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What role did Galway boss Micheal Donoghue have with Tipperary last year?

Donoghue was in the opposite corner in 2015 as part of Eamon O’Shea’s backroom team.

GALWAY MANAGER MICHEAL Donoghue does not believe that his involvement with Tipperary over the past two seasons will have any bearing on Sunday’s All-Ireland semi-final showdown at Croke Park.

But Donoghue admitted that trying to plot the downfall of his native county in last year’s semi-final was difficult.

Micheal Donoghue James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO

On Sunday Donoghue will hope to lead Galway to successive All-Ireland finals for the first time since they last won the title back in 1988.

The former Galway defender was drafted in by Eamon O’Shea to help out with a variety of coaching and statistics roles and he worked with them for two seasons.

O’Shea, who lives in Galway, and Donoghue had worked with teams in the past and had developed a good friendship so it was no surprise when the Tipp manager drafted the Clarinbridge man.

“When Eamon asked me to get involved it was just looking at different aspects of what they were doing. I did a bit on the field, some coaching on the field, some tactical stuff and I was up in the stand watching the match for him, so it just evolved from those three or four things over the two years.”

Last year’s semi-final, which Galway won by 0-26 to 3-16 for only their seventh championship win over Tipperary in 27 meetings, was tough for Donoghue.

“It was hard, very hard but like any job when you are asked to do something you just focus on the job that you are given.

“It was hard but I suppose if you were going to get beaten then Galway were going to be the team you wanted to succeed and push on.

“It was a huge game last year for both teams and Tipp would obviously be disappointed in the way they performed and I thought on the day that Galway, from start to finish, 100% deserved to win the game.”

Eamon O'Shea INPHO / Morgan Treacy INPHO / Morgan Treacy / Morgan Treacy

The previous year Tipperary came with a storming finish when they outscored the Tribesmen by 2-10 to 0-1 in the closing quarter to win by 3-25 to 4-13 to win a thrilling All-Ireland qualifier in Thurles.

Donoghue, of course, worked with current Tipp manager Michael Ryan as part of O’Shea’s management team but he thinks this is a new chapter for all and that last year’s semi-final won’t have an impact on what happens in Croke Park on Sunday.

“I don’t think last year is going to have much bearing on this one, every time games are different,” added Donoghue.

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