James Skehill

James Skehill

Personal information
Irish name	Séamus Ó Sceacháil
Sport	Hurling
Position	Goalkeeper
Born	(1988-02-22) 22 February 1988 Ballinasloe, Ireland
Height	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Occupation	Civil engineer
Club(s)
Years	Club
	Cappataggle
Club titles
Galway titles	0
Colleges(s)
Years	College
	Limerick IT
College titles
Fitzgibbon titles	1
Inter-county(ies)*
Years	County	Apps (scores)
2008–present	Galway	28 (0-00)
Inter-county titles
Leinster titles	1
All-Irelands	0
NHL	0
All Stars	0
*Inter County team apps and scores correct as of 18:44 13 March 2014.

James Skehill (born 22 February 1988) is an Irish hurler who played as a goalkeeper for the Galway senior team.^[1]

Born in Cappataggle, County Galway, Skehill first excelled at hurling whilst at school in St. Brigid's Vocational School in Loughrea. He arrived on the inter-county scene at the age of seventeen when he first lined up with the Galway minor team, before later joining the under-21 side. He made his senior debut during the 2008 championship. Skehill went on to play a key role for Galway for the next six years, and won one Leinster medal. He was an All-Ireland runner-up on one occasion.

Skehill was a member of the Connacht inter-provincial team at various times, however, he ended his career without a Railway Cup medal. At club level he is a one-time Connacht medallist in the intermediate grade with Cappataggle. In addition to this he also won one championship medal.

Throughout his career Skehill made 15 championship appearances for Galway. He announced his retirement from inter-county hurling on 11 March 2014.^[2]

Playing career

Club

Skehill plays his club hurling with his local club in Cappataggle. He has enjoyed some success, winning a county intermediate championship winners' medal in 2008.^[3] This was later converted into a Connacht club medal following a victory over Four Roads of Roscommon.^[4] Blarney provided the opposition on that occasion and eventually won by 2–14 to 1–12.^[5]

University

During his studies at the Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT), Skehill was a key member of the institute's hurling team. In 2007 LIT reached the final of the inter-varsities competition. A 2–15 to 0–13 defeat of the National University of Ireland, Galway gave LIT the title and gave Skehill a coveted Fitzgibbon Cup medal.^[6]

Inter-county

Skehill first came to prominence on the inter-county scene as a member of the Galway minor hurling team in 2005. That year he became the first-choice goalkeeper on the county team that qualified for an All-Ireland final against Limerick. A high-scoring game ensued; however, the fact that Skehill kept a clean sheet was a deciding factor. At the full-time whistle Galway were the winners by 3–12 to 0–17 and Skehill collected a coveted All-Ireland medal.^[7]

In 2006 Skehill was eligible for the minor team again as Galway faced Tipperary in the All-Ireland decider. Galway were comprehensively defeated on that occasion by 2–18 to 2–7.^[8]

Skehill subsequently joined the Galway under-21 hurling team. His first year as goalkeeper in 2007 was a successful one as the team qualified for the championship decider in that grade. An up-and-coming Dublin team provided the opposition, however, Galway were too good for 'the Dubs'. At the full-time whistle Galway were the champions and Skehill picked up a coveted All-Ireland medal in the under-21 grade.

Skehill first came to prominence on the Galway senior team during the 2008 National Hurling League. Galway reached the final of that competition, however, Tipperary were the winners by 3–18 to 3–16. Skehill subsequently made his senior championship debut in a 6–20 to 1–10 rout of Antrim.

In 2009 Skehill was replaced as the first-choice goalkeeper by Colm Callanan, however, after a year in the wilderness he was reinstated as goalkeeper again for the 2010 championship.

In 2012 Skehill won his first Leinster medal following an impressive 2–21 to 2–11 defeat of red hot favourites Kilkenny.^[9] Both sides subsequently met in the All-Ireland decider when Galway nearly pulled off a victory courtesy of goals from Joe Canning and Niall Burke. A 2–13 to 0–19 draw was the result, a first drawn All-Ireland final in over half a century.^[10] Both sides met again three weeks later, however, Skehill entered the game having suffered a dislocated shoulder just forty-eight hours before the replay.^[11] He was replaced at half-time as the injury impacted on every aspect of his game.^[12] Galway went on to lose the replay by 3–22 to 3–11.^[13] In spite of a disappointing end to the season, Skehill was nominated for an All-Star award.^[14]

Inter-provincial

Skehill has also lined out as goalkeeper with Connacht in the Inter-provincial Championship.

International

Skehill has also represented his country in the annual composite rules shinty-hurling competition between Ireland and Scotland. He was the goalkeeper on the team in 2007 as Ireland were comprehensively defeated by 4(10) to 0(11) by Scotland.

Honours

Team

Cappataggle

• Connacht Intermediate Club Hurling Championship (1): 2008
• Galway Intermediate Club Hurling Championship (1): 2008

Limerick Institute of Technology

• Fitzgibbon Cup (1): 2007

Galway

• Leinster Senior Hurling Championship (1): 2012
• All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship (1): 2005
• All-Ireland Intermediate Hurling Championship (1): 2015

References