DIARMUID KILGALLEN’S CHIEF objective this season is an obvious one – spend more time on the pitch.
Last season was another stop-start one for a player who has shown plenty of promise when fit, but has been hampered by multiple injury setbacks across his career.
Across the 2025/26 campaign he was involved in just six Munster games, down from seven the season before. His time in Connacht wasn’t much easier – seven outings in 2023/24, eight in 2022/23, six in 2021/22.
The good news is that as Munster prepare for Saturday’s URC season opener with Glasgow Warriors, the 26-year-old is fit and raring to go.
“It is very frustrating, but I’m in a good spot now,” Kilgallen says.
Kilgallen pictured during a Munster training session this week. Nick Elliott / INPHO
Nick Elliott / INPHO / INPHO
“It happens. You see it in younger players, they just get these runs of injuries and it just seems never-ending. Then you get a spell and you never look back. That’s kind of how I’ve been seeing it anyway.”
Hamstrings have been problematic for Kilgallen, who admits his fast-twich fibres can be “a blessing and a curse.”
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“The last one (hamstring injury) was probably before last season. There were a couple of small niggles here and there, but nothing of high grade at all.”
Through it all, there’s been trial and error with his recovery processes.
“Finding what works for me from a recovery point of view (has helped). I’ve never been found wanting for trying. Sometimes less is more. The balance of not having to cover 10km in every training session and then try and do it again. You just have to find what works for you.
“I actually wouldn’t say there has been anything revolutionary really. I’ve just stayed patient when it’s happened. A lot of it, we’ve looked under every single rock to try and find answers previously, and there wasn’t any. A lot of it was just a bit of misfortune at times. I haven’t looked back since I’ve been good.”
The Kildare man spent six years at Connacht before taking up a move to Munster in 2024.
“I just felt at the time it was a great opportunity to come to such a talented squad. I joined in 2024, and they’d won (URC) in ’23. I just felt there’s obviously the history of Munster, the pedigree that the Munster crest holds and the opportunity I felt for me to improve as a player and take that challenge.
The winger managed just six apperances last season. Dan Clohessy
Dan Clohessy
“That kind of same energy I had coming here initially is still there. I still feel there’s so much positive in this building and in this club and this province as a whole. The supporters, the squad, the coaching. I just feel like there are huge opportunities for us all here.”
And given the nature of his Munster career to date, Kilgallen feels he is still waiting to announce himself proper to the Munster faithful.
“That’s how I see it. I want to win that, I suppose, the love of the fans. I want to show how much it means for me to play for Munster.
“I want them to be able to see what I’m about. I really do have that mindset of still showing the world what I can actually do.”
That will involve making an impact in a new-look Munster attack. Over the summer, the province brought in Jared Payne to work on strike plays and the first three phases, with Mossy Lawler in charge of kicking and multi-phased attack.
“It will look a bit different,” says Kilgallen.
“It’s always going to be about trying to play to the best space that’s available. How we do that might look a bit different. The shared attack role has given us real clarity. Mossy has a real emphasis on the phase play and our kicking strategy. It’s really clear how we want to play.
“Jared brings a real clarity around how we want to strike and how our set-piece launches are going to look. There’s been a huge emphasis on that as well. Hopefully it will look different and we’ll be scoring a lot of tries. That’s the main thing.
“There’s two new voices (Payne and forwards coach Jimmy Duffy). Mossy is obviously in a bit of a different role as well. I think that’s always going to bring a renewal.
“Different ways of thinking, different ways we’re being coached. We’re going about things a bit differently. That’s always exciting on day one when that’s laid out how we’re going to go after things and there’s a real buy-in. Really exciting.”
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'I want to show how much it means for me to play for Munster' - Kilgallen
DIARMUID KILGALLEN’S CHIEF objective this season is an obvious one – spend more time on the pitch.
Last season was another stop-start one for a player who has shown plenty of promise when fit, but has been hampered by multiple injury setbacks across his career.
Across the 2025/26 campaign he was involved in just six Munster games, down from seven the season before. His time in Connacht wasn’t much easier – seven outings in 2023/24, eight in 2022/23, six in 2021/22.
The good news is that as Munster prepare for Saturday’s URC season opener with Glasgow Warriors, the 26-year-old is fit and raring to go.
“It is very frustrating, but I’m in a good spot now,” Kilgallen says.
“It happens. You see it in younger players, they just get these runs of injuries and it just seems never-ending. Then you get a spell and you never look back. That’s kind of how I’ve been seeing it anyway.”
Hamstrings have been problematic for Kilgallen, who admits his fast-twich fibres can be “a blessing and a curse.”
“The last one (hamstring injury) was probably before last season. There were a couple of small niggles here and there, but nothing of high grade at all.”
Through it all, there’s been trial and error with his recovery processes.
“Finding what works for me from a recovery point of view (has helped). I’ve never been found wanting for trying. Sometimes less is more. The balance of not having to cover 10km in every training session and then try and do it again. You just have to find what works for you.
“I actually wouldn’t say there has been anything revolutionary really. I’ve just stayed patient when it’s happened. A lot of it, we’ve looked under every single rock to try and find answers previously, and there wasn’t any. A lot of it was just a bit of misfortune at times. I haven’t looked back since I’ve been good.”
The Kildare man spent six years at Connacht before taking up a move to Munster in 2024.
“I just felt at the time it was a great opportunity to come to such a talented squad. I joined in 2024, and they’d won (URC) in ’23. I just felt there’s obviously the history of Munster, the pedigree that the Munster crest holds and the opportunity I felt for me to improve as a player and take that challenge.
“That kind of same energy I had coming here initially is still there. I still feel there’s so much positive in this building and in this club and this province as a whole. The supporters, the squad, the coaching. I just feel like there are huge opportunities for us all here.”
And given the nature of his Munster career to date, Kilgallen feels he is still waiting to announce himself proper to the Munster faithful.
“I want them to be able to see what I’m about. I really do have that mindset of still showing the world what I can actually do.”
That will involve making an impact in a new-look Munster attack. Over the summer, the province brought in Jared Payne to work on strike plays and the first three phases, with Mossy Lawler in charge of kicking and multi-phased attack.
“It will look a bit different,” says Kilgallen.
“It’s always going to be about trying to play to the best space that’s available. How we do that might look a bit different. The shared attack role has given us real clarity. Mossy has a real emphasis on the phase play and our kicking strategy. It’s really clear how we want to play.
“Jared brings a real clarity around how we want to strike and how our set-piece launches are going to look. There’s been a huge emphasis on that as well. Hopefully it will look different and we’ll be scoring a lot of tries. That’s the main thing.
“There’s two new voices (Payne and forwards coach Jimmy Duffy). Mossy is obviously in a bit of a different role as well. I think that’s always going to bring a renewal.
“Different ways of thinking, different ways we’re being coached. We’re going about things a bit differently. That’s always exciting on day one when that’s laid out how we’re going to go after things and there’s a real buy-in. Really exciting.”
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Diarmuid Kilgallen Munster Rugby SUAF