Gerry Gilmore - Donegal aren’t getting carried away

There are not too many hurlers in Ireland who are right up there with the great Joe Canning when it comes to pointing side-line cuts. 

It is one of the most difficult skills in the game, but Donegal star Gerry Gilmore has the distinction of pointing three out of three cuts in Donegal’s fine Rackard Cup final triumph over Warwickshire in Croke Park in 2018. 

“It was all on the day as everything I hit against Warwickshire went over and I think that Joe Canning has hit four points from side-line cuts. It was nice to happen, and it helped us out well in that match with Warwickshire. 

“We had a good second half and kicked on for victory. I practice the side-line cuts at training all right when a few boys try and see who can get a few over the bar. I would hit a fair few and I managed to get one against Armagh.” 

Gerry turned 30 this week but still has the pace and appearance of a 20-year-old. 

The Strabane native played with his native Tyrone for five years and he won a Nickey Rackard Cup medal with the Red Hands in 2014 and is one of the few holders of three of those gongs. 

“My club in Strabane was struggling and I was getting no senior hurling, so I decided to move to Setanta and then I had the option of playing for the county”.

Donegal have two wins from two and have a tough away assignment to Roscommon in the tight confines of Athleague on Sunday. 

“That will be very tough. It is a very tight pitch, and they have to win to stay in the competition and they will fire everything at us and we have been preparing all week. 

“Hopefully we come out on top as you want to keep on winning as we found out this past few years that we left it to the last game and were beaten both times by Tyrone. 

“They are a big physical side and have a good U-20 squad, and they will be trying to create rucks on Sunday to close us down so hopefully we can avoid that and use the wings to our advantage and got at them.”