When the final whistle blew, Paul Conroy stood motionless, his energy drained, no longer fuelled by adrenaline. He watched as a player from Donegal crumpled beside him, pausing to offer a hearty handshake once the player was able to look up. Then, with heavy steps that mirrored the stiffness of the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz gasping for lubrication, he moved away.
The last attempt by Donegal had been thwarted by Conroy. A hopeful kick falling 20 meters from Galway’s goal was snatched by Conroy in a critical intercept, marking his 30th play. The figures set by metrics and benchmarks tell us that when Brian Fenton ruled over last year’s All-Ireland final, he completed 31 plays. Conroy, aged 35 and sporting the number 8 jersey, has made similar progress where generally there’s no correlation.
The latter stages of the game displayed Conroy’s clever tactics and courage. Galway was leading by just a point and another was needed. It was during those tense last three minutes that the ball was contantly sent around in apprehensive attacks until someone concluded that one more safe pass would constitute cowardice.
Despite missing his past four left-footed attempts in this year’s championship, Conroy made another attempt. This one hit the upright with the final swerve.
Only three minutes later, with Galway still hanging onto a one-point lead, Conroy received the ball 25 meters out. A couple of determined strides attracted the attention of three Donegal defenders. They couldn’t guarantee that Conroy wouldn’t make the shot, so at the very last instance, he passed the ball to Liam Silke, who scored the final point. Conroy had successfully provided him with the ball and the necessary open space in one efficient action.
Though the Donegal midfielders had a commendable performance, particularly Michael Langan with his impressive four points, it was Conroy who was Galway’s linchpin. His impact is the sum of his thoughtful passes and his constant presence. The ball doesn’t depreciate in value in his hands – each of his passes unerringly reached its destination.
In the concluding moments of the match, he had levelled the score at 1-1 and had taken part in three additional scores. The goal he achieved halfway into the first half, was rather fortuitous. Amid Matthew Tierney’s rapid traverse across the square, Conroy’s point-seeking kick fell short and temporarily dazed the Donegal goalkeeper. Tierney’s attempted touch missed, allowing the ball to reach the wicket keeper and stump Shaun Patton in its wake. This fourth goal in Conroy’s Intercounty career was undeniably his most significant one.
Conroy’s tenure and robustness have been remarkably impressive. Seventeen years have passed since he led the Galway minors to an All-Ireland victory, and just a year after, he found himself playing against Kerry in the 2008 All-Ireland quarter-final as the youngest player.
A disastrous injury befell him, ten years later, during the Super 8s match against Kerry in Croke Park. On a rainy day, he slipped while going for a loose ball and collided with Sean O’Shea. This harrowing encounter caused a double fracture in his left leg and a minor fracture in the right.
Following the unfortunate event, a metal rod was implanted in his leg, and he was unable to resume his teaching job until the following January. After six more months of recuperation, he rejoined Galway for a qualifier match against Mayo. However, that season was essentially lost. When he returned, he was 30 and had been absent from Intercounty football for a year and a half.
Could he reclaim his past glory after such a long hiatus and gruelling recovery? Maybe he could perform even better.
Last Sunday marked Conroy’s 65th championship match – ten more than Shane Walsh, nineteen more than Damien Comer, and double the number of times compared to Sean Kelly from the roster of senior appointees. Conroy was the only one still on the field at yesterday’s final whistle.
Kelly, the inspirational captain of Galway, wasn’t sufficiently fit to commence the match. Consequently, the onus on Conroy was heavier in his absence. Walsh made notable contributions but without creating any significant impact or being overly productive. An hour into the game, he had only scored a single point and was visibly exhausted.
Comer’s time on the field may have been slightly longer, but his accomplishments were even fewer. His touches were limited to just nine, with three unfortunate turnovers. His sole attempt to strike the target soared exceedingly high, causing confusion within the umpire and thus required the aid of Hawk Eye.
It’s plain to see that Comer and Walsh regarding optimal health and their performance. Add to that, Sean Kelly, who has been grappling with injuries throughout the season, and Cillian McDaid, who failed to recreate his outstanding performance from the Dublin match before exiting a weary figure. Galway were counting on Conroy to remain on the field, constantly active and always pressing forward.
After the concluding whistle blow, Comer was handed his toddler son Paídí, turning Croke Park into his personal haven for a moment. However, this haven was interrupted when Paídí darted towards the 45m line, leaving Conroy no option but to take on one more defensive move. His exhaustion was evident. Splendid.