Cathal Murray doesn't like to watch All-Ireland Finals on the TV, preferring instead to be in the heart of the action. For the last two years, he has had no choice, having seen his side lose close semi-finals and then watch as the victors went on to take the title each year.
For Murray, since his elevation to the post in 2018, his side have been associated with glory. Two wins and one loss in finals, that loss coming in the doom and gloom of that winter All-Ireland in a city in the grip of a pandemic. The wins came in the glorious sunshine; the loss in the dark and the fog of an empty stadium.
"It was tough not to be in the last two finals, especially when we were beaten by the two winners," he tells me after his side hosted an open training session in Athenry last week.
"Our whole season revolves around getting to the All Ireland Final. We came unstuck in the last two semifinals, so this year we had to get over that hurdle.
"It is great for the new players who are experiencing it for the first time and also great for the older players who are back there again," he said. This year already, Galway has played twice in Croke Park, so the feel of the big stadium from the league final and the Waterford quarterfinal is not lost on the young players experiencing an All-Ireland for the first time.
"We have a lot of experience on the team, but we have a lot of young players too playing in their first All-Ireland senior final, the likes of Rachel Hannify and Aine Keane."
Now Cork stand in the way of glory— a Cork side who have dismantled all-comers in the Championship this year. However, you can tell those stats don't bother the Galway coach and that he will let his charges do the talking come Sunday.
"We don't need to build Cork up for any advantage. They've built themselves up over the last number of weeks and months. They beat us by twelve points down in Pairc Ui Chaoimh and we had no excuses. They were by far the better team, and for them to go on and score 4-17 in an All-Ireland semifinal is remarkable," he said.
"I am delighted with our performance against Tipperary, especially the second half and it is all about building on that."
"We know it is a massive challenge. They are the best team in the country, they are All-Ireland champions, so it will be a big test," he said.
Next stop is Sunday — how sweet it would be to complete a hat-trick of senior titles.
