Moycullen’s championship odyssey presents Conneely with opportunity to display wares

Jack O’Connor is on the sideline, hands cemented to his hips, wondering what the hell has just happened. Dessie Conneely is spinning away, fists clenched, celebrating. Only a handful of seconds gone. But game on.

Gerry Fahy can still see Conneely in that moment, for his goal only 20 odd seconds into the 2017 All-Ireland under-21 semi-final had set the tone that day at Cusack Park in Ennis. Kerry were massive favourites. But Conneely, and Galway, were laying siege.

“I remember him scoring that early goal to send us on our way. That was a hugely important score for us. For such a young player at the time, he was mature beyond his years,” recalls Fahy, who was the Galway under-21 manager at the time.

Conneely had been Galway minor captain in 2016, leading them to an All-Ireland final appearance, and Fahy had seen enough to believe the 17-year-old was ready for a call-up to the under-21s the following season.

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There is an interview by videographer Jerome Quinn from that same period, which can still be viewed online, of a baby-faced Conneely trying to explain his haul of 4-2 in the 2016 Corn na Mac Léinn third level final. He completed the hat-trick in less than five minutes, the third goal was a soccer style finish.

He will take on the shot if it’s there, he’s not afraid to pull the trigger if a chance presents itself

—  Gerry Fahy

Ask a conversant Galway football watcher about Conneely and they will tell you about the exciting underage talent he was, a two-time Connacht minor winner, a one-time Connacht under-21 winner. They will tell you about his scoring exploits; from play, placed balls, goals, the lot. The excellent Galway Footballers Homepage shows Conneely was top scorer in the county senior football championship in both 2020 and 2021, with 5-38 and 3-26 respectively.

But outside of Galway he has operated largely under the radar, until now.

On Sunday, Conneely will captain Moycullen at Croke Park in what will be their first ever All-Ireland club SFC semi-final appearance. In 2020, at the age of just 22, he captained them to their first Galway senior title. He’s not only a marksman, he’s a leader too.

“He has been that driving force for Moycullen for ages. I think his first game [with the seniors] was when he was 17 and he has been working hard ever since,” says Seán Kelly, the current Galway captain and Conneely’s Moycullen team-mate.

“He’s always down doing that bit extra, whether it’s kicking or in the gym.”

Conneely’s performance against Westport in the Connacht club championship last November was simply outstanding, on a day when the wind howled and the rain poured, he was unshakeable and finished with 10 points from 10 shots.

He will nail down a full-time place because I think he’s at that stage where he needs to for himself and also for Galway to get the best out of him

—  Gerry Fahy

“He is a very calm player,” adds Fahy. “You don’t see him fluctuating up or down. He’s very steady and cool under pressure.

“He will take on the shot if it’s there, he’s not afraid to pull the trigger if a chance presents itself, but he also has great vision to see others and keep the ball moving.”

If there is one part of his career which has never really got moving, it is with the Galway senior team. He made his first senior appearance during the 2018 FBD League but it was not until the Covid-impacted season of 2020 that he made his championship debut. He started Galway’s Connacht final defeat to Mayo that November, but it remains his only championship start.

He didn’t feature in the 2021 championship while in 2022 Conneely made just three substitute appearances – against Mayo, Leitrim and Derry. He was an unused sub in the All-Ireland final against Kerry.

Robert Finnerty and Cein Darcy were also minors in 2016 and fast-tracked by Fahy to the under-21s the following year. Finnerty, an inside forward like Conneely, was a mainstay on Padraic Joyce’s Galway team in 2022 and finished the year as an All Star nominee.

“Personally, I am a bit surprised it has taken this amount of time but I have no doubt it will change,” says Fahy, when asked about Conneely’s slow-burning senior career.

“Padraic obviously sees the potential in him and, to be fair to the management, there is lot of competition in that Galway set-up. But he’s a wonderful asset for them to have and I’m hoping sooner rather than later he will nail down a full-time place because I think he’s at that stage where he needs to for himself and also for Galway to get the best out of him.

“This extended run with the club has helped him show his ability and I’ve no doubt he will get his chance with Galway.”

When Conneely captained the Galway minors to the All-Ireland final in 2016, waiting for them was a Kerry side that included David Clifford, Seán O’Shea, Diarmuid O’Connor and Dara Moynihan.

He can get his hands on any ball, and he’s just a nightmare to mark over those couple of yards

—  Seán Kelly

And when Fahy’s under-21s got to their All-Ireland final in 2017, they came across a Dublin side that included Con O’Callaghan, Brian Howard, Eoin Murchan and Evan Comerford.

Galway lost both.

“I said it at the time, all intercounty players need to be performing at that level, they are disappointing games to lose but to be playing at that level helped those players in their development,” believes Fahy.

As fate determines, on the day the current Galway champions travel to Croke Park for an All-Ireland club semi-final, the best forward from the county will be playing at the same venue – but for a Dublin club.

Everybody already knows what Shane Walsh can do. But Moycullen’s club championship odyssey has presented Conneely with an opportunity to display his wares.

His latest chance comes against Glen, but it may also prove to be one of the most challenging afternoons Conneely has had during this campaign, because the Derry champions are a well-drilled and very organised side that will look to totally block him out of the contest.

Still, Seán Kelly has marked him enough in training to know Conneely has the ability to sparkle at Croke Park.

“He’s low to the ground and he can win any ball you give in really,” says Kelly. “He can get his hands on any ball, and he’s just a nightmare to mark over those couple of yards. With the amount of practice he is putting in every year he is getting that bit better and better – whether it’s kicking off his left or right, shooting at different angles.”

Shane Ryan was the Kerry goalkeeper that day in 2017 when Conneely fired home his early goal that sent Galway on their way to victory. O’Connor was the Kerry under-21 manager at the time.

“Bad memories,” O’Connor remarked last year when asked about the game. “They started off like a whirlwind.”

Fahy intends to be in Croke Park to watch Moycullen against Glen.

“I personally couldn’t speak highly enough of Dessie, he has a wonderful attitude towards playing the game,” adds Fahy.

Oh how Moycullen could do with a whirlwind on Sunday.

Sunday – All-Ireland club SFC semi-final: Moycullen (Galway) v Glen (Derry), Croke Park, 3.30pm (Live on TG4)