IT’S UNLIKELY TO get a mention should Galway or Wexford end up lifting the Liam MacCarthy Cup later this year, but securing some early silverware is still a sign of progress in a team.
Later this evening, the Wexford and Galway hurlers will aim to finish their pre-season campaigns as Walsh Cup winners. Additionally, they will also be looking to get their Allianz hurling league off to a winning start as the significance of the fixture doubles up.
The Walsh Cup final was originally billed to take place in Croke Park as a curtain-raiser for the Division 2 football clash between Dublin and Kildare, but upon agreement between both counties, they decided to use their Division 1A meeting to run both ties concurrently.
The recent addition of floodlights at the stadium in Chadwicks Wexford Park adds another layer to the occasion. The venue’s first event under lights was Wexford’s Walsh Cup meeting with Kilkenny which attracted a crowd of over 13,000.
A crowd of similar size will likely pass through the turnstiles this evening.
And with Ireland’s Six Nations opener against Wales taking place earlier in the day, Wexford town is expected to be bustling with activity for the weekend.
“There’s a good buzz because of the newly installed floodlights,” sports presenter Liam Spratt of South East Radio tells The42 about the unique sporting occasion happening in his county today.
“There was a great bit of marketing done by the Wexford county board and there was over 13,000 people at the Walsh Cup against Kilkenny. They’re fantastic lights and I think lights create a different atmosphere for games in all sports.
“Spectators let themselves go under lights and there were no complaints from the hurlers about not being able to see the ball; they’re state of the art. The fact that we’re playing Galway under lights at 5pm – there’s a great buzz around town and there’s not a hotel room available.
“People always come over to Wexford traditionally for the Welsh game and don’t go up to Dublin to see the game. They come over to spend the weekend in the pub when Wales are playing here.
“And I know a load of fellas from around the area who are going to Wales to watch it in the pub. It’s just for the atmosphere after the game because Cardiff is a great city. That tradition is going on for years.”
“That’s another aspect of the lights: people can come to the town for the weekend.”
Wexford and Galway both go into 2023 with their managers in their second seasons in charge. Henry Shefflin’s maiden campaign included a Leinster SHC final appearance and an absorbing battle against Limerick in the All-Ireland semi-final.
Wexford reached the Division 1 semi-finals where they were heavily beaten by eventual champions Waterford, while their championship campaign ended after defeat to Clare in the All-Ireland quarter-final.
The Leinster round-robin meeting of Galway and Wexford was a fascinating encounter, that ended in a dramatic draw. With time almost up, Galway were leading by two points when Conor Cooney stood over a free. But, rather than take a shot that could extend their advantage, the referee ruled that the St Thomas’ forward had lingered too long over his effort and threw the ball in.
From there, Wexford’s Lee Chin tapped over the surplus scores to ensure the match ended all square.
“I would say it was an average year for Wexford hurling,” says Spratt reflecting on their fortunes in 2022.
“We got so close and we didn’t. There was always going to be a fallout after Davy left. Darragh was trying to find his feet and it’s the same with Galway. I think both managers will have a better idea of what they have, they’ve seen the club games and they’re arguably in a better position to judge the players they have.
“Both teams will be keen to do very well in the league. It’s 1973 since Wexford won the league which is dreadful in my opinion. It makes for awful reading and it’s a worthwhile competition to be won.
“I think both managers will be serious this year for the same reasons. You have to find two or three players every year and that’s the reality. Inter-county is tough and you’re an amateur in name only.”
Wexford lost out heavily to Dublin in last year’s Walsh Cup final and are back in the decider again this weekend with a fresh set of expectations for the season ahead.
Wexford’s most encouraging season was in 2019, when they captured their first Leinster SHC crown in 15 years and came to within two points of reaching the All-Ireland final.
Winning the Walsh Cup might not guarantee a prosperous season in the championship stakes, but it’s a primer for a good league campaign. And a strong league campaign bodes well for the bigger challenges that will follow.
“I would say Wexford are targeting a good league campaign and would like to win a Leinster title,” says Spratt
“The reality is that Wexford will want to win something, firstly a Leinster title, and then take it from there. We won it in 2019 and arguably should have won an All-Ireland that year when we let it slip against Tipperary in the semi-final.
“We would have been playing Kilkenny in the final, and I’m not being disrespectful to anyone when I say that but it was certainly a blown chance. I’m not so sure what scar that left on the team because a lot of those guys are still playing.”
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