72 Wednesday, March 8, 2017 www.tuamherald.ie Jim Carney This Sporting Life $YHU\VSHFLDOJURXSRIVSRUWVPHQKLJK DFKLHYHUVRQDQGRäWKHnHOGVRISOD\ 1KLQGVLJKWLWZDVDQHDUFHUWDLQW\ 3DW&RVWHOORIURP$XJKULP&DSSDWDJJOH WKDW8QLYHUVLW\&ROOHJH*DOZD\KXUOHUV 0DUWLQ4XLOW\ /LPHULFN DQG*HUU\3)DK\ IZRXOGZLQWKH)LW]JLEERQ&XSLQWKH IURP*RUW,QWKHIXOOIRUZDUGOLQHZHUH VHDVRQ7KLVWLPH\HDUVDJR -RG\6SRRQHU 7LSSHUDU\ -RH&RQQROO\ WKH\IXOnOOHGWKHLUGHVWLQ\ZLWKDVHPLn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nH%DUUHWWRI 8QLYHUVLW\&ROOHJH&RUNIURPWR WKH3HDUVHV *XUWHHQ%DOO\PDFZDUG FOXE ,Q8&*KDGZRQWKHnUVW\HDUV $OVRLQWKHSDQHOZHUH'HQLVDQG0LFKDHO IUHVKHUV FRPSHWLWLRQZLWKDVWDUVWXGGHG -RKQ+XUQH\IURP7XUORXJKPRUH3-%XUNH WHDPOHGE\3DW)OHXU\IURP'UXPFXOOHQ IURP7\QDJKQRZOLYLQJLQ%DOOLQGHUUHHQ &R2äDO\DQGE\ WKUHHVWXGHQWVKDG 'HQLV&RQQROO\IURP6NHKDQD9LQFHQW DOUHDG\EHFRPH*DOZD\VHQLRUVWDUV1LDOO 'DO\ &ODUH 6HÇQ%XUNH /LPHULFN DQGD 0F,QHUQH\DQDWLYHRI6L[PLOHEULGJH&R EULOOLDQWKXUOHUZKRPLVVHGWKH)LW]JLEERQ &ODUHZKRKDGWUDQVIHUUHGWRWKH/LDP &XSVHPLnQDODQGnQDOEHFDXVHRI 0HOORZVFOXELQ*DOZD\FLW\-RH0F'RQDJK LQMXU\.LHUDQ%UHQQDQRIWKH.LONHQQ\ DPHPEHURIWKH%DOOLQGHUUHHQFOXEDQG FOXE&RQDK\6KDPURFNV.LHUDQDQGKLV D$OO6WDUDQG-RH&RQQROO\IURP EURWKHUV1LFNH\IRUPHU3UHVLGHQWRIWKH &DVWOHJDU&RQRU+D\HVIURP.LOWRUPHUZDV *$$DQG&DQLFHDOOZRQ$OO,UHODQG6+& D\RXQJVWDURQWKHULVH PHGDOV.LHUDQURVHWRWKHUDQNRI0DMRU )RXUELJQDPHVELJSHUVRQDOLWLHVWKH\ *HQHUDOLQWKH,ULVK$UP\DQGLQ-XQH ZRXOGVRRQEHOHJHQGVRIKXUOLQJOHJHQGV KHZDVDSSRLQWHG'HSXW\&KLHIRI6WDäIRU RI*DOZD\OLIH 2SHUDWLRQVZLWKWKH'HIHQFH)RUFHV :KDWZHGLGQ WNQRZWKHQZDVWKDWWKH 6HYHQFRXQWLHVZHUHUHSUHVHQWHGLQWKH 8&*SDQHORIZHUHDOOYHU\WDOHQWHG 8&*SDQHO*DOZD\&ODUH/LPHULFN&RUN PEIG and Eoin McDonagh, from Barna, wife and son of the late Joe McDonagh, were guests KXUOHUV$&ODUHPDQ%UHQGDQ.HQQ\ZDV 7LSSHUDU\2äDO\DQG.LONHQQ\ of the organising committee of the 1977 UCG players’ 40th anniversary reunion in Galway. 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In front, from left: Bobby Curran, UCG GAA Club treasurer; Brendan Kenny (Clare), Denis Connolly (Skehana, Galway), Pat Costello (Aughrim, Galway), Kieran Brennan (Conahy, Kilkenny), Joe Connolly (Castlegar, Galway), Jody Spooner (Roscrea, Tipperary), Pat Fleury, captain (Drumcullen, Offaly), Cyril Farrell (Woodford, Galway), Gerry P. Fahy (Gort), Seán Burke (Limerick), Joe McDonagh (Ballinderreen, Galway), Denis Hurney (Turloughmore, Galway), Alfie Barrett (Pearses, Galway). At back, from left: Eamonn Cody, team