'This time last year I was going around with a crutch': Galway ace Keane looking to make up for lost time

In one innocuous opening-round tackle against Dublin in 2025, her cruciate went and her year wept for its premature end.

KEEN TO PLAY: Galway's Aine Keane in action. Pic: Harry Murphy/Sportsfile.

Áine Keane is keeping delicious company on this All-Ireland final week.

There are no annoying co-workers inquiring about Sunday and which of the Cork half-backs she might be standing beside, just the sweet and silent smell of freshly baked apple tart, rhubarb crumble, blueberry muffins, Biscoff cookies, and lemon drizzle cake.

In the middle of June, Keane’s enterprise stretched beyond the four white lines of the GAA field. The aptly named Ginger Hut was born. Situated close to her home in Kilbeacanty, the business takes the form of an honesty sweet treat box.

For those familiar with egg vending machines, this is pretty much the same concept.

From Thursday through Sunday, Keane is in the home kitchen baking up a storm. All delectables are placed into the hut, with customers picking out what they want, totting up the costs themselves from the displayed price list and then throwing the required amount into the cash box.

There’s a change jar on site for those not in possession of the exact amount, while cashless payment is also of course an option.

“It's a baking business and an honesty hut, and so the baking starts every Thursday and keeps me busy through the weekend. I bake all the way to Sunday. It's a bit different alright, but it’s going okay so far and I’m happy enough,” Keane begins.

And what of this week’s menu, albeit nobody should be expecting to find the hut fully kitted out on Sunday - for obvious reasons.

“We've apple and rhubarb tarts, blueberry muffins, s’more cookies, and no-bake slices and brownies, we've everything.

“It's at home in Kilbeacanty, so I literally bake at my house, and the box is outside the local graveyard. I fill it up at 10am on a Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and people come and buy what they want out of it. It's working out okay so far.”

The wonder is that the Ginger Hut wasn’t conceived last summer when Keane had far more time on her hands for kitchen creations. There was no camogie, you see, last summer, only frustrated spectating.

Áine’s 2025 summer postcard was two lines long. Brief and brutal. The championship was two minutes old and her championship was over.

Having established herself at centre-back during a somewhat breakthrough 2024 season, Keane’s graph stayed travelling in the right direction when steering St Thomas’ to that year’s county final and then steering over the clinching free for UL in the following February’s Ashbourne final. She was subsequently selected as the third-level camogie player of the year.

And then in one innocuous opening-round tackle against Dublin, her cruciate went and her year wept for its premature end.

“I vividly remember this time last year going around with a crutch and not being able to move much. So for myself, it's lovely to be back on the pitch and to have the boots laced up,” said the 24-year-old.

“To be honest, it just came at me with a shot. It was just something I knew was always going to be a challenge, and Niamh McPeake was here with me last year as well and we were both on the sideline.

“She was a huge help, showing me the ropes and the sense of what was coming next all the time [in the ACL recovery], what were the next stages. So, for me, it's just always been about getting back on the pitch and thankfully I'm here now.”

The June 6 All-Ireland series opener at home to Cork represented Keane’s first competitive outing in just over a year. It didn’t matter how long she’d been away for. Galway hurled into the wind in the opening half and goalkeeper Sarah Healy desperately required a ball-winning outlet.

Cue Keane being repeatedly aimed for at puck-out time. She won four cleanly, although one of those was harshly called as a foul against her by referee Liz Dempsey.

She’s been ever-present since and will this Sunday go after her first All-Ireland as an active contributor.

“No better excitement than going to Croke Park on All-Ireland final day. You can't get much better than that and it's not lost on us either how lucky we are. It's a really special group to be involved in.

“As players, we're a very, very tight-knit group. We look after each other and always try to get the best out of each other too. In Cathal [Murray], you're not going to get much better of a person to be at the helm. He's second to none as manager, and there's no stone left unturned with that guy.

“We're delighted to have him at the helm of it all, and just as a group we're really, really lucky to have that bunch we have. It’s not lost on us how privileged we are to have that group.”