IN THE SARDINE can that was the Box-It Athletic Grounds press box on Saturday evening, RTÉ commentator Pauric Lodge pointed out that all in, counting from his very first involvement in the Armagh minor team, this is Kieran McGeeney’s 37th consecutive season at intercounty representative football.
Padraic Joyce does not have quite the same continuity.
But his career shows his life has been run with football as a very high priority since making his debut for Killererin as a 15-year-old in 1992.
Count in 15 years of playing with Galway seniors until 2012, and the fact he was still playing club football after being appointed Galway manager in late 2019, then he has given some service.
Old habits die hard. Watch a Galway warm-up closely enough and at some stage you may well see Joyce taking a wind of a shot to put the ball over the bar. Perhaps it’s a superstition thing.
Mickey Harte is involved in continuous intercounty management now, going into his 24th uninterrupted season. Behind him is McGeeney, who has had some sort of role with an intercounty management team since 2008. John Kiely started his Limerick run in 2017, Brian Lohan in 2019, and then you have Joyce.
Since taking over in time for 2020, he has taken Galway to six Connacht finals, winning the last four. He has brought them to two All-Ireland finals and gone right down to the wire in those.
Such terms of service don’t usually come without an All-Ireland title. But despite being beaten in the 2022 and 2024 deciders, he lacks nothing in belief, though the players may come and go.
On Saturday night, he put out a team to face Armagh, against McGeeney, whom he grew so close to across a number of International Rules tours.
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A standout factor was the level of resemblance the two sides bore to the teams that contested the 2024 All-Ireland final.
Joyce had Connor Gleeson in goals. His full-back line of Johnny McGrath, Seán Fitzgerald and Jack Glynn remains intact.
Dylan McHugh and Liam Silke were both again in the half-back line. Sean Kelly was able to start this, unlike the 2024 decider. Cillian McDaid and Shane Walsh came off the bench.
We like to talk about player churn. Galway have some of it. Armagh had more, with just six of the 2024 starters playing this game, but that’s all besides the point.
What McGeeney and Joyce have managed to do is build super panels, with proper depth.
Kieran McGeeney and Pádraic Joyce. James Lawlor / INPHO
James Lawlor / INPHO / INPHO
The sight of Damian Comer poking his head around the dressing room door afterwards was also a sign of a different kind of weapon they might call upon later in the league campaign.
For now, we know they are missing, for various reasons – Peter Cooke, Céin D’Arcy, John Maher, Cathal Sweeney, Tomo Culhane, Johnny Heaney, John Daly and Paul Conroy.
They were able to bring in the likes of youngsters Fionn McDonagh, Ciaran Mulhern, Shay McGlinchey and Shane McGrath.
The numbers of premium footballers and hurlers in Galway is often a marvel.
After the game, Joyce was asked about the return to action of Cillian McDaid, Shane Walsh and Matthew Tierney, and if we might see many more returnees.
“I don’t think so,” said Joyce.
“I think we have what we have there. But even the guys you mentioned there, they have a lot of work to do to catch up. They were blowing a lot there at the end. Shane and Cillian, Cillian especially. They’ve a lot of work to do.
“But again, they won’t get fit sitting at home or sitting on the bench. They need to play and try and get game time into them.”
Asked about any more developments on 2024 Footballer of the Year Paul Conroy, he answered, “No. He’s given so much service to Galway. I spoke to him a couple of times and he still hasn’t made his mind up. If he makes it up, we’ll let you know.”
And boy, does Joyce not take any nonsense. During the same sequence of interviews, Smaller Fish podcaster Colm Parkinson began a question saying, ‘You were angry at half-time’, that Joyce just cut off, stating he was asking referee Barry Cassidy a question, insisting that he is never getting yellow cards, and ‘I know how to talk to people.’
Assertiveness and confidence is not a problem with this panel.
There will also, presumably be a return for Sam O’Neill, a player unlucky with injuries but seen floating around the Athletic Grounds in a tracksuit.
This was a game that Galway scarcely deserved to win. And yet they did so, because some players who have been in the shadows of other, have stepped out.
Chief example of that is Rob Finnerty. Scorer of 1-6, and just 0-2 of that coming from the dead ball, he is a menace for the opposition.
Robert Finnerty. James Lawlor / INPHO
James Lawlor / INPHO / INPHO
His work got the ultimate anointing from Joyce. Far from holding the fort for the rarely-seen but forever anticipated Walsh-Comer double-act, Joyce was bestowing top billing on Finnerty.
“He was really good, he’s probably about 60% fit, he’s a bit more to do.
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“But again, he’s grown into one of our main, he’s our main forward probably, and the last couple of years he’s got his All-Star and been nominated, so he’s a top, top forward in the country. But there’s a bit more to him yet. It’s great to have him for calm kicking, he kicked a few great scores when we needed them.”
After the break in the league, Galway are away to face Kerry on 14 February in Tralee, a town Joyce knows well from his time in college and winning a Sigerson Cup.
