Pauric Mahony: 'It's graft, it's grind for a long, long time. That's what probably makes it extra special'

Ballygunner’s Ronan Power and Pauric Mahony cerebrate. Pic: James Crombie/Inpho

Now that Ballygunner are no longer defined by not having a second All-Ireland, Pauric Mahony has a series of points he wants to make in respect of their repeatedly falling short in recent years and the scars they left.

When asked what Sunday’s victory over Loughrea meant, the 33-year-old centre-forward spoke of moving on in years and in his playing existence.

“There's a good few of us in our mid-thirties now at this stage. You don't know is it the end of the road, or when the road is going to end, let’s just say,” Mahony replied.

In light of such a comment, was there a sense across 2022, ‘23, and ‘24 that time was running out on the collective bid to add a second All-Ireland to the maiden Tommy Moore success of four years ago.

Mahony’s reply on this occasion was a stern “no”. There was a record to set straight, and he launched straight into such.

“We were beaten by top quality teams, and I think there's maybe a misperception out there that we have thrown away games or that we haven't got over the line enough or whatever. That's fine, people are entitled to their opinions, but I think it's a lack of respect to the teams we've played,” he said of their All-Ireland semi-final conquerors Ballyhale and St Thomas’, as well as the Sars side that stunned them in the 2024 Munster final.

“St Thomas' bet us in a penalty shootout, and they won the All-Ireland. Ballyhale bet us up here in the semi-final by three points, and they won the All-Ireland. Sarsfields bet us fair and square last year, and they got to the All-Ireland final. We know the quality of the opposition that is out there and it's a long, long road to get here.

“We had to dig deep many times this year, whether that was mentally, physically, emotionally, because, yes, there is a bit of baggage there from some of the hard losses to say, do I have it in me to go again, because this thing doesn't just happen, you don't just show up on the day of a game and produce a performance.

“It's graft, it's grind for a long, long time. That's what probably makes it extra special because there are so many questions, from the outside certainly, but we also ask a lot of questions of ourselves internally, and we got the reward here.” 

Mahony grafted and grinded more than many of his teammates over the past 12 months. September's Waterford county final was his first club championship start of 2025. 

Another injury setback thereafter meant he was back on the sideline for the Munster quarter-final against Na Piarsaigh.

“Yeah, look, it's been a bit of a rollercoaster. I actually went back to training early this year to give it a good lash. I don't know was it mid-March when I broke down with the back, and I had a couple of bulging discs in the back, and it's just taken a lot of managing and minding over the last probably year, 10 months anyways.

“I got back for the county final and then we kind of had to get back to square one again as I did ligaments in my ankle during the last challenge match before Na Piarsaigh.

“I probably need to go and get a bit of an operation on that now and get that sorted for next year because it's given me a lot of bother.

“I've had plenty of mates getting me through games and I'm very lucky with the physios that we have as well, they had me seeing the best people in the country when these injuries happened and I think only for their initiative to get quick answers and get the right people looking at it, I probably would have missed some other games.

“It's been a bit of a rollercoaster, but look, it's all worth it now, isn't it?” 

There’s an obvious relief in Mahony’s tone. But more than that, there’s an air of contentment about him. 

He knows where he is at in his own career and is so grateful to have pocketed that second club medal before the door closed for him.

“I said in a meeting last week that there's a fair chance I might never get back to Croke Park ever again, so we need to make the most of this when we're here, and this could be our last opportunity. 

"Hopefully it's not, but you just don't know in sport. Glad we took this chance.”