Glynn reaffirms Galway's Sam Maguire goal

It wasn't until Christmas Day that Shane Walsh watched back Galway's All-Ireland final defeat to Kerry. He winced at first viewing but then got into analysis mode and watched it a second time.

Jack Glynn, Galway's corner-back and the 2022 Young Footballer of the Year, went about the post mortem a different way, watching the four-point defeat back in 'snippets' over the closed season.

"I did have to walk away from it a few times," he admitted. "It was hard to sit down for the full hour and a half and watch it. It was tough because you're obviously breaking it down and looking at certain stuff but it just so tough because we were so close and so far at the same time.

"I remember looking back at a foul or two I made when there were bodies back and you were kicking yourself over it. It is hard to watch it because you get so down about it. You are looking back and you are going, 'I would have done this differently' and 'I'd have done that differently' but, look, it is easy to say that in hindsight. But yeah, even a few simple skill errors as well, you would look back and kick yourself over it."

The first steps towards redemption begin tomorrow when the National League throws in. Galway will visit Castlebar, the home of their greatest rivals Mayo. But what does redemption look like? Is it going one better than last year? That would be a particularly high bar for Glynn in particular to set because aside from the All-Ireland final with Galway, he also lost an Electric Ireland Sigerson Cup final while playing for UL, ironically against NUI Galway.

Speaking at a promotion for Sigerson Cup sponsors Electric Ireland, Glynn said that while it will be difficult, winning the All-Ireland with Galway remains the target this year.

"Padraic Joyce has never faltered from his stance that the ultimate goal is an All-Ireland," he said. "We're going to have to take it day by day and month by month. We're going to see how we get on in the National League. Then your aim is to push on and win a provincial championship, but obviously the ultimate goal is the All-Ireland."

Glynn has been nursing a groin problem in recent weeks. He reckons it's an overload injury with club, college and county all tapping into his talents. It has been a busy few years for the man who captained Galway to the All-Ireland U-20 title in the days before Christmas, 2020.

That U-20 final was played before the senior final between Dublin and Mayo and less than two years later, Glynn was lining out in a senior decider himself.

"I would never have believed that, even now, to be honest with you," he said. Ultimately though, it was a painful loss to Kerry. "The biggest thing I wanted to do at the time was be around people weren't going to talk about it. I didn't want to be around anyone who was going to bring up the game and say, 'This should have happened' or 'that should have happened'. You come to deal with it but it doesn't make it any easier."