GALWAY HURLING:THERE WAS a symmetrical end of an era in Galway at the weekend. Saturday saw NUI Galway pick up a first Fitzgibbon Cup in 30 years at Pearse Stadium. Still on the sideline was a familiar figure, Tony Regan, retiring sports and recreation officer in the college, who had been there for the 1980 victory.
It was a breathtaking triumph for the Galway side, which twice went to extra time before overcoming favourites Limerick IT and Waterford IT in the semi-finals and final.
“Once we played DIT in the first game and got so many lucky breaks I began to wonder whether our name mightn’t be on it this year,” said Regan yesterday.
He also reflected on the meeting last autumn when the club decided to accept the offer of hosting the tournament.
“We were deciding whether to accept the invitation and thought that we had a real chance of being there for the weekend.
“We decided to take a gamble on hosting and the pressure that comes with it because it was felt that we might get that bit extra out of ourselves and could have a right good crack at it.
“It was a fantastic experience to win for the first time since 1980. No better feeling.”
Given that the college has been such a distinguished presence on the third-level hurling landscape going back 98 years to the inaugural Fitzgibbon, many would be surprised that Galway has endured its longest title drought in its history.
“The big thing from our point of view,” according to Regan, “is that the arrival of UL (University of Limerick) and Limerick IT, which has attracted a lot of players from our traditional catchment, Clare, Limerick and parts of Tipperary.”
The increasing pressure on academic attainment has also hit NUIG as has the changing profile of the feeder schools.
“We are very much an academic institution and that means that students have decreasing amounts of spare time and we have had to get facilities for early morning and late-night training. We also have an increasing enrolment from schools that don’t necessarily play Gaelic games.
“Semesterisation has also had an effect with exams and continuousassessment. Players are very tired and young people’s time management skills often aren’t great so that creates more pressure but at the end of the day a student has to qualify with a good degree as well as a fulfilling sporting experience.”
The 1980 success was followed later in the year with Galway’s first Liam MacCarthy Cup since the 1920s. Just one player, Conor Hayes, played in both triumphs but the county team had a strong core of Fitzgibbon players from the previous UCG (as NUIG then was) success in 1977 as well as players such as Seán Silke and Iggy Clarke, who had won with Maynooth.
Regan is wary of drawing comparisons but sees in current county player John Lee, who was excellent at the weekend, and captain Finian Coone, who he believes will get a chance with Galway, players capable of operating at that level.
“Third level success is an important bridge between under-age and senior. I’m very hopeful. There’s been a lack of confidence in Galway and maybe that’s about to change.”
