Galway's failure to get any closer to Kilkenny since dumping Anthony Cunningham has brought down the vials of wrath upon them. Defeat to Kilkenny is usually though mildly acceptable, or at least unworthy of a stoning. But the Galway players have stored up bad will and open season has been declared.
Ger Loughnane, who has long made plain his low opinion of the current Galway crop and their collective character, upped the ante considerably on Monday, saying that the weekend offered confirmation that they were 'made of absolutely nothing'. He described them as 'gutless' and compared Micheal Donoghue's sideline presence and demeanor to Dermot Morgan's Fr. Trendy character.
Speaking on Off the Ball that evening, Ollie Canning described the use of term 'gutless' as an insult and was moved to remember Ger Loughnane's reign as Galway manager, during which a ten point loss to Kilkenny in an All-Ireland quarter-final represented 'the highlight'.
In a follow-up in the Star today, Loughnane wasn't letting Canning get away without a riposte. As ever, he goes for the throat. Galway might have beaten Kilkenny in the quarter-final in 2007, according to Loughnane, had the Canning's not sulked following a controversy in the previous year's county final. While it seems strange to say following a 10-point loss, the game was very tight with eight minutes remaining. Kilkenny tagged on two late goals and were deeply flattered by the scoreline.
I just wonder did it even dawn on him just how much he unwittingly supported everything I said by referring to that match.
What is laughable is that one man that could have prevented that collapse was Ollie Canning himself.
But he wouldn't play that year because of some perceived injustice following a stormy county final where Loughrea beat Portumna. Joe wouldn't play either, giving the excuse that he was going on a world tour. I think it extended as far as Limerick.
What was crazy about this stance was that one of our selectors was Portumna manager Sean Treacy - one of the best hurling men I every worked with - and he was actually suspended by the county board after the county final.
But he put the good of Galway hurling before his own ego, and gave everything he had for the county's cause. So did Damien Hayes. He didn't bother with a self-indulgent sulk, either.
The Canning's opted out of the Galway scene in 2007 in protest at events in the 2006 county final. Portumna, the reigning All-Ireland champs, were pipped by Loughrea in a notorious match. The winners were accused of deliberately targeting Canning throughout the game. At one stage, video evidence indicated that a Loughrea player stamped on Canning as he lay on the ground after a challenge. The whole of Portumna, including their manager Treacy, were furious, and there were even suggestions that Canning was considering his future in the game.
