Huge day for South Galway club

BRIAN Brennan is a proud Gort man and has given many hours over the years to the promotion of hurling in his beloved South Galway club.
During that time he has being involved as a mentor with a variety of club sides and has helped them prepare by playing challenge games against many clubs in Clare. He has also kept a close watch on Clare hurling and is no stranger to the county, having served as a garda in the county town for many years, before spending some years working in Shannon.
In 2012, he will take charge of the Gort minor hurlers, thus helping to prepare the players who will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of the current senior side that is just two wins away from being crowned All-Ireland champions.
Indeed, most of the players who will line out for the Galway champions against Coolderry on Saturday have played for teams managed by Brian in recent seasons. He was a selector with Clare men John Lyons and Patsy Fahy when Gort contested the county final in 2008, where they lost out to Portumna, who went on to win the All-Ireland title.
“This is huge for the town and, of course, for the club. The recession is a major concern at present but hurling is the main talking point in the town ahead of Saturday’s All-Ireland semi-final,” according to Brian.
The hard-working club official recalled 1984 when “Gort played Midleton in the All-Ireland semi-final on a Saturday in Limerick where we beat them and they had players such as John Fenton, Kevin Hennessy, Ger Fitzgerald and Pat Hartnett in their line-up. Next day we played Ballyhale Shamrocks in the final in Birr and that game ended in a draw. We lost the replay in Thurles.
“In ’81 we played James Stephens in a semi-final in Kilkenny and lost out. The format was different then with the semi-final on a Saturday and the final 24 hours later.”
“We haven’t been in the limelight since then but these lads have been promising. They won an U-16 county title, lost out on a minor but won a few U-21s, one we were expecting and one that maybe we didn’t expect. The signs have been good,” he said.
“For a club side like Gort to be playing games against county teams from Clare and Dublin creates excitement. There is a big difference between club and county but Gort will have learned from these games and they will help greatly. They test the stamina,” he said.
Brian admits, “It’s bugging Gort people that we haven’t gone all the way like our neighbours from Clarinbridge, Sarsfields, Athenry and Portumna. Galway club teams have done very well in this championship and Gort would love to be up there with their neighbours. It is, of course, a motivating factor,” he conceded.
Saturday’s game is, according to Brian, “a very open game and both clubs will believe that they can win”.
Brian will be making the journey to the Gaelic Grounds and will be hoping to make the return journey having watched his club senior team move a step closer to emulating their neighbouring rivals.