SOMETIMES, YOU DON’T EVEN wait to warm the interview subject up.
Paul Conroy had one of his greatest-ever seasons on the playing field. From a personal point of view, that is. His scoring contributions from the Galway midfield marked him out as one that when the shortlist for Footballer of the Year is drawn up, he will be in the conversation.
From a team point of view, it was a disaster. For the second time in three years, they lost an All Ireland final. This time it was to Armagh, a side that few seen as one of the frontrunners for Sam.
And the thing is, Conroy hasn’t watched the game back. Not once. Not even a clip. Quite simply, he cannot bear it right now. But he promises that he will.
“Just… Don’t have the drive at the moment to put it on and watch it back,” he says.
“But, ah, I will. When the time comes.”
Which naturally leads to the obvious question of a 35-year-old man, especially one that is an out and out midfielder.
Will he be there in 2025?
“I haven’t made any decision yet,” he says.
“I suppose it has been a bit raw over the last few weeks. I don’t think it would be the right time to decide anything in terms of going forward. So I am just going to make the decision over the next while.
“But look, we will see. Apart from the last game, I really enjoyed everything about 2024. I was happy enough with my performances. I will think about it and sit on it for a couple of weeks.”
Physically, the St James’ man has always been a specimen. On the Galway team now, that’s very commonplace. However, injuries at key moments, to key figures such as Sean Kelly, Damian Comer and Shane Walsh left them fighting the closing stages of the season with one hand tied behind their backs.
Conroy has no such worries over his own body, however.
“The biggest thing I find about it – and I don’t know if it is the same for other players – is the mental side. The energy side of it,” Conroy says.
“But physically, I enjoy training. If I wasn’t with Galway next year, I would be training away myself. It’s just to see if the drive, the energy and want is there. Because it has to be, if you want to get back to that level”
He might choose to remember the season by any number of impressive plays he made and his outrageous scoring contribution.
Around Armagh Harps however, one of the biggest moments of the year was when their workaholic clubman, Joe McElroy, blocked down Galway’s final effort at goal, a shot from Conroy.
“I will look back at it. Maybe. But I remember an opportunity opening up and we were struggling to get shots away at that time. Or good shots, if you like,” said Conroy.
Joe McElroy.
— Conn Stevenson 🏐 ⚡️ (@ConnStevenson91) July 29, 2024
Armagh Harps legend ⚪️🔵 pic.twitter.com/KJppcv00DS
“In fairness, it was a great block. But I was probably a little off-balance for what I can remember. I will have a look back at it to see if there was anything I could have done differently.”
Looking for the edge and finding the areas to zone in on is the parlance of the modern day player. But it’s becoming more apparent, and players are referencing it more and more now, but the role dumb luck plays is also being more acknowledged.
As Conroy notes, they themselves got an extremely fortuitous goal against Donegal in the semi final when the ball hopped up in front and beyond Shaun Patton. They won that game by two points.
So excuse them if they don’t spend weeks in sackcloth and ashes, castigating themselves. They know the improvements made in the group, and how key the manager Padraic Joyce and his selectors are in that. To that end, he desperately hopes they all remain as the Galway management.
“Padraic has brought us to a level with three Connacht titles in a row, two All Ireland finals in three years,” he says.
“We haven’t got over the line yet but, there’s such thin lines between winning and losing. It’s down to small margins. Opportunities that one team might take and the other might not and a lucky break here and there.
“I would be hoping that Padraic and his team stay on, because they have brought us to a level that we haven’t been at for a long time.”
Once, they were team mates. So how is Joyce as manager?
“Ah he’s excellent. He’s kind of the same as he was as a player.
“He’s a winner. He would be more upset than anybody over the last few weeks. He said when he started off that what he wanted to achieve as a manager was to win Sam Maguire.
“He was the same as a player. He would have taken the game by the scruff of the neck at times and he says things straight up, which players respect.
“There are no grey areas with him. It’s black and white and Galway as a group, with Padraic there, will be there next year. He’s huge in that set-up. He’s excellent to play under and gives lads serious confidence. Hopefully he will stay on.”
