Galway wing back Padraic Mannion takes learnings from Athenry camogie coaching role
GALWAY wing back Padraic Mannion said he was able to take learnings from being involved with the Athenry camogie side on their run to winning the All-Ireland Club championship.
Mannion worked alongside Joe Rabbitte with the Athenry senior camogie team where they went on to defeat St Finbarr’s after a replay in the All-Ireland final back in January.
“It's a very different game but I probably see things from a coach's perspective now as well. I have to remind myself to be coachable because I've seen what it's like to be on the other side of it,” Mannion told Tribune Sport.
“It's good, you see a different perspective when you're involved with coaching. I was very lucky that I got to be involved in big daysa – even in Croke Park and in Thurles. It definitely gave me a different perspective and probably made me a little bit more open again to what the lads were trying to do and help me along. It was a great experience.”
Mannion knows better than most how difficult it is to reach an All-Ireland final. The Galway defender is preparing for his fourth decider this weekend, having first experienced the occasion in his debut season in 2015 when the Tribesmen were beaten by Kilkenny.
The Ahascragh Fohenagh clubman was part of Galway’s All-Ireland winning side in 2017, but their most recent final appearance came a year later when they were narrowly defeated by Limerick in 2018. Since then, the men in maroon and white have been striving to return to hurling's biggest stage.
“Back then [in 2018], we probably thought we'd be in them more frequently. And when you're young and naive, you think that's the way. But as you get more experience, you learn how hard it is.
“Other teams are really, really good as well. It's very hard to consistently get back there and even harder to win them. We're in a good position now and you always have a chance.”
Padraic and his brother Cathal will both be hoping to pick up their second All-Ireland medal on Sunday. What is the excitement like for their parents having two sons lining out on the biggest day of the hurling calendar?
The 33-year-old said things will be kept very calm heading into this Sunday’s clash with Limerick.
“We're not living at home, either of us. They're all very grounded and very low-key so they won't be getting too excited about anything. It's a nice, safe space to go to, the environment you want to be in. Our home house is very good that way. They're very grounded and very relaxed, so it's great,” added Mannion.
However he feels it is important to enjoy the build up heading into the All-Ireland final.
“It's very enjoyable because we're still meeting up together. That's the kind of enjoyable part. If you're preparing for an All-Ireland final and you don't enjoy the little bit of edginess that comes with it, there's no point doing it. You have to enjoy it but that doesn't mean you enjoy the circus that's going on outside. But you enjoy the players' perspective of it.
“You have to. Sure, what's the point doing it, if you can't do that? Obviously, when you're coming into big games, it's very easy to get uptight about it and get tense about it.You have to remind yourself what a position we're in, what an opportunity we have.”
At the same time, Mannion insists there will be little change to Galway's preparations, with the focus remaining firmly on the approach that has brought them to this point.
“The biggest thing is it’s just a game of hurling and they (young guns) know that already, the things that got you here are the things to focus on. You don’t need to do anything drastically different, prepare the same as you would for any other game and just enjoy it,” concluded Mannion.