In attendance at the draw of the Electric Ireland GAA Higher Education Championship at Croke Park today is University of Galway hurling manager, Jeff Lynskey. The Galway college reached the Final of the Electric Ireland Fitzgibbon Cup in 2022, before being beaten by University of Limerick.
By Cian O’Connell
University of Galway Fitzgibbon Cup manager Jeffrey Lynskey is ideally placed to assess the potential that exists on the banks of the Corrib.
Having steered his native county to three All-Ireland minor titles in 2015, 2017, and 2018 Lynskey is fully aware of Galway’s potential. Perseverance, though, is often required with three of the 2015 minor panel delivering for Henry Shefflin during the past year.
The impact made by Jack Grealish, Tom Monaghan, and Cianan Fahy in 2022 illustrates the importance of remaining patient with emerging talent according to Lynskey. “You had a lot of players this year that were let go in the past that were brought back - Jack Grealish, Tom Monaghan, in particular,” Lynskey says.
“Lads that were let go, they had really good club campaigns to come back into it again. The problem we have in Galway is that age group between 20-23 in terms of the patience that is needed for them, in particular.
“The process then for developing senior players it isn't straight lines, it isn't linear. They are going to have their ups and downs. The thing is to have a games programme for them. We are fortunate that within Galway club hurling that you have it.
“Then if they have the colleges too in January and February it is only going to improve. Tom would have won maybe two Fitzs with Mary I, he won a Fergal Maher with us in 2014.
“Jack has a good club in Gort, he used that to put himself back in the limelight again. Cianan Fahy is another lad, he had a good Fitz campaign last year and then had a good summer with Galway also. So in terms of their own development it is important that they get exposed to that calibre and type of hurling.”
Does the manner in which Grealish, Monaghan, and Fahy have performed at the highest level provide a drop of hope for other players in the west? “The work that needs to be done, it is a lifestyle choice for a lot of these lads after minor,” Lynskey says.
“They probably don't realise the jump that is needed to senior level in terms of S & C, nutrition, college, work. You have got to make sure you have the balance right in your life, in particular. More importantly you have to put the hard yards and the hard work in.
University of Galway Fitzgibbon Cup manager Jeffrey Lynskey.
“From an S&C point of view if you look at the lads they were minors in '15, then it is seven years later that they are ready. There is a lesson in that for all of us in terms of Jack's story, Tom's story, and Cianan's story, in particular.
“Somebody along the way had to pick these guys up when they were let go and invariably it is their clubs. If their clubs aren't organised in terms of who they have inside in their management teams it is very hard for these lads to get back up to that level again.”
Enjoying being in charge of University of Galway, Lynskey acknowledges that the 2022 Fitzgibbon Cup semi-final clash against GMIT (now ATU Galway) highlighted the third level hurling improvements made in the west recently.
“It was probably the work that was done within Galway that came to fruition last year in terms of that unique semi-final where you had 28 lads all vying for a place in the final,” Lynskey says.
“It augurs well for the underage work that is being done inside in the clubs and the schools. It was a unique occasion, I'm glad that we came out on the right side of it.
“I didn't realise what was going to happen in the final afterwards, but in terms of a spectacle at the time we were involved in it there was a huge interest inside in Galway. It generated a lot of goodwill for colleges hurling, in particular in the west of Ireland.”
Remaining relevant is now the challenge that has to be embraced. “It does augur well for the future, but the key part for us is to bring the consistency of it from both colleges, that we are getting to the end of the Fitzgibbon competition every year,” Lynskey adds.
“In terms of development for the lads it is an important stepping stone for them because Fitzgibbon is probably ahead of U20 hurling and just below inter-county. In terms of a stage for the lads to show where they are at it is important for them.
“I know from talking to Henry he does put a huge value in it because he became the player he was from playing with WIT in Fitzgibbon Cup.”
