Galway GAA

infobox GAA county
county gaa = Galway GAA
crest =
irish = Gaillimh
province = Connacht
nickname = The Tribesmen
county colours = Maroon and White
grounds = Pearse Stadium, Galway
St. Jarlath's Park, Tuam
dominant sport =
nfl div = Division 1
nhl div = Division 1
football champ = Sam Maguire Cup
hurling champ = Liam McCarthy Cup
ladies football = Brendan Martin Cup
camogie = O'Duffy Cup
pattern_la= |pattern_b= |pattern_ra=
leftarm=800000 |body=800000 |rightarm=800000 |shorts=FFFFFF |socks=800000
|The Galway County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) ( _ga. Cumann Lúthchleas Gael Coiste Chontae na Gaillimhe) or Galway GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Galway. The county board is also responsible for the Galway inter-county teams

History

The first county in Connacht to organise also contested the first All Ireland hurling final in 1887. Galway provided a much needed boost to football in the 1930s and 1960s and hurling in the 1980s.

Gaelic football

In a county so well known for its race meeting, pedigree counts. Jimmy Duggan was on Galway football teams that lost three-in-a-row in the 1940s, his son Jimmy was on teams that lost three finals in four years between 1971 and 1974. Michael Donnellan was on the 1925 team that won an All Ireland by default, and the 1934 team which won it without question. His sons, John Donnellan and Pat Donnellan were on the three-in-a-row teams of the 1960s and grandson Michael sent the pass to Padraig Joyce for a breakthrough goal to win the first of two All Irelands in a four year period in 1998. 1966 was perhaps Galway's most successful year ever in Gaelic football. The winning of the Connacht crown began in Castlebar versus Roscommon on the score 1-11 to 0-5. The final versus Mayo in Castlebar was an absolute thriller and Galway were lucky to edge ahead in the end by 0-12 to 1-8. This was one of the best Connacht finals since the great battles between the same counties in the 30's. The semi-final win over Cork was a close affair as Johnny Geraghty made two wondrous saves from Niall Fitzgerald in the second half. Galway eked out a win 1-11 to 1-9 with Jimmy Duggan again outstanding and Coleen McDonagh fitting in well and Cyril Dunne (1-7) best in attack. Meath defeated Down in the other semi-final and were firm favourites to beat Galway in the final. Galway travelled as a united front to the final and pulverized Meath to win comfortably by 1-10 to 0-7. That victory sealed a memorable "3 In A Row" of All-Ireland titles.

Despite some perceptions of the seventies as Roscommon's decade in Connacht football, the statistics show that they were matched by Galway. Both appeared in seven of the ten Connacht Senior Football finals, Galway having five victories and Roscommon four. Galway lost in three All Ireland Finals and two Semi-Finals.

Football in Galway was set back by the defeat of the 1983 team by the depleted Dublin team, down to 12 men after three were sent off. Galway struggled. That team had led the eventual All Ireland champions Offaly for most of the 1982 All Ireland semi-final, succumbing to a point from goalscorer Brendan Lowry. Depleted by four injuries and a fifth to free-taker Gay MacManus, Galway were well beaten in 1984, but near-misses in semi-finals against Tyrone in 1986 and Cork in 1987 (when Larry Tompkins forced a replay) left the county out of the reckoning until another three-point defeat at the hands of Tyrone in 1995. However, that return to the semi final stage after an eight year break was to be the catalyst for further breakthroughs. Led by Mayo-born manager John O'Mahoney, and with outstanding performances from Ja Fallon and Michael Donnellan and a superbly taken goal from Padraig Joyce, Galway succeeded in 1998 and came back for an astonishing demolition of Meath in 2001 after losing the 2000 final in a replay to Kerry.

Honours

*All-Ireland Senior Football Championships: 9
**1925, 1934, 1938, 1956, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1998, 2001
*All-Ireland Junior Football Championships: "4"
**1931, 1958, 1965, 1985
*All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championships: 3
**1972, 2002, 2005
*All-Ireland Minor Football Championships: "6"
**1952, 1960, 1970, 1976, 1986, 2007
*"'All-Ireland Vocational Schools Championships:3
**1964, 1965, 1976
*National Football Leagues: 4
**1940, 1957, 1965, 1981
*Connacht Senior Football Championships: 43
**2003, 2005, 2008

Galway Gaelic Football Squad

Manager: Liam Sammon

"Correct as of the 2008 Connacht SFC Final against Mayo"

Notable players

*Joe Canning
*Ollie Canning
*Eugene Cloonan
*Iggy Clark
*Michael Coleman
*Joe Cooney
*John Connolly
*Joe Connolly
*Noel Lane
*Joe Rabbitte
*Conor Hayes
*Tony Keady
*Martin Naughton
*Seanie Duggan
*Sylvie Linnane
*Mick Dervan
*Pete Finnerty
*Sean Silke
*Joe Salmon
*Fr. Paddy Gantly
*M.J. 'Inky' Flaherty
*Mick King
*PJ Molloy
*Josie Gallagher
*Joe McDonagh
*Frank Burke
*Niall McInerney
*Jimmy Cooney
*Martin McGrath
*John Commins
*Padraig Kelly
*Kevin Broderick
*Liam Hodgins
*Derek Hardiman
*David Tierney

Camogie

Honours

*All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championships: 1
**1997
*All-Ireland Junior Camogie Championships: "7"
**1972, 1979, 1985, 1988, 1994, 1998, 2003
*All-Ireland Minor Camogie Championships: "9"
**1977, 1981, 1986, 1987, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2004

Ladies' Gaelic football

Honours

*All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championships: 1
**2004
*All-Ireland Junior Ladies' Football Championships: 2
**1985, 2002

External links

* [http://www.hoganstand.com/Galway/ Galway on Hoganstand.com]
* [http://www.hoganstand.com/Galway/Profile.aspx National and provincial titles won by Galway teams]
* [http://www.hoganstand.com/Galway/Titles.aspx Club championship winners]
* [http://galway.gaa.ie/ Galway GAA site]

See also

* Galway Senior Club Football Championship
* Galway Senior Club Hurling Championship