IN HIS ACCEPTANCE speech on Saturday night, Galway captain Darren Morrissey referred to the Bob O’Keeffe Cup as ‘Bob’.
Whatever you want to call it, it’s across the Shannon now for the fourth time anyway.
This will annoy some traditionalists, among whom, hurling is their reliable safe space.
Brian Cody, for example. Nobodies’ idea of a moderniser, the former Kilkenny manager entered the Dublin dressing room after they lost the 2013 Leinster semi-final replay to Anthony Daly’s side, 1-16 to 0-16.
“To our eternal shame,” he hammed up, “We let the Bob O’Keeffe Cup out of Leinster,” he said, referring to the previous year’s final when they lost to Galway.
In the way of these things, you didn’t have to go far around Kilkenny to trace a narrative that Galway entering Leinster in 2009 was an attempt by the top brass to put manners on The Cats, who had the previous year won the All-Ireland by a 23-point margin.
From 2009 on, they have measured themselves against each other in their head to heads. Galway have won five, Kilkenny six and there have been two draws.
Donoghue’s personal record against Kilkenny for Galway is strong. They might have lost the 2016 Leinster final, but Galway beat Kilkenny in the 2018 round-robin game and the Leinster final. A year later they didn’t get out of Leinster but still managed to turn over the Cats.
Micheál Donoghue. Tom O’Hanlon / INPHO
Tom O’Hanlon / INPHO / INPHO
When he came back after his break and spell in Dublin, Kilkenny were standing in front of them for the first round of Leinster, April 2025.
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On the day, Galway’s gameplan was based around isolating Conor Whelan on Mikey Butler and playing a deliberate game of short stick-passing to unpick a way out of their defence.
They were met with some traditional Kilkenny defending. Losing the ball in some dangerous positions proved disastrous for Galway as they lost 3-24 to 0-21.
They looked like a team that needed the doors opened for a good clear-out, or at the very least, the windows opened wide to let some air in.
Afterwards, those interviewing Donoghue were struck by how calm he seemed when the hairdryer could easily have been used.
“I think when you’re trying to play that way, it probably is a dangerous game sometimes. When you’re turned over, you can get punished. That is what happened to us a few times today,” he said.
“Some of the time it was of our own making. When you get turned over in those areas, Kilkenny were ruthless in their finishing and got some good goals.”
From that point, they won the remainder of their games, lost the final by eight points to Kilkenny and left the championship three weeks later by the exact same margin to Tipperary.
Asked after the Leinster final if he felt his rebuild job might have been bigger than his original estimation, he replied, “No, I wouldn’t say a bigger job. Obviously, the disappointment of today and I suppose the narrative will be that it’s probably similar to previous years and previous teams.
“But look, we know what we have in the squad, and we’ll try and take the positives out of it as we move forward.”
He and Galway have moved forward, all the way to a Leinster title. Starting with a 15-point drubbing of Kilkenny, the only wobble was the loss to Dublin in Salthill, a result that was emphatically addressed on Saturday night.
Moving players on from Donoghue’s first spell with Galway proved difficult.
The final Leinster round-robin game of the 2024 edition had Donoghue coming back to Pearse Stadium as Dublin manager. They beat Galway by six points to end their summer in May.
Of the 18 players who featured for Galway in the 2017 All-Ireland final win, 10 of them – Daithi Burke, Adrian Tuohy, Padraic Mannion, David Burke, Jason Flynn, Joseph Cooney, Conor Whelan, Conor Cooney, Cathal Mannion and Johnny Glynn – played in this game.
Daithí Burke, Padraic and Cathal Mannion, Conor Whelan and Conor Cooney still remain.
Tom Monaghan was a sub in 2017. It would seem that Shane O’Neill didn’t fancy him much and he dropped off the panel at that point. While Henry Shefflin brought him back in, he found it hard to nail a position.
Whatever Donoghue has done with the Craughwell man, seven points from play and the Man of the Match award from the Leinster final is the result.
All in, there was an extensive refit. Some parts such as Monaghan have had the chrome polished up. Others are box-fresh, such as Cillian Trayers, Cian Daniels, Darragh Neary, Aaron Niland, Jason Rabittee and Joshua Ryan who all played some role on Saturday night.
Aaron Niland. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
It was only in March 2025 that Niland and Rabbitte were hurling in the All-Ireland senior A School’s final for Presentation College, Athenry.
Daniels was almost never mapped at all, the Thomas Larkins man having never played minor or U20 hurling for Galway. Trayers was more well-known for his football exploits, playing centre back for Galway minors when they won the 2022 All-Ireland.
The ancient bloodlines of the Rabbittes with Jason, and the Ryans with Joshua, has been reliable.
In recent seasons, there was a bleak picture being painted for Galway hurling.
The Leinster clean sweep this year in senior, U-20 and minors reminds us of Donoghue’s first spell where all levels of Galway hurling were functioning nicely.
That should be that for Galway. Aaron Niland lashes a penalty to the net. They are closing in on the Leinster SHC title. 📺Watch live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player 📱Follow here - https://t.co/dTezPPxyvE#RTEgaapic.twitter.com/p8ph3YQlHE
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In 2017, the seniors and minors achieved Leinster and All-Ireland success.
The minors were captained by the current senior skipper Darren Morrissey, managed by Jeffrey Lynskey, who was on the sideline in Croke Park last Saturday night as a member of the Laois backroom team.
A year later, they almost repeated the trick, the minors holding up their end of the deal but the seniors falling to the emerging Limerick side. The U20s also won the province.
It could well be dumb luck that Donoghue has timed his return well. Or, at 51, there would have been limited opportunities for the Clarinbridge man to take the job again.
Either way, they are looking well set for a challenge in the All-Ireland series.
