IT TOOK A year longer than they would have hoped but the Canning family have provided a new addition to the team of serial All-Ireland kingpins Portumna in this year’s Galway senior hurling championship.
Jack Canning was a Galway minor hurler last year but the rule concerning U17 players prevented him from lining out for his club at senior level.
But he’s been in action in Portumna’s opening two games this year as they sit top of Group 2 of the senior hurling championship.
The teenager has uncles Ollie and Joe – seven All-Star awards and a multitude of Galway senior appearances between them – for company in the starting fifteen, with both Joe and Jack hitting the net in last weekend’s victory over 2015 county champions Sarsfields.
“He would have played last year with us but he wasn’t allowed with the new under 17 rule,” says Joe.
Advertisement
“Jack wasn’t too happy when that rule was brought in because he wanted to play with Ollie anyway.
“So Ollie stayed on for another year anyway just to play with him, Ollie is still fit enough, he played midfield there Sunday.
“it’s good to have another generation playing along. Jack was corner forward the other day, I was centre and Ivan the other brother was wing so there’s a few of us still hanging around.”
Portumna have six Galway senior crowns and four All-Ireland club titles to their credit since 2003.
Jack’s father Davy was on the 2006, 2008 and 2009 winning outfits in Croke Park along with Joe, Ollie and Ivan.
Hurling is not the only the sport that the younger Canning has excelled at after featuring for the Cistercian College Roscrea side in the Leinster senior schools rugby cup recently.
Jack Canning (right) in action in the Leinster schools senior cup in Donnybrook. Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
“He was playing Leinster Senior Cup with Roscrea for the last two seasons and was on the panel the year before.
“He had a bad knee injury there around the same time as myself actually (last year) so he was only just coming back into it when they got beaten by Gonzaga, so he only came on in that gamet.
“He’s a big boy alright, he’s 6 foot 3. He’s bigger than me so he’s putting me to shame a little bit.”
A veteran brother and a young nephew for company with Joe Canning in Portumna senior side
IT TOOK A year longer than they would have hoped but the Canning family have provided a new addition to the team of serial All-Ireland kingpins Portumna in this year’s Galway senior hurling championship.
Jack Canning was a Galway minor hurler last year but the rule concerning U17 players prevented him from lining out for his club at senior level.
But he’s been in action in Portumna’s opening two games this year as they sit top of Group 2 of the senior hurling championship.
The teenager has uncles Ollie and Joe – seven All-Star awards and a multitude of Galway senior appearances between them – for company in the starting fifteen, with both Joe and Jack hitting the net in last weekend’s victory over 2015 county champions Sarsfields.
“He would have played last year with us but he wasn’t allowed with the new under 17 rule,” says Joe.
“Jack wasn’t too happy when that rule was brought in because he wanted to play with Ollie anyway.
“So Ollie stayed on for another year anyway just to play with him, Ollie is still fit enough, he played midfield there Sunday.
“it’s good to have another generation playing along. Jack was corner forward the other day, I was centre and Ivan the other brother was wing so there’s a few of us still hanging around.”
Portumna have six Galway senior crowns and four All-Ireland club titles to their credit since 2003.
Jack’s father Davy was on the 2006, 2008 and 2009 winning outfits in Croke Park along with Joe, Ollie and Ivan.
Hurling is not the only the sport that the younger Canning has excelled at after featuring for the Cistercian College Roscrea side in the Leinster senior schools rugby cup recently.
“He was playing Leinster Senior Cup with Roscrea for the last two seasons and was on the panel the year before.
“He had a bad knee injury there around the same time as myself actually (last year) so he was only just coming back into it when they got beaten by Gonzaga, so he only came on in that gamet.
“He’s a big boy alright, he’s 6 foot 3. He’s bigger than me so he’s putting me to shame a little bit.”
The42 GAA / SoundCloud
The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!
‘It’s extremely overwhelming’ – Surprise for Kerry youngster at Aussie Rules breakthrough
Joe Canning: League over-reactions, Galway home hurling and a love for more games
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Canning Clan Joe Canning Ollie Canning portumna Galway