The story goes that by the end of 1986, Gerry McInerney had played four matches for Galway and two of them were All-Ireland finals. The other two were All-Ireland semi-finals.
During the golden years, he was living in the US and working in construction. Every autumn, he would return home, white boots in tow, to play a couple of championship matches in Croke Park.
The New York Times wrote about him in a profile on hurling last year.
One of the best Galway hurlers ever was Gerry McInerney, who, as a boy in Kinvara, practiced his swing while tending cows. A nationally prominent player in the 1980s and early ’90s, he was known for his fierce defense, distinctive mullet and white cleats — a rebellious fashion statement within the staid Gaelic Athletic Association, the cultural organization that oversees Irish sports.
While working construction in New York for several years, he commuted to Ireland to play hurling, helping Galway win consecutive All-Ireland championships, in 1987 and 1988. Then back to the States, back to anonymous manual labor. The glamorous life of an amateur sportsman, compensated only with expenses — though, he says, “You might get a couple of pints.
Johnny Glynn will spend a fair portion of 2016 in America and it remains to be seen whether he will be back hurling for the championship, parachuted in like McInerney before him.
Galway's new manager Micheal O'Donoghue admitted his uncertainty about Glynn's intentions.
Johnny went to America, but I’ve spoken to him on a few occasions. It’s just ongoing at the moment. We’re respectful of what he wanted to do and it’s something we’ll revisit in a few weeks’ time. Hopefully we can work out something together.
Elsewhere, O'Donoghue has named David Burke as captain for the 2016 campaign. Burke's form is usually a guide as to how well Galway are playing. He enjoyed excellent seasons in 2012 and 2015. He plays for St. Thomas's, the same club as deposed manager Anthony Cunningham.
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