Sean Kelly: After winning in 2020, Maigh Cuilinn were eager to show what we could do in Connacht

Maigh Cuilinn set about their first ever senior Connacht championship campaign with unusual vigour and purpose.

Often times, teams make a poor fist of their inaugural provincial campaign, what with them usually being a touch groggy following the post-county final celebrations.

Circumstances were rather different for the west Galway outfit, who worked through their first-time county champion delirium in the Covid-hit campaign of 2020, when the county championship was as far as things went.

After winning a second Galway SFC title in three years in dramatic fashion last October, they were primed and ready for a tilt at the country.

With a side boasting current Galway captain Sean Kelly and his brother Paul, intermittent county star Peter Cooke, as well as attackers Dessie Conneely and Owen Gallagher - both of whom impressed in the 2022 Allianz League - Maigh Cuilinn gave wider notice of their credentials with a stunning demolition of Westport at Elvery's MacHale Park in the Connacht quarter-final.

More profligate on a mucky afternoon in Tuam, they needed extra-time to clamber past Strokestown in the semi-final before overcoming perennial Sligo champions Tourlestrane in the decider.

"We were chomping at the bit (for Connacht)," Sean Kelly told RTÉ Sport this week.

"After winning that Covid title, we got our celebrations done. It was our first time ever winning it in 2020. We didn't get the chance to go into Connacht after that. We watched Mountbellew in 2021 and they went close as well. It (winning in 2020) did help keep us grounded this year, we were just ready to go again.

"We were dying to show what we can do on the Connacht stage. And going onto the All-Ireland stage, hopefully we can lift it another notch.

"It's something we