There’s a new wave of optimism in Galway
Manager Kevin Walsh revealed ahead of last year’s Championship 52 players had either turned down the chance to play for Galway or left the panel in the previous 18 months.
Those want-away players missed out on a remarkable summer that including a surprise win over Mayo and a first Connacht title success in eight years.
The same group has achieved another piece of history this season by gaining promotion from Division 2 of the Allianz football league and returning to the top flight for the first time since 2011.
Galway are also favourites to add a second piece of silverware to their trophy cabinet in less than a year ahead of Sunday’s Division 2 league final against Kildare.
“I think at the moment the panel is in a very strong place,” said Walsh. “On the back of last year as well there’s a lot more positivity around Galway. Inside in our dressing-room there’s such a good vibe with what we’re doing.
“It’s a great dressing-room to be in because everyone is looking forward to going training and everyone is excited about what we’re trying to do. The players that haven’t come in, they’d be looking at it and saying, ‘that’s our chance missed’. For any player that doesn’t do that (come in), I think that’s always the thing...it’s the best way to show them, by trying to be as successful as we can.”
Veteran duo Michael Meehan and Sean Armstrong are among the players who have returned to the Galway panel this season.
Meehan’s is a particularly intriguing case as he hasn’t played in three seasons after stepping away due to serious ankle issues. Walsh suggested that Sunday will probably come too soon for Meehan to join him at any stage in the Galway attack but is upbeat about the Caltra man’s Championship chances.
“He’s doing the same training as everyone, there’s nobody exempted from our training,” said Walsh.
“Everyone is on the same hymn sheet, trying to push for places in the right way and Mikey is no different to the rest of us.”
Walsh said he doesn’t believe Meehan and Armstrong, who once shared six goals evenly between them in an All-Ireland U21 final, returned solely because the team is going well and winning substantial prizes.
“To be honest, I think the lads just missed it themselves. Mikey is such a passionate man about football and he wants the best for the county and would love to be a part of it. He was always like that, ‘Army’ (Armstrong) the same, he definitely just missed it.
“Obviously if we’re making steps forward they want to be part of that but it’s just their love of football first and foremost.”
The current bunch of players have an opportunity to make another piece of history this weekend by winning a game at Croke Park.
That is something no Galway senior team has done since the 2001 All-Ireland final when they beat Meath.
Since then, Galway have played 10 league or Championship games at GAA headquarters, the most recent of which was last year’s surprise All-Ireland quarter-final defeat to Tipperary, and failed to win any of them.
Walsh, their top scorer against Tipp last July, has never won a game in any age grade, at Croke Park.
“No, I haven’t experience a win yet,” acknowledged Walsh.
“But every time I come out to Croke Park it’s a great experience. I always say to myself, ‘take a deep breath, take it all in and use it as experience, enjoy the occasion’.
“We’re looking at this as a final in Croke Park and we don’t get the opportunity too often to play in Croke Park let alone play in a final there.
“So we’ll just be looking to go out and to enjoy the occasion and hopefully get the result against a very difficult Kildare team.”
The Lilies overhauled their team for last weekend’s final round group game having already secured promotion yet still only lost to Galway by a point.
“Kildare showed the strength of their panel so it’s going to be very tough knowing that they’ll be bringing back a few of their big hitters,” said Walsh.
