GALWAY FOOTBALL STAR Shane Walsh has opted to go under the knife and will be out of action for Kilmacud Crokes for the remainder of the year.
Walsh has been a notable absentee from the 2023 All-Ireland champions’ lineup in their march to the PTSB Dublin SFC 1 quarter-finals.
The 33-year-old attacker, who has won county, Leinster and All-Ireland medals since joining Crokes in 2022, started four of Galway’s five Championship games last summer before undergoing surgery.
The exact nature of the operation is unknown with former Galway manager Pádraic Joyce declining to go into detail about Walsh’s injury situation earlier in the year.
The former Kilkerrin-Clonberne clubman missed five of Galway’s National League games and didn’t make his first start of the season until May when they lost to Roscommon in Connacht.
Crokes manager David Nestor said gifted forward Walsh is unlikely to feature ‘this side of Christmas’, raising the possibility of Joyce’s replacement being required to ease the 2022 All-Star back into action.
“Shane is in with us at every training but he’s not physically involved,” said Nestor, who has guided his native Crokes to Saturday week’s county quarter-final against Castleknock.
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“He had an operation there a couple of weeks ago which will probably rule him out until after Christmas.
“Look, it’s disappointing, we’d obviously love to have someone with Shane’s talent and experience in the squad but what he adds on the sideline and at training in terms of what he sees and the style of play we’re trying to implement, it’s brilliant to have him involved.”
Walsh, an All-Ireland finalist with Galway in 2022 and 2024, has battled various injuries over the years.
He missed all of the 2025 Connacht championship after undergoing what then manager Joyce said was a ‘routine procedure’ on his back.
The previous season, he was troubled by ankle and hamstring injuries as Galway made it to their second All-Ireland decider in three years.
Joyce was coy about Walsh’s injury situation earlier this year, stating ahead of the League that he was ‘nursing a knock’ while Nestor didn’t go into specifics either.
“I think it was just something that had been niggling away at him all year,” said Nestor. “He just had to get it right for himself. The operation was the option so he’s taken that and he’s working through his rehab now. I don’t think you’ll see him this side of Christmas.”
Galway are currently searching for a new manager following Joyce’s decision to step down after seven seasons.
Walsh (left) and Paul Mannion, pictured in 2022. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
In Walsh’s absence, former Dublin star Paul Mannion struck 1-13 for Crokes last Sunday to see off Ballinteer St John’s and secure the quarter-final berth.
Mannion has also battled what Nestor described as ‘a couple of niggles’ and missed their Round 1 defeat to Clontarf.
Centre-forward Mannion pulled up with an apparent strain after kicking a monstrous two-pointer against Ballinteer last weekend – but returned to the field after treatment and later converted his fifth two-pointer of the game.
“He’s driving the standards on with the experience that he has,” said Nestor of Dublin great Mannion.
“He’s had a couple of niggles the last couple of weeks and months. You could see even when he came off that he was desperate to get back on and to commit as much as he could to the group.”
Nestor, in goals for Crokes’ 2009 All-Ireland club success, endured a nervous closing period on the sideline at Parnell Park last Sunday.
His side needed to win by more than four points to be sure of advancing to the knock-out stage – and duly won by five. Mannion’s 65th minute two-pointer from a free ultimately nudged them through to the last eight.
“We knew the challenge that was ahead of us, it was the last game and with us needing to win by four to guarantee us going through, it’s something we were focused on,” said Nestor.
“I thought we kicked some pretty big scores late in the second half, just to keep the pressure on. We knew Ballinteer would throw everything they had at us. I’m just delighted that we came out on the right side of it and we can reset now for a quarter-final.”
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Galway and Kilmacud Crokes star Shane Walsh ruled out for rest of year
GALWAY FOOTBALL STAR Shane Walsh has opted to go under the knife and will be out of action for Kilmacud Crokes for the remainder of the year.
Walsh has been a notable absentee from the 2023 All-Ireland champions’ lineup in their march to the PTSB Dublin SFC 1 quarter-finals.
The 33-year-old attacker, who has won county, Leinster and All-Ireland medals since joining Crokes in 2022, started four of Galway’s five Championship games last summer before undergoing surgery.
The exact nature of the operation is unknown with former Galway manager Pádraic Joyce declining to go into detail about Walsh’s injury situation earlier in the year.
The former Kilkerrin-Clonberne clubman missed five of Galway’s National League games and didn’t make his first start of the season until May when they lost to Roscommon in Connacht.
Crokes manager David Nestor said gifted forward Walsh is unlikely to feature ‘this side of Christmas’, raising the possibility of Joyce’s replacement being required to ease the 2022 All-Star back into action.
“Shane is in with us at every training but he’s not physically involved,” said Nestor, who has guided his native Crokes to Saturday week’s county quarter-final against Castleknock.
“He had an operation there a couple of weeks ago which will probably rule him out until after Christmas.
Walsh, an All-Ireland finalist with Galway in 2022 and 2024, has battled various injuries over the years.
He missed all of the 2025 Connacht championship after undergoing what then manager Joyce said was a ‘routine procedure’ on his back.
The previous season, he was troubled by ankle and hamstring injuries as Galway made it to their second All-Ireland decider in three years.
Joyce was coy about Walsh’s injury situation earlier this year, stating ahead of the League that he was ‘nursing a knock’ while Nestor didn’t go into specifics either.
“I think it was just something that had been niggling away at him all year,” said Nestor. “He just had to get it right for himself. The operation was the option so he’s taken that and he’s working through his rehab now. I don’t think you’ll see him this side of Christmas.”
Galway are currently searching for a new manager following Joyce’s decision to step down after seven seasons.
In Walsh’s absence, former Dublin star Paul Mannion struck 1-13 for Crokes last Sunday to see off Ballinteer St John’s and secure the quarter-final berth.
Mannion has also battled what Nestor described as ‘a couple of niggles’ and missed their Round 1 defeat to Clontarf.
Centre-forward Mannion pulled up with an apparent strain after kicking a monstrous two-pointer against Ballinteer last weekend – but returned to the field after treatment and later converted his fifth two-pointer of the game.
“He’s driving the standards on with the experience that he has,” said Nestor of Dublin great Mannion.
Nestor, in goals for Crokes’ 2009 All-Ireland club success, endured a nervous closing period on the sideline at Parnell Park last Sunday.
His side needed to win by more than four points to be sure of advancing to the knock-out stage – and duly won by five. Mannion’s 65th minute two-pointer from a free ultimately nudged them through to the last eight.
“We knew the challenge that was ahead of us, it was the last game and with us needing to win by four to guarantee us going through, it’s something we were focused on,” said Nestor.
“I thought we kicked some pretty big scores late in the second half, just to keep the pressure on. We knew Ballinteer would throw everything they had at us. I’m just delighted that we came out on the right side of it and we can reset now for a quarter-final.”
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GAA Injury Under the knife