Brian Barry
GAA Editor @BrianGBarry
Henry Shefflin proud of Galway side following first year in charge of the Tribesmen
Galway manager Henry Shefflin reflects on his team's 0-27 to 1-21 defeat to Limerick in the All-Ireland Hurling Championship semi-final, and discusses his first year in charge of the Tribesmen.
Last Updated: 04/07/22 8:49am
Henry Shefflin was left scratching his head at full-time. His Galway team had given everything, but Limerick still managed to get over the line.
"Especially coming up against such hot favourites, you speak a lot about getting a performance and I would have spoken about that myself - that's what we needed. And then you get the performance and you don't get the result and, you know, sport is cruel," he said.
"It's just very disappointing. You give it absolutely everything, and then it's all just over and you just come up a little bit short and there's a lot of ifs and buts. But, I suppose, from a management point of view and from a group point of view, we said we wanted to do ourselves proud on the field today and I think we achieved that."
Nonetheless, he can be proud of his first year at the helm in Galway, after they pushed the reigning All-Ireland champions all the way at Croke Park.
"I think when you go into a group of people that I went into, and obviously ye would have been around some of the performances last year and you're kind of saying, 'Where are this team at?' … I've often referenced it to the lads, I probably wasn't quite sure myself," he said.
"But we went down to Limerick in the National League, and that night I came out of Limerick saying, 'Jesus, do you know what, there's something in this group'.
"And I think we can say that again today. Obviously, look, we'd just love to be in the All-Ireland final because that's what those players want to do. But did they give it everything? I think I referenced this before, I think all inter-county teams now just apply themselves so, so well.
"I think of someone like Gearóid McInerney, who got injured two weeks ago and was available for selection and pushed himself and did everything - I don't know what he was doing; he was icing and in cryochambers.
"That's what these players do behind the scenes and they put in a massive effort and go out and play in a colosseum like that and in an atmosphere like that. I just hope the players who were out there on reflection say that they enjoyed the occasion. That's very important as well."
So can they use Sunday's performance as a springboard into 2023?
"I think the answer to that will be if Galway are back here next year and it's a different result so I think it's way too early, unfortunately, for me to reflect on something like that," he said.
"I think they've made great strides, yes, and there's a great group of people around, a great backroom team around them and I suppose it's what happens next before we'll know unfortunately, isn't it?
"It's a long road, back it's a long road back because there's a lot of teams looking in today that would love to be up here and would love the opportunity.
"I hope they know now that they're not too far away.
"There's loads of good hurlers up there so it's just trying to put the small fine details to it to see can you go on to the next level and some of them lads have been there, they've won an All-Ireland so you'd hope so, you'd hope so.
"It's important now they go back to their clubs and I saw some of the club championship games last year in Galway and it wasn't great so I think it's important now that they go back and they try and lift some of the club players and try and increase the performance levels of club players that are coming through and feeding into the county squad."
And after a tough year in his personal life, he is thrilled as ever to be involved in top level hurling:
"I've obviously had some personal tough times, and you think about those people. Sport and hurling for us is your saving grace because that's what you love doing."
