Galway coach Cian O’Neill. Photo: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
Success has followed Cian O’Neill almost everywhere he has gone on his coaching journey and triumph for Galway on Sunday would mark a third All-Ireland senior crown with a third different county.
The former Kildare football boss played an important role as strength and conditioning coach as Tipperary stopped Kilkenny’s All-Ireland SHC ‘drive for five’ in 2010 before helping Kerry’s footballers reach the All-Ireland summit four years later.
Championship silverware as manager with his native Lilies eluded him but he has continued to make waves since heading back into the coaching sphere and his arrival as coach with Pádraic Joyce’s Tribesmen in 2022 has coincided with a hat-trick of Connacht SFC titles. In total, O’Neill has been involved in eight All-Ireland finals in the last 15 years (Tipp’s hurlers in 2009, ’10 and ’11, Mayo footballers in ’12, Kerry in 2014-’15 and Galway in ’22 and ’24) and success this weekend would complete a remarkable trio of All-Ireland crowns.
His attempt comes hot on the heels of Polish strength and conditioning coach Lukasz Kirszenstein completing a similar feat last Sunday having been involved in All-Ireland SHC title victories with Tipp (2016), Galway (’17) and Clare (2024).
Keane shuts down Orchard’s Oisín
All-Ireland SFC final week started on a bad note for Oisín McConville after the Armagh legend was quickly shut down by Roy Keane when seeking a photograph.
Keane and McConville were both in attendance at the All-Ireland SHC final in Croke Park with Keane supporting his native Cork but the former Manchester United star was not receptive when asked to be part of a photo at GAA HQ.
“He told me no,” McConville said on the BBC GAA Social Podcast. “I actually didn’t ask him for a photograph for me, I had my brother in-law with me, and I wouldn’t mind but he was a Liverpool fan.
“He said, ‘Would you ask him’ so I said, ‘No bother’, but sure when I asked him he said, ‘No’ and just walked on. That’s the second time that has happened to me with Roy Keane. I met him before at a Champions League game one time over in Manchester.
“I have given him two opportunities, so I will get the hat-trick some day. I remember being on a talk show one night and the subject of Roy Keane came up so I told that story and Conor McManus said, ‘I like him even more now’.”
Number of the day
45 When Galway (2001) and Armagh (2002) last got their hands on Sam Maguire, few could have predicted that it would take so long for either to do so again but one will end a combined famine of 45 years when they claim the All-Ireland SFC title this Sunday.
