Galway ladies celebrated a successful weekend with both the seniors and juniors recording victories over Mayo to claim provincial titles.
The seniors overcame their neighbours 3- 17 to 2 - 8, while the Galway juniors added the provincial crown with a 3 - 13 to 2 - 7 win at Charlestown on Sunday.
It is the first time in three years the Galway seniors have won the Connacht decider, and they did so with all six forwards contributing to the handsome scoreline.
In an action-packed opening half Mayo were first on the scoresheet with a goal from Emma Mullin, but Galway’s reply was swift when Una Carroll capitalised after Sinead Burke was fouled, sending the resulting penalty to the net.
Once again veteran Cora Staunton was a huge influence for Mayo and within a minute she had scored Mayo’s second goal.
After Staunton and Galway’s Edel Concannon exchanged points, Galway seized the initiative. Carroll added two frees while Lorna Joyce struck a fine point from play, and although Mayo kept in touch through Staunton and Fiona McHale, Galway were looking the hungrier.
Crucially Galway scored a second goal through Ann Marie McDonagh, and they could have gone further in front from the spot but for a save from Yvonne Byrne. However Galway maintined their control to grab a five-point advantage at the break, 2-10 to 2-5.
Mayo’s cause was not helped in the second half when they lost two players with yellow cards, and Galway, who had edged most of the exchanges, eased to a deserved victory with Carroll completing the goal-scoring late in the half.
Galway: T Hughes; A Seoighe, E Flaherty, M O’Connell; N Lohan, A Daly, R McPhilbin; P Gleeson, A Clarke (0-1 ); AM McDonagh (1-2 ), S Burke (0-1 ), G Conneally (0-1 ); L Joyce (0-5 ), U Carroll (2-4 ), E Concannon (0-2 ). Subs: N Duggan (0-1 ) for Conneally, L Cohill for Lohan.
