John O'Mahony still striving to create eternal bonds

A family man, a former teacher and politician, John O'Mahony’s life in football takes another adventurous turn on the road on Sunday.

Under the astute and watchful eye of O’Mahony, Salthill-Knocknacarra look like a formidable outfit this season. A side that didn’t progress beyond the group stages and subsequently bowed out early last year now stands on the verge of a landmark achievement.

This weekend they will look to win their first Galway SFC title since 2012 when they face up to Moycullen - champions of just two seasons ago.

On O’Mahony’s watch they have been very hard to beat, losing just once this season - to Mountbellew-Moylough - late in a group game.

His backroom team, Seán Armstrong, Finian Hanley, Norman Costello and Des Sherin, are well versed in Galway football and know the club and its players inside out.

But having someone of the manager's standing involved has clearly given everyone at the club a massive boost.

It is over 50 years since O’Mahony took his first coaching role - managing St Nathy’s College in his native Ballaghaderreen.

He is no stranger to tackling sporting famines, doing so by leading Mayo to an All-Ireland final for the first time in almost four decades and then ending a 67-year wait for Leitrim to claim a Connacht title when he took charge.

"John said to us once in the middle of it all that there's one thing that would unite us forever, and that was a medal in the back pocket."

Before he took on Galway in '98 it had been over three decades when Galway last won an All-Ireland senior title. The essence of O’Mahony’s outstanding man-management was recounted in former Leitrim goalkeeper, Martin McHugh’s autobiography ‘Born to Save’.

It was telling that, at the launch of his book, McHugh asked his old