A FEW days in the sporting life of Tomas Galvin:
Saturday: Scored 1-2 for Armagh against Wicklow in the Nicky Rackard Cup.
Monday: Played for Dungannon Swifts Reserves.
Tuesday: County training.
Wednesday: In-house friendly with Dungannon Swifts first team.
Thursday: County training.
Friday: Training with Keady senior footballers.
Saturday: Played first half for Armagh then left for Stangmore Park to play for the Swifts first team.
Sunday: Challenge match for Keady senior hurlers.
A different jersey every day means there hasn’t been much time for the busy Keady teenager to put his feet up. A talented forward with a stick and a sliothar or a football in his hands or at his feet, Galvin has made senior debuts for the Armagh hurlers, his club Keady (in football and hurling) and Dungannon Swifts in the Irish Premiership over the last 12 months.
“It is tough but I really enjoy it,” said the Hospitality Management student.
“I love the buzz, I love the atmosphere at training… I just love being out and about. I don’t like being idle, I always like to have something to do – football, hurling or soccer, it doesn’t matter, I enjoy them all equally.”
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Just turned 19, Galvin was on Dundalk’s books from the age of 13 until last September. His GAA involvement fell away during that time but when he signed for Dungannon a year ago things quickly changed.
He returned to hurling with his club and played in last year’s senior championship final. Not long after that he was called into the Armagh senior hurling squad and played the entire 2023 season which included the Division 3B final and the Nicky Rackard semi-final.
He finds it hard to put into words how much he enjoyed the experience.
“Honestly, it was brilliant,” he says.
“The commitment throughout the year was just second-to-none, it was one of the most enjoyable experiences I’ve had. I hadn’t hit a hurling ball in a few years and it brought my interest right back. I can’t even explain how good it was, it was brilliant.
“Donegal beat us in the semi-final but there is a Nicky Rackard in that Armagh team, whether I’m there next year or not.”
After the county season ended, Galvin went into the club football and hurling scene as Keady reached the final of the senior hurling championship (they were favourites but lost to Middletown) and the semi-final of the intermediate football championship.
“When I was growing up, Keady were the dominant team in Armagh and I mind watching the lads win the championship and it inspires you, you want to be there,” he said.
“I’ve played in two finals now and we’ve lost them both but there’s plenty of time to win one and I’m sure we will, we’ll get our chance.
“Growing up I always wanted to play for the senior hurlers and the footballers – as a young lad you idolise some of the boys in your club and you want to follow in their footsteps. For me it was the likes of Conor Corvan, John Corvan, Paul McCormack and then Barry Short and Stevie Renaghan were in the county team last year and they were very good to me because I was only a youngster. I was nearly like an apprentice for them.”
Meanwhile, after a string of brilliant performances for the Dungannon U20s – which included 12 goals in four games, the pick of them a Beckham-esque screamer from his own half against Carrick Rangers – Galvin was soon part of the plans of Dungannon first team manager Rodney McAree.
“I think the GAA has helped me physically,” he says.
“I think I’m more developed than other people my age, I’m more used to the physical aspect of sport after playing a season of inter-county hurling – it’s hard hitting. It’s helped me mentally too, you realise that, when you go into a senior set-up you’re bottom of the pecking order and you have to work your way up. You put the head down and work and if the manager thinks you’re working hard and putting a shift in you will get chances.”
WITH the number 50 on his back, Galvin was thrown into the Irish League fray after 82 minutes of Dungannon’s season opener against reigning champions Larne. In a David-versus-Goliath match-up, Goliath was 4-2 up and looking home and hosed when Galvin ran onto a partial clearance, took the ball on his chest and chipped the goalkeeper from the edge of the box. Andrew Whiteside’s equaliser five minutes’ into injury-time completed a brilliant comeback draw for the Swifts.
Galvin made his full debut against Cliftonville earlier this month and kept his place for the return match against Larne the following weekend.
“I did alright for the first half-an-hour against Cliftonville but I felt a wee bit out of my depth,” he admitted.
“I wasn’t used to the pace of it but I quickly learnt from it and I had a good game against Larne, I thought I played well so I’m hoping this Saturday (against Ballymena) I’ll get another start and hopefully get a goal.”
Tall, two-footed and with a powerful engine, Galvin has a lot of the tools managers are looking for. As a youngster he scored a hat-trick against Leeds United for a Mid-Ulster Select side and of course he would love to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Eoin Toal, from just up the road in Grange who is establishing himself for Bolton and Northern Ireland, and former Dungannon player Terry Devlin who signed for English League One outfit Portsmouth in June and make it across the water.
“Those boys going gives you hope and it is an ambition of mine,” said Galvin.
“But it wouldn’t be the end of the world if it didn’t happen. You always have your club and your county and if one doesn’t work out you try another and you keep trying.”
Already an inter-county hurler, he has been named in Armagh’s U20 football squad and was invited to senior trials last week but couldn’t make it because of soccer commitments. As much as he loves to play, he realises that there are difficult choices to be made and that he can’t continue being a jack of all trades if he wants to be a master of one.
“I don’t know if I want to put my body through another year of seven days-a-week,” he admits.
“It is hard - you don’t want to let anybody down but you’re always mentally stressed. I want to give the soccer a couple of years at 100 per cent and, if it doesn’t work out, I’ll still only be 21 and I can express myself with the county then.”
Remember the name.
