How can a minor manager make an impact? Delivering purposeful footballing teams? Cultivating talent? Ultimately Gerry Fahy craves to aid players on their career adventures. Considering Fahy’s coaching pedigree it is certainly an achievable mission.
Though less than a fortnight in the post the planning has commenced in earnest. There can be no underestimating the importance of autumnal, winter, and spring toil. It is true that a Gaelic footballer or hurler won’t be defined until high summer, but being prepared is of paramount importance.
Fahy is eager to maintain the work that Alan Mulholland and Donal O’Flatharta have carried out over the past three years. A level of respectability is back in the Galway minor game again and there are fresh possibilities.
The vast tasks will be accepted, and Fahy is tickled to be back on the inter-county beat. “I am delighted to be back and I see this as a great challenge. It is definitely one of the few jobs that would really excite me. I think that with footballers like this you can have a positive effect and influence them if you do things properly and I am hugely excited by the opportunity to be involved with Galway again.
“The people who have gone before me and all those who were in for the job have a lot to offer Galway football so it is a privilege for me to be back involved. I hope that the players that will be selected for the panel will be anxious to learn and improve because that will be important to the management team.”
That selection committee has been chosen with trademark detail by Fahy, who has opted for Vincent Jennings (Salthill-Knocknacarra ), Tom Moran (Loughrea ), David Morris (Corofin ), and Lorcan O’Callarain (An Spideal ) as his selectors.
Jennings, highly regarded throughout the county, and Moran bring a welter of sporting experience, while Morris is known admiringly as ‘drills’ for his forensic approach to monitoring training sessions of all codes, and O’Callarain soldiered with Fahy during NUIG’s successful Sigerson Cup campaign in 2003. Stimulating choices aplenty, Fahy is adamant that the mix augurs well for Galway.
“They are all fresh to the scene and that should be great for everyone. I feel that they will bring a new enthusiasm to the role and I would see everybody playing an active role in all aspects. David and Lorcan are still playing club football so it shows the level of seriousness they have.”
Now the initial steps are being taken to ensure Galway will be ready for 2009. Fahy’s purpose remains. “The plan is to hold a meeting of all possible players to explain the trial process. We want to make sure that everybody is fully informed of what is expected of them and we plan to do that inside the next week or two.
“We just want to outline our plans at that meeting so they will have an idea of what is needed coming to the trials. This will give the lads a chance to see who we are and what we are about. Our aim is that the players are all given at least three chances to show their ability in their preferred position.”
Always striving to conduct business in an appropriate manner, Fahy is absorbed by the prospects this job provides. Those youngsters fortunate enough to merit inclusion can be certain that it will be an emboldening experience and a sporting education.
