Turloughmore 3-31

Mullagh 0-16

By Kevin Egan in Loughrea

EIGHT teams opened their 2024 Galway SHC A campaigns with wins at the weekend, but even while we tip our caps to Castlegar, no team sent out such an emphatic statement of intent as Turloughmore on Saturday evening in Loughrea.

As supporters made their way out of St. Brendan’s Park, many were overheard to remark about the paucity of resistance offered by Mullagh, and how the step up to Senior A hurling, not to mention the break in continuity at management level, left them unable to raise a gallop.

Yet to watch the game, it felt like this was much more about Turloughmore demonstrating that they have kicked things up a notch in 2024, adding a couple of extra pieces to the puzzle that could yet make all the difference.

Of course, much of it was familiar. Darragh Walsh was sharp with puckouts, Daithi Burke anchored the defence very well, completely shutting down Ronan Glennon into the bargain, Tom Quirke, Seán O’Hanlon, Dara Whelan and Cillian Whelan were wholehearted and lively in the middle third, with O’Hanlon and Conor Walsh taking their scores well up front.

But there was so much more too. At the back, Daniel Loftus looked like a natural full-back and that in turn allowed Ronan Burke to switch out to the corner to do a fine job up against Finian Noone.

The addition of teenage dual player Cillian Trayers to the half-back line simultaneously adds physicality, energy and no small amount of hurling, while up front, Seán Loftus managed to score 1-6 from play without ever doing anything flashy; instead merely making the right run, perfectly timed, and racking up the scores with his silken touch and clean striking.

Seán Linnane’s deployment at corner forward – and he did operate as an orthodox top of the left – looked like a masterstroke in the first half and a waste of a fine player in the second. But given that this game was done and dusted by the interval, that’s infinitely preferable to the reverse, so there too, Brian Holland and Daniel O’Shaughnessy will feel that they’re on the right track.

Pictured: Ready to pull are Oisin Coen of Mullagh and Barry Callanan of Turloughmore during the Senior A Hurling Championship encounter in Loughrea on Saturday. Photos: Hany Marzouk.