Pictured is AIB ambassador Aidan Walsh (An Ghaeltacht) ahead of the AIB GAA Football All-Ireland intermediate club championship final between Glenullin and An Ghaeltacht. Dan Sheridan/INPHO
Aidan Walsh
The Cork 2010 All-Ireland winner chasing a unique club double with An Ghaeltacht
Aidan Walsh won an All-Ireland intermediate club hurling title with Kanturk in 2018. He is now targetting the football crown.
AN UNLIKELY RETURN to Croke Park, with the possibility of a unique club double for a Cork 2010 All-Ireland senior winner.
Aidan Walsh helped his native Kanturk to All-Ireland intermediate hurling glory in 2018, and he’s now seeking the football equivalent with An Ghaeltacht of Kerry.
“If you told me I’d be going back to Croke Park last year, I’d have said not a hope, and if you told me I’d have been playing for a Kerry club, I’d have said Jesus, that definitely wouldn’t be the case,” he laughs.
Walsh has called West Kerry home for some time with his partner, Doireann, and four-year-old son Macdara, and crossed county lines in a GAA capacity last year.
After a brilliant dual career with Cork and Kanturk — which also included six county medals — the commute to North Cork for club activity began to take its toll. Load and lifestyle choices were weighed up. Having previously trained with An Ghaeltacht, he transferred in early 2025.
“I suppose it was kind of in my head for the last few years, especially with my son getting older,” says Walsh, who turns 36 later this month.
Kanturk GAA Chairperson Derek Carroll made a surprise presentation to Kanturk’s legendary dual player, Aidan Walsh, who left the club last spring. Aidan played with Kanturk from 2006 until 2024 and made an outstanding contribution, helping the club win six County Championships. pic.twitter.com/lVFLvzZYwF
“When I was his age, my father – the biggest influence on my career – was finishing up playing with Kanturk. I remember going to his games and I always loved to hear stories about when he was playing, and that was a huge motivation for myself when I was going through the ranks with Kanturk, to make my father proud. I was lucky enough that he was involved in the backroom as manager and selector all throughout the years when I was playing with Kanturk and that was a huge motivation for myself.
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“I’d hope if Macdara has any aspirations to play GAA, that him seeing me play for An Ghaeltacht, maybe that might help motivate him to play for An Ghaeltacht.
“The biggest thing for me really is after the final whistle, just to have him there, to see him run out into the field. I’m lucky enough that I’ve achieved a lot but they’re the big moments for me now: to see my son happy, see him shouting, ‘Come on An Ghaeltacht,’ and just to see the joy on his face.”
Congratulations to Aidan Walsh, former Kanturk two-time County Football Championship–winning captain (IFC 2017 & PIFC 2022), on winning the Munster Intermediate Football Championship with @AnGhaeltacht (Kerry) after their victory over Aghabullogue (Cork) in today’s final. pic.twitter.com/l6xOdwA4dk
Walsh doesn’t shy away from the fact the club transfer was a difficult decision, but it’s one that has paid off. He has been welcomed in with open arms, and been a key midfield cog through An Ghaeltacht’s magical journey.
He doesn’t have much Irish and admits there’s a “bit of confusion” at times in the dressing room and on the pitch, but Walsh takes it all in his stride.
“This move into the Gaeltacht would have been a lot harder for me if I was 20 years of age but with the experience I have and at the age I am, it definitely has been a lot easier. I know myself what I need to do. I have a fair idea what they’re talking about when they’re discussing tactics. It’s not rocket science.
“It’s definitely different for sure. It’s been a breath of fresh air, really. I put a lot of pressure on myself this year to try and get up to the level of playing high intensity football. I enjoyed it very much in that sense: I pushed myself every day, I felt like I had something to prove.
“People were saying they were surprised that I was even starting in the team when we started off this year. When I heard these comments and stuff, it annoyed me a bit that people thought that I wasn’t even capable of starting. Every day, there was fierce motivation for myself to prove something
“It’s been very enjoyable and just being able to focus on one (code) has been a huge help for me personally because it’s very demanding on the body to try and play both throughout the years.”
The self-professed “elder statesman” of the team, Walsh brings a huge level of experience to the playing group. There’s no shortage of that throughout the famed An Ghaeltacht club, home to a raft of Kerry All-Ireland winners from the Ó Sé family to Dara Ó Cinnéide and Aodán Mac Gearailt.
“There’s fierce knowledge,” says Walsh. “Even after games and stuff you meet Darragh, Tomás, Marc, you’d have conversations with them. Everyone’s behind the team. The support from outside the group has been amazing. Everyone’s just so excited about it.
“Especially with Dingle over the road in the senior final. There’s just a great buzz down there. I suppose the football in Kerry is at a peak at the moment with the junior, intermediate and senior, all Kerry clubs.
“Sure football is like a religion down there, it’s what they talk about most. You see the joy that GAA brings to people, it’s just so powerful and I’m just very lucky and fortunate to be a part of it.”
An Ghaeltacht face Glenullin of Derry in Sunday's final. Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
Walsh is counting his blessings and enjoying every moment ahead of an unlikely Croke Park return, which could indeed yield a unique club double. That’s not to the forefront of his mind; simply being present is.