manager (Kilkenny), Martin Quilty (Limerick), John Flaherty (Abbeyknockmoy, Galway), Frank Holohan (Ballyhale Shamrocks, Kilkenny), Tom Cloonan (Athenry, Galway), PJ Burke (Tynagh, Galway), Conor Hayes (Kiltormer, Galway), Hugh O’Donovan (Cork), Paddy Leahy (Loughrea, Galway), Niall McInerney (Sixmilebridge, Clare and Liam Mellows, Galway), Vincent Daly (Clare), Michael John Hurney (Turloughmore, Galway), Andy Kelly (Cork), Dr Tony Finan, chairman UCH Hurling Club; Tony Regan, trainer and team mentor. www.tuamherald.ie Wednesday, March 8, 2017 73 SPORT AT the NUIG special event: Enda Fallon, NUIG delegate to the Connacht GAA Council and the Higher Education GAA Council, with Tony Regan, retired NUIG Sports Officer. )LW]JLEERQ &XSFKDPSLRQV UHXQLRQ HDGHUVKLSZDVDPDMRUFRQWULEXWRU\IDFWRULQWKH 8&*KXUOHUV VXFFHVVVWRU\/RRNLQJDWWKH LSKRWRJUDSKRIWKHYLFWRULRXVSDQHOLW VIDVFLQDWLQJ WRVHHWKDWIRXURIWKHSOD\HUVZHQWRQWRFDSWDLQWHDPV SOD\LQJLQ$OO,UHODQG6+&nQDOV-RH0F'RQDJKFDSWDLQ RIWKH*DOZD\WHDPZKRORVWWKHnQDOWR.LONHQQ\ -RH&RQQROO\ZLQQLQJFDSWDLQRI*DOZD\LQ3DW )OHXU\ZLQQLQJFDSWDLQRI2ä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åFHUZKRVHUYHG ZLWKWKH8QLWHG1DWLRQVLQWKH0LGGOH(DVWDQGWKHIRUPHU <XJRVODYLD 3DWULFN/HDK\DQDWLYHRI/RXJKUHDLV&KLHIRI6XUJHU\ DW7KH/DVHU&HQWUH&OLQLF'XEOLQKHLVDQLQWHUQDWLRQDOO\ DFFODLPHGSLRQHHULQWKHnHOGRIPLQLPDOO\LQYDVLYH VXUJHU\DQGKHGHYHORSHGDQGSDWHQWHGVHYHUDORIWKH YHU\LPSRUWDQWDGYDQFHVLQOHVVLQYDVLYHVXUJHU\'U-RKQ )ODKHUW\LVDZHOONQRZQ*3EDVHGLQ/RXJKUHD (DPRQQ&RG\PDQDJHURIWKH)LW]JLEERQ&XS FKDPSLRQVLVDEURWKHURI.LONHQQ\PDQDJHU%ULDQ&RG\ 0DUWLQ4XLOW\IURP/LPHULFNFHQWUHKDOIIRUZDUGRQWKH WHDPLVDQXQFOHRIUXJE\OHJHQG3DXO2 &RQQHOO DQG3-%XUNHIURP%DOOLQGHUUHHQLVWKHIDWKHURIWKH *DOZD\5RVH5RVLH%XUNH 7UDLQHUDQGWHDPPHQWRU7RQ\5HJDQZKRDOVRJXLGHG 8&*WRnYH6LJHUVRQ&XSWLWOHVUHPHPEHUVWKH KXUOLQJWHDPDVjDKLJKO\PRWLYDWHGJURXSZKRWRRNWKHLU H[DPVDQGWKHLUVSRUWVHULRXVO\EXWWKH\DOVRNQHZKRZWR HQMR\OLIHDQGHDFKRWKHU VFRPSDQ\x +HDGGHGj$8&**$$&OXEWUDGLWLRQZDVIRUSOD\HUVWR WDNHFOXERåFHUUROHVDQGKHOSUXQWKHFOXEDQG,WKLQN WKDWJDYHWKHPDVHQVHRIUHVSRQVLELOLW\DQGGHYHORSHG WKHLUOHDGHUVKLSVNLOOVDOWKRXJKPHQOLNH-RH&RQQROO\ DQG-RH0F'RQDJKKDGVRPHWKLQJVSHFLDODERXWWKHP HYHQDVVWXGHQWV&RQRU+D\HVKDGDTXLHWHUPRUHSULYDWH NLQGRISHUVRQDOLW\EXWKHEHFDPHDUHDOOHDGHUWRR3DW )OHXU\ZDVDWRXJKGHIHQGHUDYHU\JRRGKXUOHUDQGZKHQ KHZDONHGLQWR8&*DVDnUVW\HDUVWXGHQWLWZDVFOHDUKH ZDVLGHDOO\VXLWHGWRWKHFDSWDLQF\RIDQ\JURXS,ZDVQ W VXUSULVHGWKDWKHZDVWKHPDQZKRUHFHLYHGWKH)LW]JLEERQ &XSWZR\HDUVODWHUx.