BIG APPLE
AIDAN: DAD’S NEVER DONE TELLING ME ABOUT HIS TIME HURLING FOR NEW YORK BUT I’M JUST FOCUSED ON MAKING MY OWN HISTORY WITH GALWAY
NHL FINAL GALWAY v TIPPERARY
Publican Josie Harte is a well-known figure in Galway and managed the county minors, but back in 1970 he almost pulled off a famous win as an Exile.
He was part of the New York side that contested a two-legged ‘away’ league final, beating Cork in the second of those games.
They pushed a Rebels side containing legends like Ray Cummins all the way but ultimately came up two points short on aggregate.
Aidan Harte has already gone one better by winning a League in 2010 and is gunning for his second medal today.
He said: “Dad went to New York when he was 18 or 19, back in 1966.
“He would have played against some unbelievable hurlers over there. He’s told me about that League final over and over again!
“He tells me about the times he played on Christy Ring and players like that over there too.
“One person he would always have talked about was Mick Curtin, from Kinvara.
“He played with him for New York and regarded him as one of the best players ever to come out of Galway.”
Aidan, 28, headed off to New York to play hurling himself in 2014. He was joined by inter-county stars Lee Chin and Brendan Bugler along with Galway colleagues Conor Cooney and Johnny Coen.
But he’s keen to make his name on home soil as the Tribe eye up a huge few months.
There’s plenty of evidence to suggest Galway are the closest challengers to All-ireland holders Tipperary and they can lay down a serious marker by winning today.
Defender Harte said: “It’s a final with silverware up for grabs and wouldn’t it be nice just to bring that home, whatever about thinking about the Championship? “All I know is there will be 15 guys with Galway jerseys on going out to do their utmost to win and to take that silverware. “You can’t beat winning. It’s great for team morale and hopefully it can be a platform for us going into the summer.” Tipp beat Galway by a point in last year’s All-ireland semi-finals, but the Tribe had lost Joe Canning (inset) and Adrian Tuohy to early injuries. The year before, with all their big guns firing, Galway actually beat the Premier at the same stage of the competition.
That’s why plenty are tipping them to take down Tipp in the Championship and claim a first All-ireland title since 1988 – the year Harte was born.
Ironically, Harte’s mother, Karen, wanted to call him Aidan-ryan Harte – but Josie wouldn’t allow it as Aidan Ryan was a Tipp star at the time.
Harte smiled: “So that wasn’t going to happen!”
Harte can become a legend in his own right if he picks up League and Championship medals this year.
He said: “There hasn’t been much between ourselves and Tipp at all.
“There’s plenty of evidence of that from the last four encounters, between the League and the Championship.”