NO DOUBTING THOMAS’ PEDIGREE
Kerins would love to see Galway aces pick up another All-ireland
ALAN KERINS believes another All-ireland title would shine a light on St Thomas’ greatness.
The Galway champions face Kilkenny’s O’loughlin Gaels in Sunday’s All-ireland club hurling showpiece at Croke Park.
St Thomas’ won the All-ireland in 2013 but haven’t backed it up despite making it six Galway Championships on the bounce last year and having no Connacht Championship to get through.
Their only other All-ireland final appearance ended in a 2-28 to 2-11 hammering by Ballyhale Shamrocks in 2019.
“It’s no easy task with O’loughlin Gaels,” said
Kerins (right) who boasts an impressive medal haul which includes All-ireland club senior hurling and football titles with his native Clarinbridge and Salthill-knocknacarra.
“We beat them in 2011 but what they’ve done in Galway is unbelievable. Six in a row is a phenomenal achievement, they’ve a great chance of going seven and they’ll want to do that for the record and surpass Turloughmore.
“But to do justice to that, I’d love to see them get another All-ireland. To shine a light on their greatness as a team – and they are great – it would be great for them to cap it off with another club title. To have two in the bank would be unreal.”
On the county front, Galway were well beaten by Limerick in last year’s
All-ireland semi-final after being caught on the line by Kilkenny in the Leinster final with Cillian Buckley’s last-gasp goal.
Henry Shefflin is still waiting for major silverware.
“Henry himself has said that it’s his third year now and the big aim for them is winning Leinster,” said Kerins, who won an All-ireland football title with Galway in 2001.
“That gets them straight into an All-ireland semi-final too. If they can win Leinster it’ll be a huge step of progress and who knows where they can go after that.
“They need to build that confidence that winning a final in Croke Park brings. That Leinster final defeat was very unlucky last year but they seem to have plenty of new players in again and, if Thomas’ can win, it’ll give a boost and fresh energy. “Henry has tried a lot of new players and Eamonn O’shea is in as well which is a huge addition.
“We all know what Eamonn is about in terms of energy – not just his coaching but he’s an unbelievable presence with his energy and personality and the belief that he will instil in them.
“There’s his coaching nous as well in terms of movement up front and maximising our forwards as well. It’s about bringing it out of them and getting them to fulfil their potential.
“There’s a few of them coming through who are obviously in their third or fourth year and you can see them developing even physically.”