In sport character is always examined. Dealing with setbacks can be demanding, but Seán Ó Maolchiaráin has remained positive since suffering a knee injury playing for NUI Galway in the Sigerson Cup in January. Ó Maolchiaráin is now back in light training - another encouraging step on the long road to full recovery.
“After a couple of tough months, and tough weeks, I suppose the toughest was watching, not being able to contribute at all with the brace and having your feet up at home,” he says.
“Thankfully I can do bits now in terms of being back running now - a tiny bit now with a slow jog, helping out being the Maor Uisce for the day. It is great to be able to make some sort of contribution for the team.”
Being part of the Championship occasions matters to Ó Maolchiaráin. Just having a role has provided some sort of comfort. “It is great to be in the dressing room, even getting the water for the lads, even if they want to throw a comment my way or look for advice it is great,” he replies. “Of course being around the lads, even in the dressing room after, and going for food. It is great to still be involved in some way.”
Nuggets of advice can be gleaned from other Galway footballers, who have returned following significant injuries too. “Ups and downs are part and parcel of it,” he responds. “At least when you can start doing rehab, start progressing - you have your downs too.
“You can feel like you're going nowhere, but you actually are. It is great to have your players and team mates around you to support you, especially team mates who have been through similar long term injuries like your Paul Conroys or John Dalys.
“They know how you are feeling, you can bounce ideas about what worked for them during their time off and how they got back, especially mentally wise, how tough they were to get through it, what drove them, look at them now they are absolutely flying it. They give you that hope which is great.”
During Pádraic Joyce’s tenure as Galway manager a raft of emerging players have been afforded opportunities to perform at the highest level. Ultimately it means Sunday’s All Ireland SFC quarter-final against Armagh carries real intrigue.
“If you look at the squad it is a relatively young squad apart from four or five that are there for a good while now with their experience,” Ó Maolchiaráin says. “If you look back even in the last couple of years Connachts have been won at underage and All Irelands. Of course it is great to see that coming through, to see the potential and the talent. The breakthrough for some lads breaking on to a senior inter-county panel which is great. That is what it is all about.”
Joyce and his backroom team have integrated young footballers into the senior set-up. “They gave me the chance, I was privilged enough to get the chance,” he adds. “Once you are called upon you tried to give your best for the jersey, especially when you are trying to push on to make the team or panel.
“It is a relatively young squad with a few experienced lads which is great in itself to have a good young group together - achieving in Connacht is a milestone to push on.”
A full schedule of Allianz League matches has enabled Galway to develop according to Ó Maolchiaráin.
“I think so, if you go back to pre Covid we were flying it if you want to put it like that,” he says. “We had only one loss to Kerry down in Tralee after a late goal towards the end of a game. We were on a great trajectory and a great roll.
“Covid hit then and we never got back to where we were. The big difference this year is that we actually had a good run at the pre-season to implement stuff that management wanted to implement.
“This year now compared to the last two years they hadn't that chance to implement, to try things that work and don't work. No more than any other team time was reduced with Covid and stuff.”
Possibilities exist for Galway with Ó Maolchiaráin sensing that something is stirring again. “You don't really concentrate too much on what is going on around you,” he says. “All you can control is what you do and what the team does, what your circle does in terms of the set-up.
“If you take it from Padraic's point of view, he has instilled such belief in us in terms of what we can do and where we can go, and maybe how good we could be. The belief is there for sure.”
When inter-county fare ceases for the year next month, club action will resume. One of the most unheralded and inspiring tales locally is Óileáin Árainn’s emergence as a serious outfit at Intermediate level following more than two decades sheer hard graft.
“We have come from the guts of nothing to a good standard of Intermediate team I would like to think,” Ó Maolchiaráin says. “We are there or thereabouts in terms of semi-finals, I know losing to the winners last year Leitir Mór was a difficult one to take.
“It is just very difficult logistics wise in terms of training and the amount of training you can do collectively in terms of the three islands together compared to other clubs because of how difficult and challenging that can be.
“Realistically you are only getting the one collective session between the islands at the weekend where other teams could do it twice or three times a week. That is a big disadvantage, but it is nothing we aren't accustomed to at this stage. We just have to roll up the sleeves, to get on with it.”
Ó Maolchiaráin is eager to make an appearance or two at club level before the end of 2022. “I will be there supporting the lads as much as I can,” he says.
“A goal of mine is to play some part of it, if possible, depending on results and how far we go. Then again I won't be rushing in case of the injury recurring or playing before I'm ready to play. If I can at all I will hopefully play some part of it and if not I will be there on the line cheering on the lads.”
