‘It will be tough when we go back ...hopefully Niall will spur us on’
DAMIEN HAYES ON COPING WITH A GALWAY TRAGEDY
SP E AKING three months to the day since the shock passing of Galway’s Niall Donohue, the shock is still evident in Damien Hayes’ voice. Galway hurling is sti l l coping with the loss and will be for some time.
Speaking ahead of Portumna’s AIB All-Ireland club SHC semif i nal against Limerick’s Na Piarsaigh tomorrow fornight, Hayes was questioned about how the 22-year-old’s premature death had hit the county.
The passionate Portumna veteran admitted that playing i n the postponed county final against Loughrea last October, just one day after burying his Galway teammate, was one of his toughest experiences.
‘It was an unbelievable tragedy. I remember being told at a club training session on the Friday and I just couldn’t believe it,’ said Hayes. ‘I had gotten to know him better in 2013 than I had in 2012 because neither of the two of us could seem to get on the team... I got c hatting to hi m better then and it’s just an unbelievable tragedy.
‘It’s very, very sad. He was an absolutely lovely fella and a real character. He was really bubbly with great oneliners and just a great laugh. It’s an awful loss to be honest.’
Such experiences can often bring teams, clubs and communities together as they unite in grief and help each other struggle through.
The Galway panel and manager Anthony Cunningham have only briefly discussed the death of their f riend ( above) and colleague, however, while Hayes’ recent involvement with the county has so far been limited due to his club commitments.
‘Anthony had a meeting with us and we only had a small brief chat about it just to say hopefully that this might spur us on a little bit,’ explained Hayes. ‘But, as I said, I haven’t been in there enough to say to you we’ve spoken about this and that.
‘We all returned to Kilbeacanty for Niall’s month’s mind. I’ve spoken to his dad Francie and I’ve spoken to his brother as well. It’s not easy times.’
The Galway forward is also wary of the stresses resting on the shoulders of modern GAA players.
‘Sometimes it’s just an individual case. But there is extra difficulties now in trying to keep a job. It can be hard. To nail down a job, give work commitments and team commitments, it can get difficult for some of the lads. But I didn’t see it coming for Niall.
‘It was an unbelievable shock. It wasn’t easy. When you go back in, it’ll still be hard.’
The 31-year- old has, however, once again given his unquestioned commitment to the Galway set-up for 2014. He insisted that there was absolutely no question of his willingness to return, despite having worn the maroon jersey at senior l evel f or a decade, claiming ‘ As long as I’m wanted I’ll stay coming back.’ With Galway failing to build on their AllIreland final appearance in 2012, stuttering throughout a dire campaign last season, Hayes’ frustrations were on the double as he struggled to claim his place. ‘It was a bit frustrating being on the bench because I felt I was good enough to be on the team,’ said Hayes on what was a disappointing year for Galway. ‘I don’t honestly know [what went wrong], but maybe lads took it for granted, that they thought that because we were in an All-Ireland final the year before that it was automatically going to happen the following year.
‘Everyone put in the effort and trained just as hard but it just didn’t get up and running.’
In an effort to address their slump, Cunningham has rejigged his backroom team with Mattie Kenny and Tom Helebert stepping away while former county players Eugene Cloonan and Damian Curley have come on board.
‘Anthony has just changed things up. I suppose it’s just to give it a fresh look. I can’t really answer a lot of questions regarding Galway because I’m not really in there at the minute because Anthony has let us concentrate on the club,’ explained Hayes. ‘Once the club season is over, whether that’s February 8 or whether it goes to St Patrick’s Day, then we will return to the county.’
Hayes insists he is not burdened by the physical demands of a potential club run to March if they overcome Na Piarsaigh, with the Portunmna man emphasising that an extended season equals a successful season.
He is also against any prospective move for the All-Ireland club finals away from their traditional St Patrick’s Day date, despite recent r ec ommendations from the Football Review Committee to see the club championships wrapped up within a calendar year.
‘I’d find it difficult to see where you could fit in it. The only way it could change would be if the intercounty season started earlier and I don’t see that ever coming because St Patrick’s Day is a massive one.
‘ The club All- Irelands on St Patrick’s Day is a massive tradition. As far back as I was a youngster I can remember going up to Croke Park to watch club All-Irelands that day and I can’t see it and I wouldn’t like to see it changed.’