Johnny Concrete?
Eamon O’Shea set to join Henry Shefflin’s Galway backroom team
The former Tipperary coach is a resident of Galway.
EXPERIENCE: Former Tipperary coach and selector Eamon O’Shea. Picture: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
WED, 20 SEP, 2023 - 00:05
JOHN FOGARTY
Eamon O’Shea is set to join Henry Shefflin’s Galway senior hurling management team for 2024, the Irish Examiner understands.
Regarded as one of the game’s most enlightened thinkers, the Kilruane MacDonaghs man, who shortly retires as a professor of economics in NUI Galway, coached Tipperary to All-Ireland SHC titles in 2010 and ’19.
O’Shea is a long-time resident in Galway and member of the Salthill-Knocknacarra club. He coached the county’s development team last year and has been linked with previous Galway management teams but is on board to assist Shefflin next season.
In late 2015, there was speculation Micheál Donoghue, who had worked as an analyst with O’Shea during his time as Tipperary manager, would have O’Shea as part of his new management team. However, it was later dismissed.
Working alongside manager Liam Sheedy, O’Shea’s expertise was pivotal to Tipperary preventing Shefflin’s Kilkenny from achieving the five-in-a-row in 2010. He was appointed Tipperary manager in September 2012 and led them to an All-Ireland final in 2014 when they were beaten by Kilkenny following a replay. A Munster title was annexed the following season before Galway edged them in the subsequent All-Ireland semi-final.
In February 2019, it was confirmed O’Shea was linking up again with Sheedy and the pair worked the oracle once more as Tipperary worked their way back from a disappointing Munster final defeat to Limerick to claim the national crown.
Last year, it was reported that the pair were being lined up to take over from Michael Fennelly in charge of Offaly before Johnny Kelly was eventually appointed.
In his recent retirement announcement, 2019 hurler of the year and All-Ireland winning captain Seamus Callanan hailed O’Shea’s influence on his career. “I have been fortunate to meet many great people during my time hurling with Tipperary and through the GAA, but Eamon O’Shea was special amongst them all. As a mentor and friend, his guidance had a significant impact on my career, and I want to thank him most sincerely.” 2010 hurler of the year Lar Corbett has been equally effusive in his praise of O’Shea. “I often saw Eamon as a conductor in charge of an orchestra,” Corbett commented of him in autobiography, “All In The Mind”. “Only an expert would know if one of the violins was out of tune or one of the horns had hit a false note. My mind was blown every time I spoke with him.”
O’Shea’s son and 2018 minor hurler of the year Donal is a current Galway panelist. On Monday, former Connacht, Wasps and Ireland rugby player Johnny O’Connor was confirmed as the team’s new lead athletic development coach, replacing Lukasz Kirszenstein.
Two-time European Cup winner and Galway native O’Connor has previously worked as a strength and conditioning coach with Arsenal, Galway United and Connacht Rugby.
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Ah lovely.
Skeptical on O’Shea but willing to let it play out. My feeling is he’s trying to maximise Donal’s chances to breaking into the side but I’d be concerned he hasn’t the physicality needed to make it.
OMG! you read my mind…totally dude
Never trust Salthill (or Salthill-blow in) cunts
You could have left it at Tipp cunts.
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No Tipp cunt ever tried to setup plantations in Rahoon
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What’s the craic with that? Is it on hold?
It’s being delayed slightly but it has the backing of all the right greasy cunts to overcome any objections
Are we calling it the Oyster derby now?
Conts!
Notions
Neither of them would shuck oysters to monkeys Ger
Can any of the @gailliamhs fill me in on how Liam Mellows are going this year?
They have Mullagh up next and should be a closer game than the group game but I think Mullagh will take them.
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I think Mullagh will handle them. Haran is a bit on the older side now and not taking over games like ge useta a few years back.
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