EVEN THE MOST ardent of Galway football supporters couldn’t have predicted how quickly they’d take to life in Division 1.
Kevin Walsh’s side gone unbeaten through their seven top flight games, winning six and drawing the other with All-Ireland champions Dublin, who they’ll face in Sunday’s league final at Croke Park.
The Tribesmen are brimming with confidence and their early season form suggests they’re ready to make a significant leap forward and become genuine All-Ireland contenders.
“We wouldn’t have expected to be in this position to be honest,” says key forward Shane Walsh.
“It’s great to be in a league final and we’re looking forward to that on Sunday. It’s great for the group because it’s a huge learning curve in that you’re playing Dublin in what’s perceived to be their home ground in front of 50,000 or 60,000.
“It’s a dream really for us. With the group, myself included, we haven’t played in front of that kind of attendance. We’re just going to look forward to that experience.”
12 months ago Galway defeated Kildare in the Division 2 league final, but an unsatisfactory summer campaign saw them ship a nine-point defeat to Roscommon in the Connacht final before they meekly exited the All-Ireland series with an eight-point loss to Kerry at the quarter-final stage.
Galway have been tinkering with a packed defence and quick counter-attack in recent years, but they’ve appeared to have hit the right balance this season. Walsh and his fellow ace attackers Damien Comer, Eamonn Brannigan and Johnny Heaney are thriving in the fast transition game they’re employing.
Many pundits have been in a rush to credit new coach Paddy Tally for Galway’s improved performances since last season.
Tally has certainly built up an impressive coaching CV. He was part of Mickey Harte’s backroom team when they lifted the All-Ireland in 2003, he was involved with Down during their run to the 2010 All-Ireland final, he spent time coaching Derry between 2013 and 2015, while in 2017 he masterminded the historic Sigerson Cup success as manager of Belfast teaching college St Mary’s.
“It’s a funny one because you do hear that a bit – they’re all asking, ‘Who is this Tally lad?’” says Walsh.
“Paddy is a sound fella, really and truly, he’s adding a different voice in the dressing room. It’s as much about trying to understand the Northern accent as anything else.
“Paddy just brings that other aspect, his own individual aspect to our set up. He’s not from around Galway so you couldn’t say he’s a traditionalist in the way he sets up. He brings his own approach to things. He brings his own knowledge. He’s a lecturer, so he’s a smart man too.
“He’s adding something different to the group which is having some effect on us.”
Galway’s increased physicality has drawn criticism from Colm O’Rourke, who said on Allianz League Sunday back in February that they’ve gone a “little bit ugly.”
“We were playing physical teams,” explains Walsh. “Tyrone was a bruising encounter, Mayo as well. (Against Dublin) the big thing is we were at home and lads were standing up for themselves more than anything.
“It’s not that we were going out to gain a physical edge over teams, as in the place where we’re beating teams is on the scoreboard. You’re not going to beat them off the pitch physically.
“As Kevin (Walsh) always says, football is about not conceding at the back and scoring as much as you can up front, it’s as simple as that really. Some games went like that but that’s outside our control. If a fight breaks out, a fight breaks out. You can’t control that.”
Going up against Dublin in Croke Park on Sunday will be a real marker for the progress Galway have made in 2018, while Jim Gavin’s rearguard will be paying particularly close attention to Walsh given his recent performances.
When the Kilkerrin-Clonberne star eventually looks back on his inter-county career, he may pinpoint the International Rules trip to Australia in late 2017 as one of his defining moments.
What a performance today by Shane Walsh! We may not have got the #IRS2017 result we wanted but they did us proud! Take a look at this score! pic.twitter.com/ecPn1M8p7X
— The GAA (@officialgaa) November 18, 2017
The speedster confirmed his status as one of Gaelic football’s elite forwards with a stunning two-game series against Australia, which also afforded him the opportunity to compare notes with some of Ireland’s best.
“It’s a great environment to be in. You’re playing with a lot of top players in the country. Obviously, you’re getting to see what they’re doing week in, week out. You have the likes of Michael Murphy, Conor McManus, those lads there that are training away.
“It’s just nice to mix thoughts with them and mix ideas with them. Those trips are great like that. Those trips are great for me personally. It’s was my first one and it was great to get a chance to represent your country and to meet players from different counties. You’ll always stay friendly with them then afterwards.
“The big thing was, you learned from the other players; how they’re doing things. You can just take a few things for yourself and bring them home with you; just try and work on a couple of areas that you hadn’t thought (about). I’m sure they’ll be in the same boat. It’s a great way to learn from each other.”
While there’s silverware on the line at the weekend, their Connacht SFC semi-final with Mayo on 13 May is still the game that will most likely define Galway’s season.
“With the national title available there on Sunday, we’re obviously going to be trying to win that so that everyone adds that to their roll of honour,” says Walsh.
“13 May, obviously, is the start of the championship for us and we’ll be targeting that game just like every other game.
“We know that if we go out and even if we beat Dublin the next day, we know that’s still not good enough because the time of year changes. You’re going out and playing championship in May and that’s going to be a full-blooded encounter.
“You’ve your biggest rivals in that game so that’s an ever bigger game again. It’s a curve we’re looking to keep going on the upward trend rather than the downward.
“Obviously, with the league final there, we’ll go out to try and win it. Mayo then will be the next game and that’s something we’ll look forward to in the next six or seven weeks against our biggest rivals.”
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