Connor Gleeson: You think you're never going to get over it

It may be the bane of columnists of the old-school but Galway goalkeeper Connor Gleeson has been grateful for the distraction of the club season following the pain of All-Ireland final defeat.

Gleeson's club Dunmore McHales is one of the traditional bluebloods from Galway's footballing heartland, albeit one whose heyday occurred back when Sean Lemass was Taoiseach and Michael Donnellan's father was captain.

They're facing into a Galway SFC quarter-final for the first time in over two decades, with a game against Salthill Knocknacarra coming this Saturday. Dunmore are pursuing their first Galway title since 1983, another year which ended on a sickening note for the county seniors.

The 2024 decider will hardly rival the '83 final in the ignominy stakes, though the air of regret was overwhelming in the weeks after.

"I haven't watched it back," confirms Gleeson. "I've watched back certain parts from my game that I've analysed - and which I'll analyse with the goalkeeping coach when we get back for pre-season.

"You just have to get on with it. The club season came around three weeks later. The way the season ended, you were looking forward to getting back with the club just for a distraction. Because those few weeks were tough.

"It's one of them where it's final, you can't get your head around it, you don't know what you're going to do for the next few weeks.

"You think you're never going to get over it. You're stuck in them thoughts. But that's the way it is, post-defeat."

Galway unexpectedly reached the All-Ireland final in Gleeson's second year as the starting keeper in 2022, their first appearance in the decider since the 2001 victory. The perception then was that they were relaxed outsiders for that final, taking on a Kerry side