A Great Yarn From Paul Galvin About His First Kerry Trial Under Páidí Ó Sé

Paul Galvin can tell a good story. His book is excellent. You finish it with the feeling that you know him and understand him better than before. That's unlike some other Irish sporting autobiographies which were published last year.

The Lixnaw man, recently returned to the inter-county fold, posted a story on Instagram regarding his early days with the Kerry panel. It concerns him wearing Adidas World Cups during his first trial under Páidí Ó Sé. Unfazed by big names in the dressing like Maurice Fitz he commandeered the physio for some glute work. That was before going head over heels during the warm up directly in sight of the Kerry manager. The boots were blamed, dispatched and replaced but the panel not made.

Anyway, ignore the slight inaccuracies, Galvin was actually 22 in 2002 and had already made his Kerry debut in a League game against Leitrim earlier that year.

Just enjoy a good yarn.

The classic World Cups. I remember I wore them on my 1st trial for KY under Paidi during the hot summer of 02. I was 20. I landed into the dressing room & cleared Maurice Fitz off the massage table cos two glutes were like cap nuts from the night before. Says I to the female physio "I'm flat out siring young ones around town therefore my two glutes are tighter than the nuts on a hubcap, will you stick an elbow in em an loosen em out like a good woman til out go out an kick points all round me." I remember Fitzy staring at me as he stood on one leg next to the table. Says I with a wink "tight glutes, can't shoot Fitzy bah." Though he looked terribly pissed off about something I could tell he enjoyed that line. I moseyed out loose as a goose in my WCs anyway & spent 10 minutes practicing chip ups on the run in front of Paidi until we were about to start the warm up when as I was flying full-pelt into my last chip up my studs caught the turf &sent me into a runfall before capsizing on head over tits. It was the perfect start in a way as Paidi got to see something of my determination in that little cameo. It's was a good 10metres before I eventually succumbed to the inevitable fall though in my mind it was far from inevitable. With each step I fought bravely to regain equilibrium until eventually I did the smart thing & ploughed into Fitzy as he was walking out. That arrested my fall of course. Pure cute. With that I let out a string of f*cks & lassoed the World Cups up into the stand as I went back into the dressing room for my Copas just so Paidi was clear that it was the boots that caused my fall and no lack of skill. I got the graze on my knee patched up before returning halfway thru the session. Luckily enough i kicked 1 point from 7 attempts on goal on the night before pulling up with what I think was dehydration. I got my post-session rub down anyway & waited in the car park for Paidi so i could order another pair of Copas to replace the World Cups i lassoed over the stand. Somehow I didn't make the panel in 02. There's a lesson for us all in that. The World Cups are classics but they'd make a fool of you in summer. Be careful out there lads. #chipups

A photo posted by Paul Galvin (@pgal10) on Apr 28, 2015 at 7:21am PDT

Picture credit: SPORTSFILE