Inside Track with John McIntyre

We hadn’t seen Loughrea hurlers in the flesh for at least two years, leaving us open-minded about their title prospects. Reaching Sunday’s county semi-finals at Pearse Stadium with a 100% record was a statement in itself, but could Tommy Kelly’s charges take it to the next level?

To do that, Loughrea needed to turn the tables on Clarinbridge from last year’s knock-out defeat. The fact that they were the pre-match favourites to do so suggested ‘The Town’ had improved significantly over the past 12 months. What happened in Salthill at the weekend confirmed it.

There was a time when Loughrea were a frequent sight in county finals. Between 2003 and 2013, they appeared in seven of them, but only managed a lone triumph – that narrow 1-13 to 0-15 victory over Portumna in the 2006 controversial decider when much of the post-match focus was on an unsavoury incident involving Joe Canning.

It was a sweet success for Loughrea having lost to Portumna in the finals of 2003 and ’06, but they would also fall in two more deciders to the same opposition in 2009 and 2013, the last time they reached the county final. Loughrea also came off second best in a replay to Clarinbridge in 2010 and they also endured final-day misery against St Thomas’ two years later.

Three of their key players during that time – Greg Kennedy, Gavin Keary and Nigel Murray – are now serving as Kelly’s lieutenants on the sideline, while respected coach Shane Cusack is also involved. Loughrea have probably the biggest backroom team in the championship which indicates that they are throwing everything at this campaign.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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