Why the Connacht final was Damien Comer's finest hour in a Galway jersey
Galway’s Damien Comer celebrates with the Nestor Cup after beating Mayo in the Connacht SFC final. Picture: ©INPHO/James Crombie
This meant more. As Connor Gleeson drove over a spectacular long range free that ultimately proved the winner, Galway selector John Concannon turned Pied Piper. His jig up the sideline signalled a premature pitch invasion. Their time in the sun would duly come.
Prior to Sunday, this was a dark week for Galway GAA. Their minors were well beaten by Mayo last week. The hurlers couldn’t beat Kilkenny at home and collapsed away to Wexford. The U20s fell short in the Connacht final on Saturday. Talk about adding to the pressure.
Post-match Pádraic Joyce would readily acknowledge they heard it all. Not so much about the county’s recent fortunes as their own. Don’t you worry, he kept the receipts. The references to his record as manager against Mayo, some stinging criticism for specific players, utter dismissal of their form, all of it coalesced as combustible powder for the cannon. All they needed was a projectile to fire out of it. Step forward, Damien Comer.
This was his finest hour in a Galway jersey. That’s despite the fact that this is his fourth Connacht title. He won an All-Star in 2022. The full-forward has enjoyed better performances before but never was it like this, where he was the one defining factor, the man predominately responsible for a crucial victory. All season long the talk was that Galway needed to unleash something. Here they let loose a shark.
Damien Comer is afforded some space and makes it count for @Galway_GAA #GAANOW pic.twitter.com/24nk5I4e6R
— The GAA (@officialgaa) May 5, 2024
The only early profit they found, the sole factor keeping them from insolvency, was the result of investing directly in Comer. In total he was centrally involved in seven of their first nine points. The Annaghdown star was fouled for four frees, he kicked two points, he had one assist. Shane Walsh came off the bench to kick Galway into the lead with seven minutes remaining. Dylan McHugh’s darting run sent him clear, yet it all stemmed from Comer gravitating out and winning a crucial kickout.
Their first point was a Robert Finnerty point after David McBrien fouled the full-forward. Comer continued his run with the benefit of advantage but sent a shot wide of the near post. At that early juncture, there was already a scent of blood in the water.
What followed was a textbook example of everything Joyce’s Galway aspire to be. Back-to-back kicks, the first an agricultural Kieran Molloy floater and the second a gorgeous dink by Finnerty, carved Mayo’s fullback line open again. This time Comer took two bites at the hull. Colm Reape’s nimbleness kept it just intact.
Paul Conroy forced a terrific turnover and was then awarded a free. Conroy did what Conroy does and immediately looked up. The pop pass to Comer was perfect. He took one bounce to make the space and curled over a beauty from the top of the D.
“I feel we didn’t get going at all in the first half,” said Finnerty on the field afterwards as fans danced all around him. “Showed glimpses of what we can do but came out in the second half and managed to put a massive performance in.”
There is an important point here. Comer dug in and eventually the collective dug it out. The last point he scored or assisted for was their ninth. Then Shane Walsh came on and was fouled for Gleeson’s first converted free. Two of the Tribe’s most gifted stars exchanged the baton and as a unit they drove for home.
It was obvious that the side felt under increasing strain in recent weeks. The only way of weathering the storm was by doing it together. That theme continued later outside of their dressing room.
“For Padraic and the backroom team it has been tough,” said Comer. “The lads have had to take a lot of slack. We’ve a lot of injuries, look back at our team from last year or the year before, there is a lot of lads with experience missing.” It hurt more because he wasn’t able to help. Comer missed the entire league campaign.
“It was very frustrating. They are the lads putting in the effort. We are injured. We can’t help the case. They are trying to keep the whole thing afloat.”
His return marked a move back towards the awesome inside line that powered their run to the 2022 All-Ireland final. The final component in that machine is Finnerty, who finished with eight points.
“Damien was massive,” he started to explain before spotting Walsh in a throng of autograph hunters. He reached across and wrapped him in a warm embrace. “This big man here though. Back to his best. What a performance.”
Like Walsh, Gleeson has taken heavy hits. It has been a difficult week for the Dunmore man who buried his grandmother during the week. Joyce said he told his goalkeeper he did not have to attend training. He turned up anyway.
His performance wasn’t flawless. Neither were Galway. They persevered.
“You know I’d never seen Connor take a free in my life,” exclaimed Finnerty with a smile. “I’ve heard he did it with the club. The way injuries went this year to Shane and Mattie, someone had to put the hand up. Connor did it and absolutely nailed them.”
As for their manager, he made sure to reference the articles during the week that listed the tale of the tape against their neighbours. He also hit out at the “gobshites” while admitting it’s impossible to block the barbs out in the modern-day world. A chip on the shoulder is still a prized currency in the GAA. It’s not that Galway insulated themselves from the noise, they weaponised it.
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