Cloonan clan are well tuned up for Athenry

This is a straight story. One Friday last February, still forlorn and dull-hearted after crashing out against border rivals St Joseph's-Doora-Barefield in the All-Ireland club semi-final, players and officials from the Athenry club sat down together to consider which way to go.

During their one-point defeat against the Clare side, Athenry's Cathal Moran had whipped over an angled point which the umpires waved wide. Those behind the goal were incredulous at the call; the player himself knew the shot had been true.

That evening, a video was produced which put the issue beyond argument. The score was good. The Games Administration Committee indicated that they would be prepared to investigate the controversy provided Athenry forwarded an official appeal. So they sat down and mulled over it.

"I think there was a fair bit of misinformation put about in the wake of that game," recalls Jarlath Cloonan. "The reality is that we met that day and decided not to pursue the matter. The feeling was that it would be no way to win the thing. There were grounds for appeal, certainly, but I think there was a feeling that this was the way to go and the general reaction to it was that it had been an admirable route to take."

When Athenry are on song, they embody all the virtues of Galway hurling. Successful in three of the last four county finals, they appear to have assumed control of Sarsfield's legacy. Throughout the lines, they are laden with pedigree - the redoubtable Brian Feeney in defence, Joe Rabbitte, dignified and selfless at half-forward, and the prodigious Eugene Cloonan. As with the minor and U-21 teams in Galway, people point to Athenry and demand to know why the county hasn't housed the McCarthy Cup since Patrick Hillerywas president.

"Well, to make a comparison, in the very early part of the decade, our own club won three minor and five under-21 titles but we just couldn't win at senior level. That was mainly because those same young lads were being pushed in at 18 years of age or whatever. Now, they are still there and have matured into very good players," says Cloonan.

"But it took time and they had to evolve before that happened. The same is probably true in Galway. It takes time and when I look at Galway in recent years, it's not all that gloomy. The 1997 quarter-final against Kilkenny was an absorbing game and last year they might have gotten past Clare the first day with a bit of luck. So, we aren't down here pulling our hair out in despair or anything."

The Cloonan name features prominently in Galway hurling at all levels. Although Jarlath is acting as secretary for the club this year, he is just as easily identifiable as the one-time hurler, overseer of Galway hurling and uncle to Eugene.

"I think it's true to say that the community would have gotten great pleasure from watching this current bunch over the years. Families like the Keoghs, the Feeneys, Higgins, the Morans, Rabbittes, lads from these houses have been winning things all their lives really. The club started off small, it was made up of a number of rural parish clubs that amalgamated and it has grown for that," he explains.

"Not so long ago, Athenry was a parish of about 1,400 houses, sizeable enough, but it is growing all the time. They reckon it could be double that in five years. That won't necessarily mean anything to us in terms of numbers playing the game but the community is widening. Still, when it comes to hurling, there is a strongly identifiable spirit there."

And this Sunday, they'll be in Semple Stadium, most likely windswept and hoarse, desperate for another run at their great old Clare neighbours.

"Well, all we've been doing is concentrating on Birr. The teams haven't met in competition before but we know each other from challenges and the county stuff and just watching. They are like ourselves really, a good all round team. And they have won two All-Ireland's in the last four years. That says it is all really," says Cloonan.

The draughty old Tipperary venue will host the first great hurling match of this new age on Sunday. There is an affinity between Galway and Offaly folk when it comes to hurling, a sense that at heart, they each breed purists and mavericks.

At inter-county level, they have known different times over the past decade but all of that will be irrelevant. Everything is reduced to what happens on this one afternoon.

"With Galway, there is that old problem of going cold into the middle of a competition. This is different; we have been through a good county championship, are well rested and fresh. It's up to ourselves. Nothing else has any bearing," he concludes.