Galway's new manager, Micheál Donoghue, has admitted that he, his backroom team, the players, and the fans are all eager to put the hurling-mad county back on the map by re-establishing a strong identity.
Donoghue's return to the Galway senior hurling team was ratified at the Galway County Board meeting last month with a four-year term confirmed.
The former Dublin boss is best known for leading Galway to their last Liam MacCarthy Cup victory in 2017, though they were unable to follow up that success the following year.
Donoghue then moved to Dublin, where he performed admirably in the role. However, he has now opted to take over from Henry Shefflin, who recently stepped down after his second term.
Speaking on Galway Bay FM’s Hurling Chat podcast this week, Donoghue admitted that the underachieving Galway team is keen to return to the summit and that everyone associated with Galway is of the same mindset.
Dublin , Ireland, 19 August 2018; Galway manager Micheál Donoghue and Joe Canning of Galway following the GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship Final match between Galway and Limerick at Croke Park in Dublin. (Photo By Brendan Moran/Sportsfile via Getty Images) )“We all want the same thing,” he said. “I sometimes hear we are quick to criticise, but this is a journey we are prepared to go on. We want success more than anyone else.
“That’s our commitment—that we work as hard as we can to get the best team on the pitch and get Galway’s identity back up there. But it’s far easier when you have the support behind you. My abiding memory from my last term was the support we had.
“I know it’s still there, but we are just asking from the off for everyone to come out and support the lads, because it makes a huge difference.”
Donoghue also mentioned on the podcast that his two-year term with Dublin gave him vital experience for his second stint with Galway's senior hurlers. He expressed gratitude towards the Dublin administration for helping him step out of his comfort zone.
“It was fine,” he continued. “We just had to do our due diligence. It was brilliant to work with such a great bunch of players. They are a young squad, and I think they are 100 percent on the right trajectory.
“Everything associated with Dublin County Board was top class from an administrative perspective. It was an invaluable experience for us and probably brought us out of our comfort zone as well.”
