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"Winning or losing on Sunday was irrelevant" | Brian Hanley has Galway hurling in safe hands

Whatever worth one ascribes to Galway's record-equalling Electric Ireland Minor Hurling Champions...



Hurling

"Winning or losing on Sunday was irrelevant" | Brian Hanley has Galway hurling in safe hands


Whatever worth one ascribes to Galway's record-equalling Electric Ireland Minor Hurling Championship win on Sunday afternoon, manager Brian Hanley has his eye firmly set on what happens next. 

"Development is a huge thing at this age," he explained on Tuesday's OTB AM, "for me and the Galway minor management team it's about doing the best thing for Galway in hurling.

"Winning or losing on Sunday was irrelevant to doing that."

Nevertheless, winning is exactly what Galway's minor hurling teams have become accustomed to.

Matching Kilkenny, Cork and Tipperary teams from decades gone by, their latest triumph put Galway among a select group of counties to have won three minor All-Ireland titles in succession.

The first year of Brian Hanley's reign in charge, the former Westmeath senior manager has enjoyed the alternative challenges faced at minor level.

"[The differences] come down to the innocence," he noted of his minor stars, "because you've lads coming in willing to do absolutely everything, they've no baggage with them.

"It's a different age and it's a development process, which makes it very enjoyable because they're all behind what you're trying to do and they're all about doing the right thing.

"This is a major, major part of their life going forward and it is going to set them up as individuals from an early age."

Brian Hanley

A three-time All-Ireland club winner with Athenry, Hanley's involvement with the current crop of young Galway players stemmed from the success he enjoyed with them as U16s.

Having previously sampled inter-county management, this latest victory will give cause to question whether we will see Brian Hanley take the step up to senior once again.

"I don't look too far ahead," he admitted, "if I was to look at my own future three years ago when both of my parents were alive, I'd have thought differently.

"Things change and I'm just very, very grateful to the Galway county board that I got a chance to come back and help.

"This is about Galway hurling and what we can do to help.

"At the moment, that's what it is and I'm very grateful to have the opportunity."

You can read about one of the Galway minor stars of Sunday's win Ruben Davitt, here

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Brian Hanley Electric Ireland Minor Hurling Championship Galway Kilkenny Westmeath