By Aaron McNally
The definition of commitment.
Kieran Molloy had a great spring of 2018. His club Corofin were to play in the All-Ireland semi-final against Moorefield and his university, NUIG, had a Sigerson Cup final date with UCD.
Usually this would be brilliant.
The only problem for Molloy? They were on the same day, with the throw-in times just an hour and a half apart and the venues over 100km away from each other.
It was just the start of what would be a disastrous year for the GAA, PR wise.
— Conán Doherty (@ConanDoherty) September 2, 2018
Molloy might not have been able to start for both teams like he had been doing in both campaigns for each of them but it wasn’t going to stop him helping each of them.
The wing back ran himself into the ground as Corofin overcame Moorefield with a late Liam Silke goal and, then, he had to get an escort straight away from Tullamore to Santry so he could make the second half of the Sigerson final.
He joined Conán Doherty on Thursday’s episode of the GAA Hour to discuss yet another Corofin run in the provincial championship. The madness back in February was brought up and, when asked whether he was worried that it would happen again in 2019, he admitted that he was worried and he also questioned why it happened in the first place.
“I would be worried but it shouldn’t have to come to that with the fixtures,” he said.
“You’d imagine they’d be able to put one game a couple of more hours later, or whatever.
“It is worrying, having to think that I could have to make that decision again this year if we do well with college. I don’t know whose fault it was or could they have genuinely done anything about it with the fixtures but it’s done with now anyway.”
When asked if he was physically wrecked and how he felt before he came on in the second half of the Sigerson final, the Galway man said that it really didn’t affect him until after the match.
“Ah, adrenaline took over, like. You don’t even think about it, when the game was in the balance like it was in Dublin, it wasn’t hard to come on. But after the game I really felt tired.
“I don’t think I did much in the semi-final really but it was heavy ground, the legs were a bit dead after the game up in Dublin.
“Going up in the journey to Dublin, I didn’t even feel it in my legs, it didn’t come into my mind at all. I didn’t even get any updates, I just wanted to get up there. I didn’t even think of the score.”
Although NUIG came up short in extra time of that final, Molloy’s effort to get up there was really special and it’s fair to say no-one can question his dedication.
Hopefully it won’t have to be questioned again in a couple of months.
Listen to his full interview below.
