GAA Digest: A round up of football and hurling news from Ireland

Galway marches into hurling final, O'Connor quits, Cork's pride and GAA shorts

Galway are on the verge of All-Ireland glory after proving their Leinster title success was no flash in the pan.

Anthony Cunningham’s side followed their impressive win over Kilkenny in the provincial decider with a deserved 0-22 to 0-17 victory over Cork in Sunday’s semifinal.

Cunningham was delighted with the win and told RTE, “We are now in the final, and any team that gets to the final they want to win it. The players have worked so hard, with the management team, since we met in November last year.

“They have given us everything really, everything out of their lives, and it showed out there.

“We gave young players their chances this year and we benefited from giving youth its fling but just reaching the final will not be enough now.

“We have done a lot of work with them. We put faith in young players and I’m delighted for the players that they are in the final, but the final is a lonely place if you don’t win.

“We want to win and are going to prepare hard for it. We don’t mind who we play.”

Cunningham is adamant the wins over Kilkenny and Cork this season will stand to his team in the September decider.

He added, “You can’t coach the experience you get in hard games. It’s great learning. The players have developed immensely from their experience of the big day. It was very satisfying for us that the lads kicked on from the Leinster final.

“Every player who played there today will learn a lot about their own game. We will be asking them to analyze, and we have a lot to improve on, but no matter what team wins a semi-final they will look for improvements for the final.”

Galway midfielder Andy Smith was happy to win ugly as his team marched into the All-Ireland final.

The Tribesmen followed up their Leinster final win over Kilkenny with a hard earned result against the Rebels to book a September date with Tipperary or the Cats who meet in the last four this weekend.

Smith said, “We were always on top in the three games in the Leinster SHC but at least we won ugly against Cork which is no harm at all.

“It was totally different to the Leinster final. We came out all guns blazing in the Leinster final. We knew well it was going to be a different game today because Cork are a young, pacy side and we knew we wouldn’t get the space upfront.

“They dropped a man back and sorted of crowded it out as well. We knew we were in for a tough shift, which it was.”

Smith, a sub when Galway lost the 2005 All-Ireland final to Cork, doesn’t care who his side meet now in the final.

He added, “We’ll let Kilkenny and Tipperary battle it out and see what happens. We’ll knuckle down, we’ve a lot of work to do and we’ll just worry about ourselves and let that result take care of itself.”
 
O’Connor Quits

THE Kerry footballers need a new manager after Jack O’Connor announced his decision to step down last weekend.

​
Nster.com