Shane O’Neill adds Fergal Healy to team

New Galway hurling manager Shane O’Neill has added Fergal Healy to his management team as they step up their preparations for the new season. Healy, a former Galway forward, joins David Forde from Clarinbridge as selector with former Limerick U21 manager John Fitzgerald on board as coach.

Recently retired All-Star net-minder Colm Callanan has been appointed goalkeeping coach and O’Neill is looking forward to the new campaign.

“Everyone has been very welcoming here in Galway and the players have been working very hard,” said O’Neill.

“We’ll work a small bit before Christmas and take a week off for Christmas. we’ll have an in-house game when we get back and then we’ll play another game the week before the Walsh Cup.

“Depending how that goes the final is the final week and the league is the following week, and it nearly goes every week after that. We have one week off after Limerick in Round 3 so it comes thick and fast, so there is virtually a game or the possibility of a week every week,” said the former Na Piarsaigh All-Ireland winning manager.

Healy’s appointment this week is another boost. He managed his native Craughwell this season and also served as a selector with manager Brian Hanley as Galway completed an All-Ireland minor three-in-a-row.

A minor and U-21 All-Ireland winner, Healy played in two senior finals but they were defeated by Tipperary in 2001 and by Cork in 2005.

Healy scored 1-2 at corner-forward in the 2-18 to 2-15 loss to Tipperary, while he landed 0-2 from midfield four years later with his brother Niall, who scored a hat-trick in a thrilling semi-final win over Kilkenny, at full-forward, while his now fellow sector David Forde was centre-forward.