But all that will be held up to the light when they walk out onto the field and meet a quarter-final winner, likely to be Munster opposition in the shape of Clare or Cork.
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Blending the old and the new, Galway's refit is purring under Donoghue
IN HIS ACCEPTANCE speech on Saturday night, Galway captain Darren Morrissey referred to the Bob O’Keeffe Cup as ‘Bob’.
Whatever you want to call it, it’s across the Shannon now for the fourth time anyway.
This will annoy some traditionalists, among whom, hurling is their reliable safe space.
Brian Cody, for example. Nobodies’ idea of a moderniser, the former Kilkenny manager entered the Dublin dressing room after they lost the 2013 Leinster semi-final replay to Anthony Daly’s side, 1-16 to 0-16.
“To our eternal shame,” he hammed up, “We let the Bob O’Keeffe Cup out of Leinster,” he said, referring to the previous year’s final when they lost to Galway.
In the way of these things, you didn’t have to go far around Kilkenny to trace a narrative that Galway entering Leinster in 2009 was an attempt by the top brass to put manners on The Cats, who had the previous year won the All-Ireland by a 23-point margin.
From 2009 on, they have measured themselves against each other in their head to heads. Galway have won five, Kilkenny six and there have been two draws.
Donoghue’s personal record against Kilkenny for Galway is strong. They might have lost the 2016 Leinster final, but Galway beat Kilkenny in the 2018 round-robin game and the Leinster final. A year later they didn’t get out of Leinster but still managed to turn over the Cats.
When he came back after his break and spell in Dublin, Kilkenny were standing in front of them for the first round of Leinster, April 2025.
On the day, Galway’s gameplan was based around isolating Conor Whelan on Mikey Butler and playing a deliberate game of short stick-passing to unpick a way out of their defence.
They were met with some traditional Kilkenny defending. Losing the ball in some dangerous positions proved disastrous for Galway as they lost 3-24 to 0-21.
They looked like a team that needed the doors opened for a good clear-out, or at the very least, the windows opened wide to let some air in.
Afterwards, those interviewing Donoghue were struck by how calm he seemed when the hairdryer could easily have been used.
“I think when you’re trying to play that way, it probably is a dangerous game sometimes. When you’re turned over, you can get punished. That is what happened to us a few times today,” he said.
“Some of the time it was of our own making. When you get turned over in those areas, Kilkenny were ruthless in their finishing and got some good goals.”
From that point, they won the remainder of their games, lost the final by eight points to Kilkenny and left the championship three weeks later by the exact same margin to Tipperary.
Asked after the Leinster final if he felt his rebuild job might have been bigger than his original estimation, he replied, “No, I wouldn’t say a bigger job. Obviously, the disappointment of today and I suppose the narrative will be that it’s probably similar to previous years and previous teams.
“But look, we know what we have in the squad, and we’ll try and take the positives out of it as we move forward.”
He and Galway have moved forward, all the way to a Leinster title. Starting with a 15-point drubbing of Kilkenny, the only wobble was the loss to Dublin in Salthill, a result that was emphatically addressed on Saturday night.
Moving players on from Donoghue’s first spell with Galway proved difficult.
The final Leinster round-robin game of the 2024 edition had Donoghue coming back to Pearse Stadium as Dublin manager. They beat Galway by six points to end their summer in May.
Of the 18 players who featured for Galway in the 2017 All-Ireland final win, 10 of them – Daithi Burke, Adrian Tuohy, Padraic Mannion, David Burke, Jason Flynn, Joseph Cooney, Conor Whelan, Conor Cooney, Cathal Mannion and Johnny Glynn – played in this game.
Daithí Burke, Padraic and Cathal Mannion, Conor Whelan and Conor Cooney still remain.
Tom Monaghan was a sub in 2017. It would seem that Shane O’Neill didn’t fancy him much and he dropped off the panel at that point. While Henry Shefflin brought him back in, he found it hard to nail a position.
Whatever Donoghue has done with the Craughwell man, seven points from play and the Man of the Match award from the Leinster final is the result.
All in, there was an extensive refit. Some parts such as Monaghan have had the chrome polished up. Others are box-fresh, such as Cillian Trayers, Cian Daniels, Darragh Neary, Aaron Niland, Jason Rabittee and Joshua Ryan who all played some role on Saturday night.
It was only in March 2025 that Niland and Rabbitte were hurling in the All-Ireland senior A School’s final for Presentation College, Athenry.
Daniels was almost never mapped at all, the Thomas Larkins man having never played minor or U20 hurling for Galway. Trayers was more well-known for his football exploits, playing centre back for Galway minors when they won the 2022 All-Ireland.
The ancient bloodlines of the Rabbittes with Jason, and the Ryans with Joshua, has been reliable.
In recent seasons, there was a bleak picture being painted for Galway hurling.
The Leinster clean sweep this year in senior, U-20 and minors reminds us of Donoghue’s first spell where all levels of Galway hurling were functioning nicely.
In 2017, the seniors and minors achieved Leinster and All-Ireland success.
The minors were captained by the current senior skipper Darren Morrissey, managed by Jeffrey Lynskey, who was on the sideline in Croke Park last Saturday night as a member of the Laois backroom team.
A year later, they almost repeated the trick, the minors holding up their end of the deal but the seniors falling to the emerging Limerick side. The U20s also won the province.
It could well be dumb luck that Donoghue has timed his return well. Or, at 51, there would have been limited opportunities for the Clarinbridge man to take the job again.
Either way, they are looking well set for a challenge in the All-Ireland series.
But all that will be held up to the light when they walk out onto the field and meet a quarter-final winner, likely to be Munster opposition in the shape of Clare or Cork.
Until then….
**
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Donoghue GAA Hurling REVOLUTION AND EVOLUTION