One man who knows more than most about Galway hurling is Cyril Farrell.
The three-time All-Ireland winning manager with the Tribesmen attended Friday night’s All-Ireland minor semi-final between Galway and Kilkenny which saw Farrell’s native county advance to a fifth consecutive final where they will be hoping to win claim five minor championships in-a-row.
Speaking after the game at Semple Stadium, Farrell said the achievement of this team is “underappreciated”.
“We don’t appreciate what is happening here.
“This is minor hurling and Galway have won four consecutive All-Irelands and are into our fifth final in-a-row. It’s unprecedented for a team from the west of Ireland,” said Farrell.
He went on to praise the spirit in this squad of players who came into this game under-cooked due to the lack of adequate game time compared to Kilkenny.
He said: “This team would have been a bit unheralded in Galway in the sense that they had mixed with last year’s team and their preparation would not have been as good in terms of longevity.
“But they have a great belief and that carries you a long way.”
Farrell also suggested that the next step for Galway is transitioning the players from underage level to the senior ranks.
“Whether we win the final against a very good Cork side or not, we are bringing through another crop of young players and we have to be able to unlock the talent that is coming through in senior level.”
The Galway great believes that the final against Cork will be a difficult encounter for Galway but that they have achieved a lot over the last five years irrespective of the outcome of the decider.
“I thought Galway grew into the game as it went on and they were set up very well. They will struggle against an incredible Cork side, but these lads have done amazing over the last five years or so.”
