It’s only a game, right? The enormity of what beckons for Kilmacud Crokes was nicely summarised when manager Robbie Brennan straight-faced quipped that all his team have done is give themselves an opportunity to be the first side to lose back-to-back All-Ireland club finals.
After nervously overcoming Munster champions Kerins O’Rahillys on Sunday, Brennan’s team return to Croke Park on Sunday week for another football final showdown, again with Ulster opposition – this time Derry and Ulster champions Glen – standing in their way.
Still, Brennan is reminded countless times a day what happened in last year’s final, given (he says) the screensaver on his phone is the Kilcoo players lifting the Andy Merrigan Cup, having snatched victory from Crokes with a classic goal late in extra-time.
Not all the Crokes players are looking to exorcise that ghost when Glen come to town, Shane Walsh chief among them. This time last year, Walsh was still with his native club in Galway, Kilkerrin-Clonberne, before making the big switch to the Dublin club last August.
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Whatever about Brennan’s jocular approach to the matter, Walsh at least has no 2022 baggage to worry about.
“Like I always say, even when lads would be mentioning it, it’s like driving a car and looking through the rear-view mirror,” says Walsh. “If you keep looking that way the same things will happen again so we need to keep ploughing forward and work on the mistakes we’ve made.
“There’s some trends that we need to fix as well, but it’s boding well that we got through, because semi-finals are there for winning and thankfully we are within 60 minutes of the ultimate glory.”
By his own standards Walsh was quiet on Sunday, scoring 0-2 (one free), though setting up several scoring chances. He also took a slight knock at the end of the game, but nothing to halt his preparations for Sunday week.
“I kind of got stood on as I came down from a tackle, but I’m grand in fairness. These things happen in games, thankfully we got over the line and I’m good for two weeks’ time.”
At 29 Walsh is also enjoying an unprecedented string of games at Croke Park, beginning with Galway’s run to last summer’s All-Ireland final, where he scored 0-9 in the loss to Kerry. The final showdown with Glen means Crokes will have played seven of their last eight provincial and All-Ireland series games at Croke Park, and that experience – given it will be only the second time Glen have ever played there – will unquestionably count.
“Definitely, even from the perspective of judging winds and kicking into goals. If you are not used to playing at a stadium and especially Croke Park, because it’s probably the one that’s closed off the most. Páirc Uí Chaoimh now is probably similar enough in a way.
“Obviously getting used to dressingrooms, the warm-up area is different, you don’t get to go out on the pitch for as long before a game, things like that. When you build a routine around that it’s huge because the team knows straight away what you’re going in to do and often, because you train so much, you build a habit and that routine is just a habit then you’re literally doing the same thing week in, week out and when you’re in Croke Park doing that, when you’re getting used to that environment, it’s unreal and that experience stands to lads
“For the first probably seven or eight years of my career, I had only played one game at Croke Park. So to be playing three or four games in the last couple of months is lovely. Please God it will stay that way in time to come as well.
Walsh may well have dreamed of playing a club final with Kilkerrin-Clonberne at Croke Park but only now, with Kilmacud, is that set to move from fantasy to reality.
“I was always probably hoping to play in an All-Ireland club final someday. So yeah, look, times change. I’m sitting in a very lucky position that I’m in a dressingroom that’s building for an All-Ireland club final so obviously Kilmacud were very close last year, they’ve a history of winning before, 2009 was the last time. It’s just a great place to be in.”
Although he wasn’t there, Walsh certainly watched Crokes this time last year: “I actually did, watched a couple of their games because any game that’s on TV I’d nearly be watching it. To be honest, you don’t need an expert to know that the game was left behind last year ... So, look, when you’ve two good teams going at it and going at it to the final whistle, who knows what can happen.”
Brennan certainly knows.
