Canning happy with trial but feels underage is open to debate

GAELIC GAMES:THE THREE-YEAR trial that has Galway and Antrim participating in the Leinster hurling championship reaches the beginning of the end with this evening's draw for the 2011 championship, although the arrangement is almost certain to be extended into the 2012 championship and beyond.

The first two years of the trial – 2009 and 2010 – have been deemed a unanimous success, even if Galway haven’t quite been able to loosen Kilkenny’s grip on the Leinster hurling title. The only question now is whether the Galway and Antrim underage teams should follow suit, and perhaps even the Galway and Antrim club champions.

Galway defender Ollie Canning – who insists 2010 was his last season, despite the ongoing efforts of manager John McIntyre to convince him otherwise – has seen nothing but good in the Leinster trial, but is a little less sure when it comes to bringing in the underage teams.

“I definitely think it has been beneficial,” says Canning, “although we weren’t happy at all with our performance in the Leinster final this year. We definitely improved from that game, but just didn’t improve enough, obviously. But from a Galway point of view it’s crucial to be getting those games and be starting at the same level as everyone else.

“The underage situation is up for debate. It’s probably harder with minor teams training, a lot of them kids are at schools doing their Leaving Cert. Maybe it should be open for debate. Maybe for under-21 level they might look at it. Galway got over the semi-final this year but Tipperary fairly cleared us out in the final. Tipperary definitely looked like a team playing better hurling, a team game.”

But Canning is clear on the question of bringing Galway clubs into the Leinster championship: “It hasn’t raised its head, because Galway club teams have been successful in the last number of years. The whole thing about Galway coming into Leinster was making Leinster more competitive and Galway more competitive. But I think at club level it is competitive enough. If you did do it, you’d have the whole thing as well of trying to arrange the Galway championship to match up with Leinster or Munster or whatever so logistically it would prove very difficult.”

While his playing days with Galway may be over, Canning remains committed to his club cause, with Portumna facing old rivals Loughrea this Sunday in the county semi-finals: “Loughrea won the county final in 2006 and we have won it since, in ’07, ’08 and ’09. We are looking forward to the game and they are probably doing the same thing, training away, it’s just another game to try and win.”

** ALL-IRELAND senior women’s champions Dublin have received nine All Star nominations after lifting the Brendan Martin Cup for the first time last month. Nominated are goalkeeper Cliodhna O’Connor, fullback Rachel Ruddy, half-backs Siobhán McGrath and Gemma Fay, midfielder and captain Denise Masterson, half-forwards Mary Nevin and Amy McGuinness and full-forwards Sinead Aherne and Elaine Kelly.

Beaten senior finalists Tyrone secured eight nominations, while Cork, who went in search of a sixth consecutive All-Ireland title in 2010, received six nominations, and then Kerry (four) and Laois (five). Other counties represented among the nominees are Clare (three) Monaghan (two), Waterford (two), Galway (one) and Kildare (one).

The All Star Banquet will take place in the Citywest Hotel on Saturday, November 13th.

2010 WOMEN’S FOOTBALL ALL STAR NOMINEES

Goalkeeper: Cliodhna O’Connor (Dublin), Edel Murphy (Kerry), Shannon Lynch (Tyrone); Full-Back Line: Rachel Ruddy (Dublin), Rena Buckley (Cork), Sharon Courtney (Monaghan), Lorraine Muckian (Laois), Maura Kelly (Tyrone), Aishling Leonard (Kerry), Sinead McLoughlin (Tyrone), Aishling Quigley (Laois), Laurissa Hogan (Waterford); Half-Back Line: Siobhán McGrath (Dublin), Ciara Hegarty (Donegal), Geraldine O’Flynn (Cork), Emer Flaherty (Galway), Bríd Stack (Cork), Neamh Woods (Tyrone), Gemma Fay (Dublin), Patricia Fogarty (Laois), Aishling Holton (Kildare) Midfield: Denise Masterson (Dublin), Shannon Quinn (Tyrone), Juliette Murphy (Cork), Bernie Byrne (Kerry), Tracy Lawlor (Laois), Louise Henchy (Clare); Half-Forward line: Cathy Donnelly (Tyrone), Noirin Kirwan (Laois), Nollaig Cleary (Cork), Mary Nevin (Dublin), Amy McGuinness (Dublin), Niamh Keane (Clare), Gemma Begley (Tyrone), Michelle Ryan (Waterford), Therese McNally (Monaghan); Full-Forward line: Geraldine McLaughlin (Donegal), Valerie Mulcahy (Cork), Neamh O’Dea (Clare), Sinead Aherne (Dublin), Yvonne McMonagle (Donegal), Louise Ní Muirceartaigh (Kerry), Dympna O’Brien (Limerick), Elaine Kelly (Dublin), Jolene Donnelly (Tyrone).