They’ve always punched above their weight in Killannin. When gaelic football success finally came back to Galway at the turn of the century, Gary Fahey, Richie Fahey and Kevin Walsh were to the fore.
Cathal and Patrick Sweeney carried the torch for years after, some of them under the tutelage of their clubmate Walsh who re-established Galway as a force at the top table.
Niamh Fahey is an icon who has lived multiple dreams, winning an All-Ireland with Galway in 2005, before going on to captain her childhood team, Liverpool FC, and representing Ireland at a World Cup.
At 21, Therese Kinnevey is proving she belongs in this lofty company. Despite her tender years, this is her fifth season as a virtual ever-present at the elite level of domestic soccer.
For someone that lined out for Galway in underage football, wearing maroon in a national final matters deeply to her.
“It means a lot being a Galway girl. There is a great buzz around Galway for it at the moment. After losing three All-Ireland finals in the last three weeks, it would be a great boost to the people of Galway, our club and the players”.
“I know a lot of the girls have come up with me through the age groups, like Aoibheann Costello. There are a load of girls coming up through the ranks. There has always been a solid structure and everyone is developing year on year. There is definitely a strong underage academy there with so many girls progressing through that”.
She is unfazed at having to do battle in the backyard of the opponents. “It doesn’t matter to us. We focus on ourselves and how we perform. Whether it is in Eamonn Deacy Park or Tallaght, it is how we come out and perform on the day. We know that we are more than capable of winning that cup on Saturday, it is just focusing on our preparation this week”.
“We know we have such a strong squad that if anyone goes in our out, it’s just going to be as solid each game. It’s brilliant to be starting as many games as I am at the moment but we play for the team. Whether I am in or out on Saturday, it’s just a team effort”.
Showing a maturity that belies her years, Kinnevey understands the significance of what her and her teammates are doing for the city and county.
“When you see boys and girls there, we’re not just doing it for the girls, we are doing it for the lads as well. They look up to us. They come to our games. I know out in Killanin, there are girls there starting soccer.
"I work in a local creche and the interest there has skyrocketed since I started going there! It’s moments like that make you realise, you’re not just doing it for yourself, you’re doing it for all the kids coming up”.
For her own inspiration, she only needed to look one village over and at the heroics of her teammate Julie-Ann Russell. “It was a real inspiration for us and all young girls to see that you can go away for a year, come back and arguably be in the form of your life. Julie is a fantastic character to have around the club. She pushes us on every day”.
Comfortable in either full-back role, Therese herself has pushed standards as part of a stingy defence but also as an energetic attacking outlet. She speaks softly and eloquently during the week, but the people of Killanin and beyond know that she will have her real say on Saturday.
