due to small matter of getting married on the same day.

“If we prevail on Saturday and win it, it’ll be a nice anniversary present wouldn’t it?” joked Mannion.

“Our first game last year, it was my first game involved, and we beat Sligo by three points. I didn’t think we performed that well and I said to one of our selectors, ‘If we go well in this, I’m going to have to miss the final, it’s on the same day as my wedding’. He said to me, ‘We’re not going to go so far based on that performance’ but we ended up getting to the final!

“Thanks be to God I’ll be there on Saturday, my wife’s gone away on a girls’ holiday, so I’m a free man for the weekend!”

Action from Galway Tribesmen's game with Roscommon in the 2019 GAA Celtic Challenge.

Action from Galway Tribesmen's game with Roscommon in the 2019 GAA Celtic Challenge.

This year the Tribesmen came through Group G of the competition with an unblemished record after five wins from five. Placed in the Corn William Robinson thereafter in the knockout competition, they overcame Laois 2-15 to 1-11 before edging out the Clare Saffrons team by a point to earn their spot in Saturday’s schedule of finals at O'Connor Park.

“Roscommon was a tight game, and they were probably the best team we played in the group, while Donegal weren’t bad either,” said Mannion. “The semi with Clare Saffrons down in Crusheen was a great game of hurling, it was nip and tuck, only a point in it at halftime and only a point in it at the end. It wasn’t high scoring but it was tense, and enjoyable to get the win.

“We’ll have our work cut out, but it would be nice to go out and beat Derry. We have four or five from last year’s panel, so it’s nice to get a crack at Derry again and see if we can overcome them this time.”

The Tribesmen are one of three Galway U17 squads taking part in the Celtic Challenge. The others are the Galway McDonagh and Galway Maroons, with the latter playing North Cork in the Division One decider that brings to a close Saturday’s feast of juvenile hurling.

The Tribesmen panel draw from predominantly junior and intermediate clubs in north and west Galway, where football is traditionally the stronger of the codes.

While the Celtic Challenge competition undoubtedly helps to develop hurling in the so-called weaker counties, its benefit is also felt in parts of the traditional hurling heavyweights where the big ball is more dominant. Mannion believes it gives players from clubs in those areas a great chance to stake a claim on future minor and U20 county panels.

“There wouldn’t be many from the area on the county minor panel,” says Mannion. “My own club, Ballygar, for instance is a junior club and we have one lad on the minors, but he’s an exceptionally good hurler in fairness.

The Ballygar Hurling Club representatives on the Galway Tribesmen Celtic Challenge team; manager Padraig Mannion, and players Ryan Duffy, Evan Duffy, Jamie Doyle, Tom Collins and Eamonn Trayers. 

The Ballygar Hurling Club representatives on the Galway Tribesmen Celtic Challenge team; manager Padraig Mannion, and players Ryan Duffy, Evan Duffy, Jamie Doyle, Tom Collins and Eamonn Trayers. 

“It’s brilliant for these lads. There’s two or three on the current Galway U20 panel that played Celtic Challenge for this squad. It’s brilliant for lads from non-traditional hurling areas in Galway and the likes of Cork or Tipperary. All these lads will think they have a chance of getting into a county panel, which is great for their confidence.

“The majority of our panel, hurling would be their first love. We have a guy on the panel there from Tuam. Tuam is obviously Stockwell and Purcell, steeped in football, and hurling wouldn’t be strong there. But hurling is his first love, so he plays football over hurling, which is great.

“We have a panel of 25, and the Maroons and McDonagh’s would have roughly the same as well, so that’s 75 lads outside your top 24 or 25 on the county panel.

“The Galway minors are playing the first round of their Championship soon, they have a fair good squad this year I believe. With the help of God, if some of the boys on our team keep improving at the rate they are improving, they won’t be far off it.”