GALWAY’S MODERN ALL-Ireland semi-final history used to be defined by meetings with hurling’s traditional big three.
Think of the wins of 2001 and 2005 over Kilkenny that had critical transformative impacts on Brian Cody, the legendary manager returning afterwards with teams that were better and stronger. The 2012 success against Cork was a milestone in the first year of the Anthony Cunningham era.
And then there was that epic trilogy from 2015-17 with Tipperary, Galway’s two wins bookending the run, delivered by famous points from Shane Maloney and Joe Canning. In 2018 they served up a pair of thrillers with Clare and still managed to prevail to book a final spot.
But since there has been a recurring problem for Galway. It’s one they’ll need to find a solution for today if the trend is to be altered.
2020 culminated with an All-Ireland semi-final loss to Limerick by three points.
2022? Same story, same margin of defeat.
Lob the 2018 All-Ireland final into the mix and Galway have lost their last three championship games to Limerick by an aggregate of seven points. That’s a margin sufficiently small to spark a world of regrets across those three meetings.
Curiously Galway have notched the same accumulative score of 24 points in the three games, represented by 2-18 in 2018, 0-24 in 2020 and 1-21 in 2022.
They have battled furiously, taken Limerick to the end zone of games and still not managed to prevail. The final five years ago featured a storming late charge that cut the gap from seven to one, almost smashing Limerick hurling hearts in a repeat of their 1994 collapse.
The pattern in the last two encounters has been similar. Evan Niland boomed over a long-range shot in the 75th minute of the November 2020 game to lock the teams together at 0-23 apiece. Conor Whelan clipped over a 66th minute point in July 2022 to leave the sides matched, 1-21 to 0-24.
But in the 2020 semi-final, Limerick knocked over four of the game’s last five points and last year they struck the final three points of the match. It is one of the most remarkable characteristics of this Limerick side. From the 2022 Munster final to now, they have played eight championship games and won six of them by a margin of one to three points. Their other outings were a draw with Tipperary and a one-point loss to Clare.
Limerick are not pulverising teams like they did across the 2020 and 2021 championships, chances are that in a ferocious contest with them, you will still have victory within your grasp late on.
Being in contention is one thing, landing a knockout blow is another. No one is better than Limerick in those breathless finales in demonstrating a clarity of thought, being renewed by the energy of substitutes and displaying that vital late scoring touch.
Galway scarcely need to be reminded of those shining traits in John Kiely’s team. Long-term hurling followers in the county will have no hang-ups with Limerick teams. The successes in the 1980 All-Ireland final and 1981 semi-final replay brought immense joy, and while it took 24 years before the counties crossed paths again in championship, Galway were again successful in that 2005 qualifier.
But that is all ancient history to this current group, correcting the recent record is their focus. The core of this Galway team have enough pain to draw upon from these meetings. Daithí Burke, Adrian Tuohey, Pádraic Mannion, Gearóid McInerney, Joseph Cooney, Cathal Mannion, Conor Whelan and Conor Cooney all started in that decider five years ago, the day Limerick made the breakthrough that altered the course of their hurling history. They are still backboning the Tribesmen setup today.
If the personnel has shifted from 2018 and the weird backdrop Covid provided colours the 2020 game, the pulsating 2022 tie seems most instructive in throwing questions at Galway.
They shipped six points to Aaron Gillane from play and Diarmaid Byrne from frees last summer. Both need to be denied such opportunities. What that means for Gillane is particularly striking, will Daithi Burke be asked to revert deeper than he has been operating? David Reidy caused plenty problems when introduced last year and notched three points. If he starts like he did in the Munster final, pinning down an elusive player must be a target.
Galway had their strong points last year. David Burke rolled back the years at midfield but he is out now with a cruciate injury. Cathal Mannion picked off four points, will he have retreated too far to replicate that? Tom Monaghan struck four from the start last year and hit three off the bench last time out against Tipperary. What role will he fill today?
Conor Whelan has certainly elevated his form, while the trio of Cianan Fahy, Evan Niland and Kevin Cooney have all emerged from 2022 substitutes to 2023 starters.
Can the mix be found to land Galway into their first All-Ireland final in five years and end this losing streak at the hands of the Limerick hurling heavyweights?
A Saturday evening to reveal plenty.
