AN ANKLE INJURY may have halted his Galway career but Michael Meehan is at peace with his decision last year to step away from the inter-county game.
And he sees positivity in football in the county with Kevin Walsh having overseen two league wins since taking the Galway reins, Corofin having advanced to the All-Ireland club decider and the products of the triumphant 2011 and 2013 U21 sides starting to make their mark on the senior grade.
The 30 year-old underwent a small knee operation before Christmas but it is the ankle injury that continues to be the root of his fitness problems. Still he is hopeful of getting back on the field with his club Caltra.
“I didn’t really do a lot at all last year, only with my club. Most recently, I was just rehabbing a knee injury. I’m just trying to rehab that and get back on my feet properly and see what I can do this year.
“It was a relief at the time just to step away. It was a hard thing to do but it was a relief. Because just the enjoyment, there was none and that’s what the game is about really.
“There was one specific injury. It was a replay of a Connacht semi-final against Sligo down in Sligo. I really yanked my ankle over. It’s just unfortunate that it was as bad as it was. But no one died.”
Meehan was speaking yesterday at the announcement of Eirgrid’s sponsorship of the All-Ireland U21 football championship for a three-year term. It was a competition where he made his mark with scintillating displays on the Galway teams that won All-Ireland titles in the grade in 2002 and 2005.
“It’s a great competition. I enjoyed playing in it immensely and was lucky enough to be successful twice. What you want to be successful at, at the end of the day is senior level. That didn’t really happen while I played for Galway. It wasn’t for the want of trying, it’s just things didn’t work out.”
He’s hoping his counterparts on Galway’s 2011 and 2013 sides will have better luck.
“Maybe it’s about to go right for those lads! The likes of Tom Flynn and Fintan O’Curraoin were on both of those teams, those lads are only 22 or 23 now. They’re only going to develop. With Kevin Walsh as a mentor and as a manager, he’ll help get the most out of the Galway panel that’s there.
“They’ve had a good enough start (in the league). I think for Galway at this stage, it’s a Connacht title is what’s needed. Whether someone can take Mayo down now I don’t know, but that’s the measure. Mayo have four-in-a-row, they’ve dominated now in the last few years, that’s the big challenge.”
Before then Meehan will be hoping to see his ex-Galway teammates from Corofin achieve what he did with his own club Caltra back in 2004. Last Saturday’s stunning win over champions St Vincent’s didn’t surprise him.
“I would have fancied them. St Vincent’s are a phenomenal team but to be going two years in a row is tough going. Delighted for them now. I’d know a lot of them very well. Their goal is not a county title any more. They’re looking much further down the road. They’ve been able to keep coming back, fair play to them.
“I think they’ve a good mix. They’ve some seasoned campaigners that won All-Ireland’s with Galway in 2001, Kieran Fitzgerald and Michael Comer. Then they have younger crop of players that won U21 All-Ireland’s with Galway in ’05 with myself, Alan Burke and Gary Sice.
“They’ve lads that have won All-Ireland’s a couple of years ago with Galway in Ian Burke and a few more. They are where they want to be now and where they’ve planned to be and they’ve a great chance.”
