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16th September 2015
10:00am BST
The great unknown about every Galway underage side is how good really are the crop of hurlers being bred west of the Shannon?
And it turns out in 2015 they are very, very good indeed.
Jack Grealish, Thomas Monaghan, Jack Coyne and last Sunday's hero Darragh Gilligan all proved they were worthy All-Ireland medal winners with wonderful performances at various stages of the championship.
The games against Kilkenny were the highlight of the championship for many, and it may take quite a while for us to see the level of excitement generated again from the final frantic five minutes in both the drawn and replayed matches.
Galway's hurlers at underage level are supremely skillful and with the right development they can be moulded into future senior stars.
The era of the dual player is alive and well.
The fact that Tipperary qualified for both of the Electric Ireland All-Ireland finals is an achievement that we not see again for along time. The Premier County have drawn from both squads with upwards of 10 players crossing both codes with little adverse effect.
Players such as Alan Tynan and Brian McGrath thrived in the double environment as they mixed hurling and football with wonderful skill.
The Tipperary story should prove to other counties that the dual issue is not really an issue at all. If players are properly minded by both sets of management it is a very workable situation with the issue of burn-out monitored throughout the season.
This season has produced some wonderful videos.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnN8N0sphIU
If it's not Jackie Tyrrell's hair getting a spruce up before his debs, then it it was the spine-tingling memories evoked by Austin Gleeson telling of his first trip to Croke Park.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIJ65ev2LQ8
The tales of senior stars just emphasize what a special time in these young men's lives the minor grade really is and the promo for the All-Ireland final had us wishing we were 17 again.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5XdbyGcc3w
The Munster championship is just as exciting at minor level
The provincial final in Leinster was an exciting conclusion to spring of excellent hurling as Kilkenny snatched the win from under Dublin's nose.
But there really is nothing to compare to the Munster championship. Tipperary and Limerick met in a thrilling decider with the whiff of controversy also adding to the occasion.
Of the seven games played, only one match had a winning margin of greater than five points, which highlights how competitive the entire series was.
Limerick, Clare and Waterford can all look forward to 2016 with some optimism of dethroning the reigning Munster champions from their own performance.
Minor hurling is tactical too
The sweeper system is alive and well at minor hurling as mangers seek any advantage to try and outfox their opponents.
It's no surprise that players and teams are now trying to develop systems to counteract what they may feel are natural disadvantages or negating the oppositions best player.
We saw it in both All-Ireland semi finals while the final was a more open affair with Tipperary's cover sucked in by Galway's counter attacking strategy.
When you are talking about an All-Ireland final, mangers would be foolish to set up 15 v 15. It doesn't happen at senior so we should not be surprised to see players of 17 and 18 reflecting the trend of their peers.
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