Gallagher relishes September Sundays

The Croke Park operations manager arrives into the stadium shortly after 9am, indulges in the complimentary Irish breakfast offered only on September Sundays, before embarking on a stroll around the pitch.

“The pitch will have been manicured to perfection at that stage, but I always take a walk around just to make sure everything is okay,” says Gallagher.

Gallagher will engage in various meetings between 11am and noon, “drawing breath” when the turnstiles then open.

“You can relax a small bit during the minor game and the final touch-ups are then made before the senior game. A half-hour after the senior match, we will have a full debrief with the various departments, ticketing, communications, etc. I can tell you I am not the first person into Croke Park on match day and I certainly won’t be the last out either.”

Gallagher has been in his current role since 2006 and while he is the first to admit his privileged state in the access open to him on match-day, working in Croke Park on a cold December morning is just as satisfying as being present under the Hogan Stand on the afternoon his native Dublin lifted the Sam Maguire Cup in 2011.

“Just standing in the tunnel on a Wednesday morning here, the hairs would stand on the back of your neck. It is just such a privilege to be part of it all; there is a serious amount of pride working here.

“I am St Jude’s man so I will never forget Kevin McManamon’s goal in the 2011 final. That was a very special moment. My father said to me ‘you might never see another Dublin team win an All-Ireland so savour that’.”

Indeed, afternoon’s like yesterday is what makes Gallagher’s job all the sweeter, experiencing the joy of September glory up close and personal.

“It is remarkable to be down at the tunnel when the teams run out for an All-Ireland final, the noise, the atmosphere is incredible. Afterwards you see the mixed emotions, the pride and joy of winning, the heartbreak of defeat. After anAll-Ireland final you are only a couple of yards from either dressing room, it is a privilege to be able to experience the celebrations of a team. “The one thing I always notice is when a final whistle sounds in an All-Ireland final, there is the outburst of emotions and then 30 seconds later the respective captain will realise the formalities that must take place and their body language changes almost immediately.

“Down through the years I have seen captains pull pieces of paper from their socks, they will go to someone in the stand who will slip them the speech and then there are the few who do it off the cusp.

“You will also see, after All-Ireland finals, moments of reflection, players on the pitch attempting to take it all in, what they have accomplished and the scale of their achievement. Often if you were to stand between the two dressing rooms after an All-Ireland final you would find it difficult to tell which side had won and which had lost.”

Gallagher will return to work this morning where yesterday’s activities will have already blended into the countless Sundays spent sweating on the margins of the Croke Park turf.

“We’ll be back out on the pitch preparing for the camogie final.

“The same effort goes in all year round, regardless of what match is coming up, we have to apply the same methodology for every weekend.”