Áine Keane prepared for a very different All-Ireland final experience

The 42

3 days ago

ÁINE KEANE IS a prominent figure in the major transition Galway camogie has been undertaking in recent years.
At 23, the UL student has become a leader in the pack. However, the Third Level Player of the Year's influence has had to find other ways to flourish this summer.
Keane will not be playing in Sunday's All-Ireland final against Cork. A torn ACL in the first round of championship against Dublin put paid to her season.
She is just three weeks post-surgery now, but in the two-and-a-half months since her injury, Keane has hardly missed a training session.
'Niamh McPeake also tore her ACL during the year, and she's been very good to me. She just said 'Stay involved' after it happened, and I did. It's the best decision I've ever made.
'I haven't missed any sessions really, apart from the week after getting the operation.
'It was important for me to stay within the group.'
After the immediate blow of the injury, manager Cathal Murray had a conversation with Keane regarding her role within the squad.
'I've been involved with Cathal since 2019, he's a long time over me at this stage, so he knows me pretty well.
'He was gutted for me, and he, first and foremost, just wanted to make sure that I knew I was still part of the group, and that nothing was going to change in that sense.
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'Then, it was just about finding out, where can I help, what can I do to help the group, and, in fairness, Cathal's been unbelievably good to me over the last couple of months, as has the whole management in fairness.'
Galway's Áine Keane takes on Fiona Keating of Cork in the 2024 All-Ireland final. Bryan Keane / INPHO Bryan Keane / INPHO / INPHO
Keane now takes on mentoring responsibilities with the many younger players coming into the Galway squad, while working with the stats team on matchday.
'It's changed my outlook, and my role has changed. I've tried to look after the younger players that are involved within the group and to help them as much as I can.
'They know that I'm there if they need anything, if they have questions or anything at all, that I'm still there. I'm still very much involved.
'I definitely feel like I have given more this year to other players than what I would have had before, and that probably does come from having the experience of playing last year in the All-Ireland final.
'It's something that's made a bit easier with the support of the girls behind me.'
The level of change in the Galway setup has elevated some of the younger players, like Keane, to leadership roles.
'There's definitely been a good turnover in our group. Even this year, we had a lot of girls that played the under-23 final against Cork, and something like 15 of them are on our senior panel the next day.
'There were 10 of them that were already involved with us, but there were a few extras that have come on board now, after that great win they had.
'There has been a few that have stepped away for various reasons and injuries as well, but we've been lucky we've had great players to step in and step into new roles within the panel.'
Keane was that player on the panel's fringes when Galway last won the All-Ireland in 2021, beating Cork by three points.
They fell short, by the same margin, in the 2023 semi-final and 2024 final against the Rebels, who then dished out a heavy 11-point beating in the league final last April.
The St Thomas' star can pass on plenty of lessons from those experiences.
Cork's Meath Cahalane with Áine Keane of Galway ahead of the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Finals. Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO
'There's so much going on that you could easily get distracted in the outside noise.
'Having the experience of last year, it's just going to the young girls and saying to take it all in, because it's a really, really special day to be involved in, for you, for your family, and for your club. It's just huge.
'I know there's a lot of pressure, and you obviously want to win, but it should be something you enjoy, not something you stress about.
'That's something I learned over the last couple of years, and especially with last year, that's definitely taught me an awful lot about that.'
Meanwhile, Keane will be trying to keep her composure as she takes stats up in the Hogan Stand.
'You're still nervous, you're still anxious, you're still under pressure, you're still feeling every emotion that every player is feeling.
'It's not the same as when you're actually playing, but you're still feeling the same emotions.'