Conor Cooney on 2012: ‘It is almost like a train hitting you’

Conor Cooney didn’t take 2012 very well.

Then 19, the 2011 All-Ireland winning U21 full-forward was thrown straight in at the deep end by fellow St Thomas’ man Anthony Cunningham. Named at full-forward for their championship opener against Westmeath, he was withdrawn with more than 20 minutes remaining, having hit two points from play. He fired home two goals against Offaly but on the afternoon when Galway blitzed Kilkenny in the Leinster decider, Cooney was the sole forward not to register a score and was the first called to the sideline.

Management kept faith for the semi. Cooney, though, was treading water by this point. Sole forward again not to score and first to be removed. Cyril Donnellan took his place for the final and no Galway hurler, Cooney included, holds fond memories of the crushing replay defeat to Kilkenny — he saw the last 20 minutes of that 3-22 to 3-11 reverse.

“When something like that hits you, it is almost like a train hitting you. It definitely was a big blow to the confidence,” recalls Cooney.

“I scored a couple of goals against Offaly, but things just didn’t work out. It was tough to take. You have to put those things behind you. I’m a few years older now, a bit wiser. It is something you would think of in that you want to go out to set the record straight, to prove to yourself and to everyone else what you are capable of.”

Injury derailed his 2015 season, with Cooney’s 14-minute cameo at the end of their All-Ireland final defeat marking his first championship appearance of the summer. More than most, he’s grateful for the clean bill of health he’s enjoyed this summer.

“This is a great place to be, it is what you dream about when you are a kid. Thank God, I’m injury free. Once you have a clean bill of health going into the match, you are in the best place possible to put in a performance.”

This Galway crop, too, look best placed to end 29 years of misery, misfortune, and the occasional September near-miss.

League champions, Leinster champions. Ten games unbeaten. The 24-year old is one of five Galway forwards standing 6’2” or taller. Their average championship total, meanwhile, stands at 0-28 per game.

“The management has given us real ownership about how we approach things. They try to involve the players, get their opinions and work on things that way. Consistency is something we have striven towards. You want to win every game. We have put everything in place towards being really consistent, trying to win every game possible. Hopefully, we can extend the streak by one more game.”

Cooney added: “There is an expectation [within the county] that you are going to win [each time you go out]. Maybe, it has been a bit of a hindrance throughout the years, the pressure that has been there since the guys in the ’80s played so well.”

You certainly couldn’t label them consistent when Waterford visited Salthill in early April. Erratic would be the more appropriate term. An almost second-string Déise outfit had built up a 10-point lead before Galway decided they’d enough of being bullied around their home patch. They’d finish three clear to advance to the league semi.

“It was a big turning point; that we were able to turn a big deficit around. That is something we looked to do, that when the chips were down could we come back. We’ve really pushed on since that game.”

This is the primary school teacher’s fourth All-Ireland in six years and the first where he or his Galway teammates won’t encounter the black and amber in September. What’s his take on the ‘now or never’ conversation?

“I remember somebody asking me that, do you have to win the All Ireland this year. If you say yes, you are putting huge and needless pressure on yourself. So it is just another match and we are looking forward to it.”