LEINSTER CLUB SFC SEMI-FINAL:IT IS understandable that Anthony Cunningham doesn't have much time to chat this week. Or any time soon for that matter.
An engineer by profession, Cunningham is unusual in GAA life as he coaches both football and hurling at the elite level.
Recently reappointed as Galway under-21 hurling manager, he was also unveiled a few weeks back as John McIntyre’s successor with the senior panel.
His first act was to cull a good number of established men in order to make way for those with under-21 All-Ireland medals.
The Galway squad met up last Saturday to be given their winter training schedules. But none of that concerns Cunningham this week.
“Sure it is the closed season,” he says with a deadpan tone. “Ah, look, that’s for another day. They have been given their programmes, but the focus is elsewhere this week.”
Again, understandable. The biggest hurling job a Galway man can get can wait as Cunningham trebles up as manager of Westmeath football champions Garrycastle, the club that gave Gaelic games the Dolan family – Dessie, in particular, but Gary Dolan is also back after serious injury.
This Sunday Garrycastle make their way down to Newbridge to face a largely unknown quantity in Kildare champions Athy in the Leinster club semi-final.
Yes, they have current All Star defender Mick Foley in their ranks, presuming he is fit, but up to 10 under-21s make up the rest of the side.
“They are on a roll. We have watched them and it is the small things that we have to worry about. They are a fine side.”
Already a respected manager, in both hurling and football, Cunningham’s playing career is also filled with major success. He captained the Tribesmen to the under-21 All-Ireland title in 1986. That team was managed by Cyril Farrell, who went on to guide the Galway seniors to the successive All-Ireland titles in 1987 and 1988. Cunningham was part of both journeys.
Cunningham and his management team of Tom Helebert and Mattie Kenny are now attempting to repeat Farrell’s feat in achieving glory in the two grades.
“The hurling board has given them their full backing again for next year where hopefully we will continue to build,” said Galway hurling board chairman Joe Byrne.
Only when the football run in Leinster concludes can Cunningham’s full attention switch to the under achieving senior Galway hurlers. It is clear the man can multi-task, but should Garrycastle win the provincial title and progress to next year’s All-Ireland semi-final, what then?
Cunningham won’t even entertain such a notion. Sure he is too busy. Football is the only matter on the agenda this week.
Even if they do progress, they will be hard pressed to overcome the winners of the other semi-final between Dublin champions St Brigid’s and Portlaoise, who beat Garrycastle in the 2009 Leinster final. That match takes place at Parnell Park on Sunday.
The Garrycastle team, however, has undoubtedly been helped by the return to fitness of Gary Dolan. A fine inter-county operator in spurts over the years, Dolan is just back from a career threatening ankle injury.
“Gary has done a wonderful job to get back; it was a very long road,” said Cunningham. “It was a very big operation, he had total reconstruction of the ankle, so we are glad just to see him back with us again.”
