Pádraic Joyce dedicates victory to Kate Moran

The Galway manager said the win over Mayo was for the 20-year-old who died tragically after sustaining an injury during a camogie game on Easter Monday

24 April 2022; Galway manager Padraic Joyce, left, and selector John Concannon celebrate at the final whistle of the Connacht GAA Football Senior Championship Quarter-Final match between Mayo and Galway at Hastings Insurance MacHale Park in Castlebar, Mayo. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

At the end of a “very emotional and difficult week” in Galway, manager Pádraic Joyce dedicated yesterday’s victory to the memory of the late Kate Moran.

The 20-year-old died tragically after sustaining an injury during a camogie game on Easter Monday, with further grief visiting the county and, indeed, Joyce’s set-up, when Mary Bridget Kelly - grandmother to Galway footballers Seán and Paul Kelly - passed away on Saturday evening.

The Galway manager was immensely proud of his players for being able to score victory after such an emotional week, expressing hope that this Galway win brought an hour’s solace to the grieving families.

“The whole thing about coming down today was to get a result. It makes me very proud of the lads for that because it was a difficult week in Galway,” Joyce began.

“A very emotional week with the loss of Kate Moran who went out playing a camogie game and didn’t come home. Our thoughts are foremost with her father Cathal and mother Mary and TJ [Brennan], her boyfriend. It is just harrowing and puts life in perspective.

“The two Kellys lost their grandmother as well on Saturday night so, look, we had a lot of emotion coming into the game and had to compose ourselves.

“At least that victory might give them an hour or two of solace. But we dedicate our victory to that wee girl.” 

Galway’s ravenous third quarter, during which they kicked six unanswered points to go five in front, was a far cry from their meek second-half showing in last year’s Connacht final against Mayo when all they managed was three Matthew Tierney frees.

It was a second-half effort, said Joyce, that showed there is no soft underbelly to his side.

“We just tapped on the scores at vital stages when they were needed and you have to give the lads credit for that, they’ve worked really hard on that. And that’s where over the years Galway might have been seen to have a soft side element to them, so at least today they fought hard.

“We almost got caught at the end. But look it, if we were in that position a couple of years ago we might have lost the game. Just the heart and the bottle to stick with it, I have to compliment the lads on that.

“We had some stellar performances all over the pitch. Near the end of the game is when you need your big players and in fairness, Damien Comer, Paul Conroy, John Daly, Seán Kelly, all those lads all stood up.”