Seán Kelly relishing Maigh Cuilinn's adventure
Sean Kelly of Maigh Cuilinn, Galway, pictured ahead of the AIB GAA All-Ireland Football Senior Club Championship Semi-Final, which takes place this Sunday, January 8th at Croke Park at 3.30pm. The AIB GAA All-Ireland Club Championships features some of #TheToughest players from communities all across Ireland. It is these very communities that the players represent that make the AIB GAA All-Ireland Club Championships unique. Now in its 32nd year supporting the GAA Club Championships, AIB is extremely proud to once again celebrate the communities that play such a role in sustaining our national games.
By Cian O’Connell
During much of the past decade Maigh Cuilinn’s underage promise suggested that senior success could follow.
Gleaning two Galway SFC titles in three years, while also adding an AIB Connacht Club crown in December perfectly illustrated Maigh Cuilinn’s development.
Under the shrewd guidance of Don Connellan, Maigh Cuilinn have become a force with several players performing impressively at inter-county level too.
Ultimately it means Maigh Cuilinn travel to Croke Park on Sunday heartened ahead of an eagerly anticipated AIB All-Ireland Club SFC semi-final against Glen.
“It is really exciting,” Maigh Culinn’s Seán Kelly says. “It is something we are looking forward to. Hopefully now we can get a good result, it is something we are looking forward to, it has been a long year, but it is exciting and enjoyable too.”
Connellan has turned Maigh Cuilinn into a consistent force Corribside. “We have put in good work in Galway with Don,” Kelly adds.
“So we have had nearly five years with Don, in 2020 we won our first club, that was a special occasion.
"Obviously that time we didn't get a chance to go on a Connacht run or an All-Ireland run, so that was a bit disappointing.
“This year now we have been chomping at the bit to get going. We probably played our best football against Westport, going on then against Strokestown and Tourlestrane, they were two tough games where we got over the line. We are just looking forward now to the next day, hopefully we can keep the journey going.”
Galway captain Seán Kelly is a key performer for Maigh Cuilinn.
In 2020 Maigh Cuilinn claimed the Galway senior crown, but there was no provincial or national club action following that campaign. It meant that Maigh Cuilinn were primed after beating Salthill-Knocknacarra at Pearse Stadium in a tight county decider.
“In fairness two weeks after the Salthill game we played Westport so obviously we couldn't go celebrating too hard,” Kelly says.
“After winning it two years ago, it was something we wanted to do, we wanted to get a run in the Connacht Championship. We won that this year and we are going into an All-Ireland semi now.
“We just want to go that next step. Obviously it did maybe keep us grounded a bit, we were just ready to go again.”
Maigh Cuilinn footballers have been sprinkled throughout inter-county teams at every level recently. The diligent work being carried out matters deeply according to Kelly.
“It has been huge,” Kelly responds. “I've had underage success and it is still going, our minors won this year, it is still going.
“We are still trying to build. A lot of lads came through good underage with Moycullen. We are reaping the rewards really, we have a good age profile at the minute in our panel, mixed with a bit of experience which has to be there too.
“It has set a good foundation for the club to keep building and to keep going. It has been huge work from everyone involved in the club, a lot of hard yards on a lot of tough nights training with underage teams. We are reaping the rewards really now.”
A trip to GAA headquarters beckons.
