Summerhill's David Clare aiming to topple 'top-class' Paul Galvin
Ratoath manager Paul Galvin during the Meath SFC clash between Seneschalstown and Ratoath at Páirc Tailteann. Pic: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
It's coming up on one year since Paul Galvin and David Clare assumed their positions in the Kilmacud Crokes dugout for the 2024 Dublin SFC final.
"He was in charge of the attack and I was in charge of the defence," recalled Clare.
But instead of a friendly meet and greet to mark the occasion, Kerry great Galvin and Dunboyne man Clare will be in opposing corners this Sunday when Ratoath take on Summerhill in the Meath SFC final.
When the Robbie Brennan-led Crokes management team broke up last winter, Galvin left to take over Ratoath while Clare agreed to be Summerhill manager for 2025.
"I suppose it was almost predetermined that it was going to end up like this, the two of us after coming from one management team in a county final to be now against each other," smiled Clare.
One of them will make off with the Keegan Cup this weekend but for the other, it'll be back-to-back county final defeats in both 2024 and 2025, as Crokes lost last year's Dublin decider to Cuala.
Truth be told, neither group has blazed a trail to the Meath showpiece with Summerhill needing extra-time to see off holders Dunshaughlin last time out while Galvin himself accepted after Ratoath defeated Skryne that 'there's stuff that needs to get better, quickly'.
From Clare's perspective, former Wexford manager Galvin is a terrific man for Ratoath to have in their corner. His attention to detail and focus on the basic skills of the game has been his calling card with the various teams he's worked with.
"Absolutely," said Clare. "He's looking at the correct use of the hands, how when you get to the top of the D, that you can scan and operate off both hands, that you don't have to change hands, all that kind of stuff, and he's instinctively working on that the whole time.
"And that stuff is crucial because in that millisecond when you're attacking it's the difference between the ball going in the onion bag for a goal and not going in."
Four-time All-Ireland SFC medallist Galvin had a spell with the Kildare seniors too, working on their skills.
"You can see it with his set-ups, you watch the two inside, how they operate, it's all very fluid," said Clare. "He'd talk about the inside line, having certain specific things that you would do. It's all the stuff that Kerry fellas do instinctively and he's teaching that.
"He's great, he's a good lad. I wouldn't agree with his style, clothes-wise! But his football brain and the nuances around football, it's top class."
Clare is a close ally and neighbour of current Meath manager Robbie Brennan, who was in charge of Crokes last year. Teaming up at Crokes and taking on a coaching role there suited Clare despite previously managing Celbridge in Kildare and Dublin side Lucan Sarsfields.
"I got two new hips so I wasn't in a position to do anything else last year," he explained.
Returning to Summerhill was a homecoming of sorts having worked with the club as a coach from 2016 to 2018.
And he gets the rich history and rivalry that exists between Summerhill and Ratoath as the two clubs contested county senior finals in 2019, 2022 and 2023, Ratoath winning the first two of those.
"I was with Summerhill when they were beaten in two finals, against Simonstown and Dunboyne," said Clare. "I hit the road then to learn and ultimately to come back to them.
"But yeah, of course there's a huge rivalry there now with Ratoath, absolutely. Both clubs keep rocking up continuously, they always find a way to get to a county final."
To add an extra layer of intrigue to Sunday's final, many of the same players will meet again in the county hurling final between Ratoath and Kiltale, the latter drawing a number of players from the Summerhill area.
"I'll be the same personnel again," noted Clare. "Ross Ryan, Jack Bannon, Iarla Hughes, all these guys who play for Summerhill and Kiltale. Then with Ratoath there's all the McGowans, Conor McGill, Bryan McMahon, Cian Rogers, they're all dual players so it's another element to it all."
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