“As you get older you definitely appreciate it more. I was fortunate enough to win an All-Ireland when I was 20 and I was like, ‘Jesus is this the way it’s going to be every year?’ I never got back there again with Cork but was lucky enough to get there with my club in 2018. I never got back there since, I’m back there now.
“That’s the big message we’re sending to the group: this might be your only opportunity to ever play in Croke Park, or in an All-Ireland final so make the most of it, enjoy it.
“People get too bogged down and too serious about the whole thing. Before we know it, it’ll be this day next week and everything will be over.”
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The Cork 2010 All-Ireland winner chasing a unique club double with An Ghaeltacht
AN UNLIKELY RETURN to Croke Park, with the possibility of a unique club double for a Cork 2010 All-Ireland senior winner.
Aidan Walsh helped his native Kanturk to All-Ireland intermediate hurling glory in 2018, and he’s now seeking the football equivalent with An Ghaeltacht of Kerry.
“If you told me I’d be going back to Croke Park last year, I’d have said not a hope, and if you told me I’d have been playing for a Kerry club, I’d have said Jesus, that definitely wouldn’t be the case,” he laughs.
Walsh has called West Kerry home for some time with his partner, Doireann, and four-year-old son Macdara, and crossed county lines in a GAA capacity last year.
After a brilliant dual career with Cork and Kanturk — which also included six county medals — the commute to North Cork for club activity began to take its toll. Load and lifestyle choices were weighed up. Having previously trained with An Ghaeltacht, he transferred in early 2025.
“I suppose it was kind of in my head for the last few years, especially with my son getting older,” says Walsh, who turns 36 later this month.
“When I was his age, my father – the biggest influence on my career – was finishing up playing with Kanturk. I remember going to his games and I always loved to hear stories about when he was playing, and that was a huge motivation for myself when I was going through the ranks with Kanturk, to make my father proud. I was lucky enough that he was involved in the backroom as manager and selector all throughout the years when I was playing with Kanturk and that was a huge motivation for myself.
“I’d hope if Macdara has any aspirations to play GAA, that him seeing me play for An Ghaeltacht, maybe that might help motivate him to play for An Ghaeltacht.
“The biggest thing for me really is after the final whistle, just to have him there, to see him run out into the field. I’m lucky enough that I’ve achieved a lot but they’re the big moments for me now: to see my son happy, see him shouting, ‘Come on An Ghaeltacht,’ and just to see the joy on his face.”
Walsh doesn’t shy away from the fact the club transfer was a difficult decision, but it’s one that has paid off. He has been welcomed in with open arms, and been a key midfield cog through An Ghaeltacht’s magical journey.
He doesn’t have much Irish and admits there’s a “bit of confusion” at times in the dressing room and on the pitch, but Walsh takes it all in his stride.
“This move into the Gaeltacht would have been a lot harder for me if I was 20 years of age but with the experience I have and at the age I am, it definitely has been a lot easier. I know myself what I need to do. I have a fair idea what they’re talking about when they’re discussing tactics. It’s not rocket science.
“It’s definitely different for sure. It’s been a breath of fresh air, really. I put a lot of pressure on myself this year to try and get up to the level of playing high intensity football. I enjoyed it very much in that sense: I pushed myself every day, I felt like I had something to prove.
“People were saying they were surprised that I was even starting in the team when we started off this year. When I heard these comments and stuff, it annoyed me a bit that people thought that I wasn’t even capable of starting. Every day, there was fierce motivation for myself to prove something
“It’s been very enjoyable and just being able to focus on one (code) has been a huge help for me personally because it’s very demanding on the body to try and play both throughout the years.”
The self-professed “elder statesman” of the team, Walsh brings a huge level of experience to the playing group. There’s no shortage of that throughout the famed An Ghaeltacht club, home to a raft of Kerry All-Ireland winners from the Ó Sé family to Dara Ó Cinnéide and Aodán Mac Gearailt.
“There’s fierce knowledge,” says Walsh. “Even after games and stuff you meet Darragh, Tomás, Marc, you’d have conversations with them. Everyone’s behind the team. The support from outside the group has been amazing. Everyone’s just so excited about it.
“Especially with Dingle over the road in the senior final. There’s just a great buzz down there. I suppose the football in Kerry is at a peak at the moment with the junior, intermediate and senior, all Kerry clubs.
“Sure football is like a religion down there, it’s what they talk about most. You see the joy that GAA brings to people, it’s just so powerful and I’m just very lucky and fortunate to be a part of it.”
Walsh is counting his blessings and enjoying every moment ahead of an unlikely Croke Park return, which could indeed yield a unique club double. That’s not to the forefront of his mind; simply being present is.
“As you get older you definitely appreciate it more. I was fortunate enough to win an All-Ireland when I was 20 and I was like, ‘Jesus is this the way it’s going to be every year?’ I never got back there again with Cork but was lucky enough to get there with my club in 2018. I never got back there since, I’m back there now.
“That’s the big message we’re sending to the group: this might be your only opportunity to ever play in Croke Park, or in an All-Ireland final so make the most of it, enjoy it.
“People get too bogged down and too serious about the whole thing. Before we know it, it’ll be this day next week and everything will be over.”
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Aidan Walsh Border Crossing GAA Interview