IT’S BECOME A trend that frustrates and exasperates those associated with Galway hurling.
Over the past decade, the month of July has become the graveyard for their senior side’s 2015 hurling ambitions.
Those championship exits have freed up time for county players to attend the city’s annual racing festival.
Eight times in the past ten years, this pattern has prevailed with the exception of the 2005 and 2012 seasons where they journeyed to All-Ireland finals.
Curing their July ills is the task ahead of next Sunday’s All-Ireland quarter-final against Cork in Thurles.
And midfielder Andy Smith doesn’t need to be reminded of the sporting attraction next week at Ballybrit.
“I don’t want to be in the Galway races, definitely not. I’d stay away from it anyway because you’d be listening to too much stuff. Being out in July is not acceptable but then you look at Clare, gone the last two years in July, for a team that has won it (in 2013).”
Galway’s July Hurling Record
- 2006: Kilkenny 2-22 Galway 3-14 – Quarter-final – Semple Stadium
- 2007: Kilkenny 3-22 Galway 1-18 – Quarter-final – Croke Park
- 2008: Cork 0-23 Galway 2-15 – Phase 4 – Semple Stadium
- 2009: Waterford 1-16 Galway 0-18 – Quarter-final – Semple Stadium
- 2010: Tipperary 3-17 Galway 3-16 – Quarter-final – Croke Park
- 2011: Waterford 2-23 Galway 2-13 – Quarter-final – Semple Stadium
- 2013: Clare 1-23 Galway 2-14 – Quarter-final – Semple Stadium
- 2014: Tipperary 3-25 Galway 4-13 – Round 1 – Semple Stadium
History suggests that next Sunday’s venue is not favourable for Galway either with six of their recent July defeats occurring at Tom Semple’s field.
“People say that it’s not a happy hunting ground for Galway but it doesn’t matter whether you’re in Pearse Stadium or the Gaelic Grounds – I think people make more of a big deal of it,” argues Smith.
“We don’t dwell on it. We don’t think ‘oh God, it’s Thurles.’ We’ve had great days down there with the club (Portumna) and we’ve had good league performances down there.
“We beat Cork there in 2009 or something. You have to put that to the back of your mind – it’s about your attitude on the day.”
Attitude is an area Galway needed to hone in on this season. After the heights of being close to Liam in 2012, they slipped down the ranks over the past two years.
“After 2012 we were nowhere to be seen in 2013 and 2014. We weren’t intense enough and we didn’t want it enough I suppose. Maybe it was lazy minds or lazy attitudes or whatever.
“You have to be confident. If you don’t believe in yourself nobody else is going to believe in you. But there’s a fine balance and you can’t be cocky either. We respect every team and we’ll respect Cork the next day.”
The bigger picture for Galway hurling illustrates that barren spell since the Tribesmen last hoisted aloft the Liam MacCarthy Cup.
Smith isn’t alone in mulling over why they have not been successful since the ’87-88 double.
“Within Galway, we haven’t won an All-Ireland since 1988 so there should be no lack of motivation there. We should be producing a lot more with the talent that we have
“For a county like Galway and you see the club success that Galway teams have had, and not be able to put that through into intercounty is a bit scary. I don’t know what’s going wrong. It’s just an enigma, really.”
