The boats are in the docks and we are promised a weekend of good weather and a Bank Holiday Monday.What more could you want?
Well, a bit of quality football and hurling would also pass a fine evening nicely and we can offer our visitors that too in the City of the Tribes.
To prove that fact conclusively, the 2009 Claregalway Hotel Galway football championship kicks off in some style this weekend with a host of quality games down for decision.
Teams have played a few senior league games and with London beaten and Galway heading to Sligo on June 28, the focus turns exclusively to local matters, and a chance to get the local championship up and running.
On Saturday at Pearse Stadium at 5.30pm, St Brendan’s take on An Ceathrú Rua and that tie is followed at 7pm by Micheal Breathnachs v Corofin.
Those two games are difficult to call, however one thing is certain, Corofin are not going that well, have a lot of injuries, and Micheal Breathnachs will fancy their chances of causing a major upset in that tie.
They are a team not afraid of a small flutter and they would get around 9/2 for a win with Mulhollands on turning over the county champions in that one. Corofin are completely un-backable at 1/8. It is 10/1 for a draw.
I would fancy Carraroe to have too much craft and too many scoring forwards for St. Brendans in the first game.
Over in Tuam Stadium on Saturday evening there is another attractive double bill with Caltra taking on an impressive Cortoon Shamrocks outfit at 5.30pm and that is followed at 7pm by St Micheal’s against an improving and dangerous Caherlistrane. Indeed at 12/1 they are good odds to go the whole way this year. They drew with Corofin last year and could have beaten them, and with a few talented youngsters like Eric Monahan and Shane Bohan a year older and wiser they will be a tough team to beat this season.
Cortoon ran up a very impressive score-line against Moycullen recently in the league and if David Finnegan can stop Michael Meehan, you’d take them to advance.
There is also a senior championship game in Headford on Saturday where Milltown will take on Claregalway. We fancy Milltown in that one.
On Sunday at 3.30pm in Corofin, Glenamaddy meet Killanin. And Moycullen and Barna will clash in Pearse Stadium at 5.30pm.
Over in Ballinasloe at 5pm on Sunday, Kilkerrin/Clonbern have a local derby with Mountbellew/Moylough.
Kilkerrin have some good players in their squad with the likes of Damien Dunleavy, Brian Geraghty, Jonathan Ryan, Enda Daly, Lorcan Heverin and Declan Murphy. Former Galway ladies manager Jason Tannion is in charge of the Kilkerrin men and he will be hopeful of safe passage through that tie.
The final two games of a very busy weekend of football is a very attractive double-header in Tuam Stadium with Salthill/Knocknacarra taking on their archenemy Killererin at 5.30pm.
The disappointing news that Conor Healy is out with a broken ankle is a massive blow to Salthill for the season ahead, however if Finian Hanley and Cian Begley can stop the two Joyces and Sean Armstrong and Sean Crowe can hit form for the seasiders they are not without hope. The provisional price with Mulholland’s is Salthill 5/4 and Killererin 8/11, with the draw at 6/1.
That encounter is followed by a Tuam Stars side that are allegedly flying under the guidance of Alan Flynn against Annaghdown who will by buoyed up by their recent u-21 success. Tuam are expected to be about 4/7, with Annaghdown a good price at 6/4.
Annaghdown are a hard side to beat and with the likes of the Coleman brothers in tow, they won’t go down easily.
Men like that know that country steak is better for a footballer than burgers.
Both those games should be really lively encounters and they should ensure a good attendance in Tuam.
