CONOR GLASS SAYS it was “probably the right decision” to proceed with the All-Ireland semi-final between Glen and Kilmacud Crokes despite the foggy conditions which affected visibility.

The repeat of the controversial 2023 All-Ireland final was a much anticipated pairing, but amounted as a somewhat disappointing spectacle as the weather worsened during the second half. There were questions raised over referee Conor Lane’s decision to proceed with the game, as Glen ultimately avenged for the hurt they suffered in last year’s decider.

As Glen now prepare for an intriguing final against 2013 champions St Brigid’s of Roscommon, Glass recalls how the fog became more difficult to play in during the second half of the Kilmacud game.

“The first half was actually fine, you could see better on the pitch than what the media and stand could see. So, there was no problem in terms of the game going ahead. Conor Lane probably made the right decision. 

“But the second half slowly got worse and when you’re under pressure in a high performance area, not having full visibility plays a part in it. It was the same for Crokes and we were just lucky to scrape past with a one-point win.”

The concluding moments were particularly chaotic as Shane Walsh scored a fortuitous goal for the Dublin champions from what appeared to be an attempt at a point.

“It played a part 100%,” Glass continues. “There might be kick-pass on to a player 60 metres up the pitch to release a bit of pressure, but you couldn’t play the pass because you didn’t know if it was a Crokes player, a Glen player or the referee or the umpire. But as I said, it was the same for both teams. There probably wasn’t enough room in the schedule to fit in another game if it had to come to that.”

Other GAA matches had been cancelled that day due to the adverse weather, but Glass says he didn’t worry too much about their semi-final being halted prematurely. His committed to seeking a win and maintaining the Derry side’s chase for All-Ireland glory against a club who has already scaled that mountain.

Glen star midfielder Conor Glass. Sam Barnes / SPORTSFILE Sam Barnes / SPORTSFILE / SPORTSFILE

“Any time you don’t beat an opposition, you want to rectify that defeat. Getting another crack at Kilmacud 12 months later was obviously going to be a driving motivation for us and we felt like we had a fantastic first half but the players that Kilmacud have in terms of [Paul] Mannion and [Shane] Walsh to be able to flip a game on its head.

“I wouldn’t say it was a monkey off our back but there was a bit of fulfillment to be able to rectify the defeat. But we can’t dwell on it too much.

“St Brigid’s are the most in-form team in the competition. If you look back at their last three or four games, they dismantled Corofin in the first 10 minutes of the first half and that’s a team that was pipped to win the All-Ireland this year. Castlehaven was no easy challenge so they’re a serious talent. They’re more successful than we are; they won the All-Ireland 10 years ago so they’ve been there and done that.”

Glass is one of the busiest footballers in the country due to successful runs of his club and county teams. His Derry commitments under new manager Mickey Harte will come into focus soon regardless of the result on Sunday as one season bleeds into the next.

Life off the pitch is busy too. He opened up a cafe in Maghera called ‘Cafe 3121′ just over a year ago, which he co-owns with his girlfriend. One of his ambitions for pursuing this enterprise was to bring some of the Melbourne culture which he experienced during his AFL career with Hawthorns back to his folks at home.

The plan is coming together nicely so far.

“There’s a few Melbournians that have come in, and a few Aussies have come into the cafe and have said it’s fantastic coffee. It brings that sense of home to them. When Irish people go to the other side of the world, they go straight to an Irish pub. So, having a cafe for the Australians to come into makes up for them being away.

“It’s a getaway from football, although customers who come in just want to chat about football. So it’s a bit of both. I love the business side of it. It’s a passion of mine and thankfully, I have a fantastic partner and girlfriend in Niamh. She’s able to run the cafe when I’m playing matches or training at the weekend.”

Conor Glass was speaking ahead of the AIB GAA All-Ireland Senior hurling and football club championship finals this Sunday, 21 January in Croke Park

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