Late in September during the Kerry Senior Hurling Championship Final between Lixnaw and Kilmoyley, Paul Galvin was involved in an incident shortly before the start of the second half of the game. The former Kerry footballer was struck with a hurley by Paddy O'Sullivan, the vice-chairman of the Kilmoyley club. O'Sullivan would go onto receive a two-year ban for his actions.
In an excellent and extensive interview in yesterday's Sunday Independent, Galvin spoke to Paul Kimmage about the incident revealing some details that we had not previously been aware of, mainly that he was also hit prior to the Kilmoyley vice-chairman's attack.
I was walking out onto the field (after half-time) with my back turned and this hero gives me a shot of his hurley and a shoulder and runs away. I've had that an awful lot in my career - 'action men' - but they only act from behind you. He was trying to lay down a little marker, so I had to lay down my marker and he hit the deck. That's when the other boy came out of nowhere; I saw the hurley out of the corner of my eye and ducked and he got me on the shoulder.
The game would go on to finish in a draw, with Galvin's Lixnaw winning the replay. They also won their opening game of the Munster Intermediate Club Championship, defeating Ballyhea of Cork.