They are winning games they have no right to. They have strong players coming back in and some more emerging. Of all the top teams in the hunt for the All-Ireland, they remain unfancied.
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Of the top teams in All-Ireland hunt, Galway remain unfancied - just as they want it
IN THE SARDINE can that was the Box-It Athletic Grounds press box on Saturday evening, RTÉ commentator Pauric Lodge pointed out that all in, counting from his very first involvement in the Armagh minor team, this is Kieran McGeeney’s 37th consecutive season at intercounty representative football.
Padraic Joyce does not have quite the same continuity.
But his career shows his life has been run with football as a very high priority since making his debut for Killererin as a 15-year-old in 1992.
Count in 15 years of playing with Galway seniors until 2012, and the fact he was still playing club football after being appointed Galway manager in late 2019, then he has given some service.
Old habits die hard. Watch a Galway warm-up closely enough and at some stage you may well see Joyce taking a wind of a shot to put the ball over the bar. Perhaps it’s a superstition thing.
Mickey Harte is involved in continuous intercounty management now, going into his 24th uninterrupted season. Behind him is McGeeney, who has had some sort of role with an intercounty management team since 2008. John Kiely started his Limerick run in 2017, Brian Lohan in 2019, and then you have Joyce.
Since taking over in time for 2020, he has taken Galway to six Connacht finals, winning the last four. He has brought them to two All-Ireland finals and gone right down to the wire in those.
Such terms of service don’t usually come without an All-Ireland title. But despite being beaten in the 2022 and 2024 deciders, he lacks nothing in belief, though the players may come and go.
On Saturday night, he put out a team to face Armagh, against McGeeney, whom he grew so close to across a number of International Rules tours.
A standout factor was the level of resemblance the two sides bore to the teams that contested the 2024 All-Ireland final.
Joyce had Connor Gleeson in goals. His full-back line of Johnny McGrath, Seán Fitzgerald and Jack Glynn remains intact.
Dylan McHugh and Liam Silke were both again in the half-back line. Sean Kelly was able to start this, unlike the 2024 decider. Cillian McDaid and Shane Walsh came off the bench.
We like to talk about player churn. Galway have some of it. Armagh had more, with just six of the 2024 starters playing this game, but that’s all besides the point.
What McGeeney and Joyce have managed to do is build super panels, with proper depth.
The sight of Damian Comer poking his head around the dressing room door afterwards was also a sign of a different kind of weapon they might call upon later in the league campaign.
For now, we know they are missing, for various reasons – Peter Cooke, Céin D’Arcy, John Maher, Cathal Sweeney, Tomo Culhane, Johnny Heaney, John Daly and Paul Conroy.
They were able to bring in the likes of youngsters Fionn McDonagh, Ciaran Mulhern, Shay McGlinchey and Shane McGrath.
The numbers of premium footballers and hurlers in Galway is often a marvel.
After the game, Joyce was asked about the return to action of Cillian McDaid, Shane Walsh and Matthew Tierney, and if we might see many more returnees.
“I don’t think so,” said Joyce.
“I think we have what we have there. But even the guys you mentioned there, they have a lot of work to do to catch up. They were blowing a lot there at the end. Shane and Cillian, Cillian especially. They’ve a lot of work to do.
Asked about any more developments on 2024 Footballer of the Year Paul Conroy, he answered, “No. He’s given so much service to Galway. I spoke to him a couple of times and he still hasn’t made his mind up. If he makes it up, we’ll let you know.”
And boy, does Joyce not take any nonsense. During the same sequence of interviews, Smaller Fish podcaster Colm Parkinson began a question saying, ‘You were angry at half-time’, that Joyce just cut off, stating he was asking referee Barry Cassidy a question, insisting that he is never getting yellow cards, and ‘I know how to talk to people.’
Assertiveness and confidence is not a problem with this panel.
There will also, presumably be a return for Sam O’Neill, a player unlucky with injuries but seen floating around the Athletic Grounds in a tracksuit.
This was a game that Galway scarcely deserved to win. And yet they did so, because some players who have been in the shadows of other, have stepped out.
Chief example of that is Rob Finnerty. Scorer of 1-6, and just 0-2 of that coming from the dead ball, he is a menace for the opposition.
His work got the ultimate anointing from Joyce. Far from holding the fort for the rarely-seen but forever anticipated Walsh-Comer double-act, Joyce was bestowing top billing on Finnerty.
“He was really good, he’s probably about 60% fit, he’s a bit more to do.
“But again, he’s grown into one of our main, he’s our main forward probably, and the last couple of years he’s got his All-Star and been nominated, so he’s a top, top forward in the country. But there’s a bit more to him yet. It’s great to have him for calm kicking, he kicked a few great scores when we needed them.”
After the break in the league, Galway are away to face Kerry on 14 February in Tralee, a town Joyce knows well from his time in college and winning a Sigerson Cup.
They are winning games they have no right to. They have strong players coming back in and some more emerging. Of all the top teams in the hunt for the All-Ireland, they remain unfancied.
Just as Joyce might hope for.
*****
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