Christy O'Connor: Eamon O’Shea now has to let his head rule his heart 

When Cork last played Dublin in Croke Park, in the 2022 All-Ireland quarter-final, 12 of the players which featured that afternoon had never played in Croke Park before. It showed when Dublin cruised to an 11-point win.

FROM TIPP TO GALWAY: Galway selector Eamon O'Shea will have to let his head rule as he leaves long journeys to Tipperary behind for a stroll over the road to Pearse Stadium. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

When Eamon O’Shea spent nine years involved with Tipperary, during three separate stints as coach and manager between 2008-21, the biggest drain on his time was the travel involved. Getting out of Galway city first was an ordeal in itself before the long and winding road to Thurles even began to stretch out in front of O’Shea.

Thurles was over two hours away, a circuitous navigation through bad country roads and small towns. It’s a gruesome trek for motorists, but O’Shea always saw that long-haul journey as an opportunity to reconnect to his own personal history, reminding him of how it framed the very essence of who he is.