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Peter Sweeney

Peter Sweeney's Blog

Peter Sweeney is the Gaelic Games Correspondent with the Irish Daily Star Newspaper. He is a regular on television and radio and even though he isn't any good he still tries to play Gaelic football.

  • 25 Jul 2011

    Sport can be cruel

    John Galvin has dedicated much of his life to Limerick football. He tore his cruciate ligament earlier in the season and now he’s watching his team mates’ assault on the Championship from the sidelines. His absence from this year’s provincial semi-final against Kerry merely rammed home the point that almost single-handedly he made Munster more than a two-horse race. read more

    John Galvin has dedicated much of his life to Limerick football.

    He tore his cruciate ligament earlier in the season and now he’s watching his team mates’ assault on the Championship from the sidelines.

    His absence from this year’s provincial semi-final against Kerry merely rammed home the point that almost single-handedly he made Munster more than a two-horse race.

    Last year through sheer force of will he nearly dragged Limerick to their first title down south since the 1800’s.

    This year when the teams met, with Galvin in the stands, the gap had grown to eleven points. That just shows you how valuable he is to his team.

    Then to add insult to injury last year his dream of playing Championship football in Croke Park was dashed when they were drawn against Cork in the final round of All-Ireland quarter-finals.

    In 2011 the backdoor draw was kinder to Limerick and they steered their way past Waterford, Offaly and Wexford – all Division 3 and 4 opposition and now they are in an All-Ireland quarter-final.

    True enough, they were given the toughest draw possible when they were paired with Sam Maguire favourites Kerry. But at least they have made the last eight and are getting the game they so desperately dreamed of at Headquarters.

    And they will be doing so with their best player, one of the finest midfielders of his generation, throwing water bottles into his team mates during breaks in play.

    Limerick aren’t the team they were last year and without Galvin they are unlikely to trouble the Kingdom.

    They get their big chance on the big stage at precisely the time they are least able to take advantage of it. And what’s worse, a legend of the game doesn’t get the richly deserved chance to lead his team out onto Croke Park.

    Meanwhile, Wexford too know a thing or two about the cruel nature of sport and they have been dealt two blows this year.

    The first was their Leinster final defeat to Dublin in a game they really could have won.

    And then they lost to Limerick in the most horrible of fashion on Saturday night, with Limerick being awarded a controversial injury-time winner.

    One umpire waved it wide, one had his hand on the white flag and referee Derek Fahy allowed the score to stand.

    The GAA’s ruling Central Council meet next month to discuss the use and implementation of Hawk-Eye score detection technology.

    The sooner they install it all Championship matches the better because incidents like this cannot be allowed to continue.

Home Away Date Time Venue
London Leitrim 03.06.2012 3:00 Ruislip
Longford Wexford 03.06.2012 2:00 Croke Park
Louth Dublin 03.06.2012 4:00 Croke Park
Clare Limerick 09.06.2012 7:00 Cusack Park, Ennis or Gaelic Grounds, Limerick

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Home Score Away Score Date Venue
Roscommon 0-10 Galway 3-15 20.05 Hyde Park
Cavan 1-10 Donegal 1-16 20.05 Kingspan Breffni Park
Limerick 2-12 Waterford 0-7 20.05 Gaelic Grounds, Limerick
Westmeath 0-14 Louth 2-9 20.05 Navan

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