Alan Kerins won an All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship title with Galway in 1994. Incredibly, despite starting the game as goalkeeper, he only touched the sliotar to pick it out of the net following a Cork goal.
"I was three years minor. That was my middle year," Kerins, better known as a forward for Galway in his senior days, told the Electric Ireland GAA Minor Moments podcast.
"I was in goals. I was small, a late developer. Kevin Broderick was in goal the year before me. He was outfield [in '94]. Both of us were outfield in '95.
"It's a good experience, gives you a different perspective on the game. You have to have a good skillset and a good eye for the ball.
"Eugene Cloonan did it. He was a minor but was in goals when we won the U21 in '96 against Wexford. It's a tradition if you have a good stickman that mightn't be big, or might be young, that they could be options for goal."
12 July 1997; Alan Kerins of Galway in action against Padraig Mannion of Roscommon during the GAA Connacht Senior Hurling Championship Final match between Roscommon and Galway at Athleague in Roscommon. Photo by Ray McManus/Sportsfile
Galway won that minor final 2-10 to 1-11.
"I had an unbelievable fullback line in Gregory Kennedy, Peter Huban and Ollie Canning," said Kerins.
"We were well-protected. Peter Huban was a giant of a man, and he had a huge puckout, bigger than most seniors.
"He took the puckouts. In the '94 final, I never touched the ball once in live play because I never pucked it out. [I only touched it] to pick it out of the net once. I didn't even touch the ball. I would have liked one or two touches maybe."
'You were young and Galway were very successful at the time'
Kerins said winning that minor title forged a great bond between him and his teammates.
4 September 1994; Kevin Broderick, Galway in action against Sean Og O'hAilpin, Cork, Galway v Cork, All Ireland hurling Minor Final, Croke Park, Dublin. Picture credit; Ray McManus / SPORTSFILE *EDI*
"You were young and Galway were very successful at the time," said Kerins, who also won an All-Ireland football title with Galway in 2011.
"We'd won it in '92. '93 [got to the final against Kilkenny], '94 we won, and unfortunately in '95 we got beat in the semi-final by Cork in Thurles.
"It was a good mixed experience between winning and losing. There was a lot of learning there, in goal and outfield.
"We did a thing last year with Electric Ireland, myself and Gordon Glynn watched it. In 2014, we went to Cork and met the Cork squad for a night out.
"Seán Óg Ó hAilpín was playing in that team, Ger Shaw, Donal Óg Cusack was a sub, Kevin Egan was an outstanding minor, Pat Ryan, the current Cork manager. That was lovely to meet them and chat.
"A lot of us grew up together on that team, we played U14, U16 and then minor. Some of us progressed to U21s and then senior together from that batch.
"When you do win it, those bonds are there for life, and that sense of achievement as a group is obviously stronger than teams that don't win."
