Sean Kelly confirmed that Liam Silke, Kieran Molloy and Sean Mulkerrin are all back training with the Galway footballers. The Galway GAA captain is uncertain about Peter Cooke's involvement in 2024.
Silke, an All-Star corner-back in 2022, opted out of the Galway panel for the 2023 season to spend time travelling.
"Liam and Kieran will be back and Sean Mulkerrin as well," Kelly confirmed at the 2024 Electric Ireland Sigerson Cup launch.
"Liam had gone travelling and Kieran had an ACL injury and Sean Mulkerrin had a bad injury as well but they're all back training now and, in fairness to them, putting in a lot of work.
"It's great to have them and it's a real boost for us. It takes a while to get going again but it's a big boost because they're putting in a tough pre-season and have a real hunger for it so that drives us on too."
Pictured is University of Galway and Galway footballer, Sean Kelly, as Electric Ireland teams up with six intercounty Camogie and GAA stars to look ahead to the upcoming matches and rivalries across the Electric Ireland Camogie Third Level Championships and the Electric Ireland GAA Higher Education Championships. Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan
Kelly hopes to have a chat with his Moycullen teammate Cooke in the coming days. The half-forward was part of the Galway panel last year but had missed the 2022 season due to work commitments.
"I think management were chatting to him," said Kelly.
"He was gone away working in New York for the last while so I'm not fully sure exactly what has happened.
"I'll have to meet him soon enough because I didn't get a chance to see him over Christmas. Hopefully, he's around, but, to be honest, I'm not entirely sure right now. I'll try to meet him now in the next couple of days and I'll hopefully see then what his plan is.
"He's a kind of a free bird, he does his own thing. It would be great to have him involved, but who knows right now."
25 June 2023; Ryan O'Donoghue of Mayo in action against Peter Cooke of Galway during the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Preliminary Quarter Final match between Galway and Mayo at Pearse Stadium in Galway. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile
Last year, Galway were eliminated from the All-Ireland series at the preliminary quarter-final stage following defeat to Mayo.
"It was an alright year," said Kelly, "but coming down to the last few games it was just disappointing that we didn't get over the line which is a real sickener.
"Coming off an All-Ireland final defeat [in 2022] we were looking to kick on but it just didn't happen the way we wanted it to. Hopefully this year we can do that.
"That hunger is there and if it wasn't there it would be really disappointing and you wouldn't want to be involved, to be honest. It's something that has to be there and I think lads are showing that.
"I'm not back training yet but even watching them there's a real hunger there and the effort the lads are putting in is a credit to them. Hopefully, we can do right with Galway.
"It's a really open championship and it's probably good to watch that. There are eight or nine teams who feel like they have a shot at something or could cause an upset which is key for a good championship."
25 June 2023; Seán Kelly of Galway is tackled by Ryan O'Donoghue, left, and David McBrien of Mayo during the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Preliminary Quarter Final match between Galway and Mayo at Pearse Stadium in Galway. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
In hindsight, Kelly says he should not have played in that game against Mayo due to an ankle injury which he had suffered in the group stage game against Armagh.
"It was one of those that was always catching me," he said.
"I was able to jog and run but it was never fully right. It's probably something I look back on now and say I shouldn't have played. But at the time you want to play every game that you can.
"As a player, you don't want to be missing out on these big games, a sell-out in Pearse Stadium against your arch rivals, that's something you don't want to miss out on because your career doesn't last that long.
"I'll always try to put myself in the best position to play and the fact we didn't get over the line that day made it even worse."
5 November 2023; Moycullen player Seán Kelly, centre, looks on before during the Galway GAA County Senior Club Football Championship final match between Corofin and Moycullen at Pearse Stadium in Galway. Photo by Harry Murphy/Sportsfile
Kelly is nursing two injuries at the moment: One to the ankle which he hurt during the summer and another to his hamstring.
He's "playing it by ear" in terms of his return to action. The University of Galway face TUD in the opening round of the Sigerson Cup on Tuesday while Galway's Allianz League campaign gets underway against Mayo on January 28th.
"Hopefully there will be no setbacks in finishing the rehab process," said Kelly.
"I've been going alright and it's getting a lot better.
"I haven't been back running yet but hopefully that comes next week or the week after, I'm not entirely sure, but hopefully I can get back on the pitch soon as long as my tests go well.
"I've done enough work in rehab and I kind of want to be back out on the pitch so we'll see.
"I injured the ankle in the Armagh game and it just never healed fully right. It's not even that bad, it's just catching me more than anything. I need to give it time to rest now and get it right. Hopefully, it's all healed up and I can kick on.
"I injured the hamstring in a training session before the county final with the club and it was probably to do with the ankle injury, compensating for that. I ended up pulling up with the hamstring and unfortunately missed the club final but hopefully I can get it right for this year."
Through its #FirstClassRivals campaign, Electric Ireland will continue to celebrate the unexpected alliances that form between county rivals as they come together in pursuit of some of the most coveted titles across Camogie and GAA.
