It may be the bane of columnists of the old-school but Galway goalkeeper Connor Gleeson has been grateful for the distraction of the club season following the pain of All-Ireland final defeat.
Gleeson's club Dunmore McHales is one of the traditional bluebloods from Galway's footballing heartland, albeit one whose heyday occurred back when Sean Lemass was Taoiseach and Michael Donnellan's father was captain.
They're facing into a Galway SFC quarter-final for the first time in over two decades, with a game against Salthill Knocknacarra coming this Saturday. Dunmore are pursuing their first Galway title since 1983, another year which ended on a sickening note for the county seniors.
The 2024 decider will hardly rival the '83 final in the ignominy stakes, though the air of regret was overwhelming in the weeks after.
"I haven't watched it back," confirms Gleeson. "I've watched back certain parts from my game that I've analysed - and which I'll analyse with the goalkeeping coach when we get back for pre-season.
"You just have to get on with it. The club season came around three weeks later. The way the season ended, you were looking forward to getting back with the club just for a distraction. Because those few weeks were tough.
"It's one of them where it's final, you can't get your head around it, you don't know what you're going to do for the next few weeks.
"You think you're never going to get over it. You're stuck in them thoughts. But that's the way it is, post-defeat."
Galway unexpectedly reached the All-Ireland final in Gleeson's second year as the starting keeper in 2022, their first appearance in the decider since the 2001 victory. The perception then was that they were relaxed outsiders for that final, taking on a Kerry side under enormous pressure to complete the job.
By contrast, this summer, Galway's time was supposed to have come - particularly with Dublin and Kerry out of the picture - intensifying the disappointment for supporters afterwards. But Gleeson insists the feeling after both finals was more or less the same.
"You don't look at them that way. Yeah, I know you can say now that we were underdogs in '22 and we were favourites in '24. But when you're going into these finals, you don't think because we're underdogs, we have a free go at it. There were very similar feelings both years."
Gleeson only conceded two goals in 10 championship games in 2024, both of which came against Armagh.
The second, which Aaron McKay palmed to the net after Stefan Campbell fisted the ball across the square, proved the decisive score in the All-Ireland final. Needless to say, this is the moment which has preyed most on Gleeson's mind.
"As a goalkeeper, I'm going to analyse the goal. You're going to find flaws and be very self-critical. I'll have to sit down with Lloyd (Kelly), our goalkeeping coach, and see what we can do better."
Some critics suggested that Gleeson was too stuck on his line, though there was also considerable debate as to whether Campbell's pass was in fact a mis-directed point attempt - with most of the stadium anticipating a point in the split-second beforehand.
"Yeah, you'll have to ask him," Gleeson says.
All told, Gleeson enjoyed an excellent campaign in 2024, easily his best since nailing down the starting berth in 2021.
The undoubted highlight was the dramatic Connacht final victory over Mayo in Pearse Stadium - Galway's first provincial final success over their neighbours since 2008 - when Gleeson was the most influential player in the endgame, coming from deep to win a decisive break in midfield, setting up the equalising point and then nailing the winner from distance himself.
The manner of the victory sparked unusually wild celebrations afterwards, Gleeson being chaired off the pitch by the jubilant home support behind the goal.
"I think it's more so the way the game is won. If you win a game in the last minute, there's going to be massive scenes afterwards, no matter who you're playing.
"I think we probably celebrated more - or I definitely did - was the '22 Connacht against Roscommon because that was my first one.
"As much as people talk to me now and ask what the weekend was like, it was literally one night and then back to business. Might be hard to believe but that's the way it was."
There was also a commanding display in the semi-final against Donegal, when he was assured in dealing with high balls late on in the game, which was considered a glaring weakness in his game after the chaotic finish to the 2022 All-Ireland quarter-final against Armagh.
Nonetheless, the Galway keeper was overlooked for an All-Star nomination, the reputation with which he was lumbered after the '22 season possibly clouding the issue. Gleeson is phlegmatic on the matter.
"Was I expecting one? Not really, no. Would it have been nice to get one? It probably would have been.
"It's opinions at the end of the day."
There has been some churn in the Galway backroom team in the off-season, with Cian O'Neill departing for Kerry.
O'Neill spent three seasons in Galway, a period which coincided with their rise from Division 1 yo-yo fodder to serious All-Ireland contenders.
"Cian was finished with Galway after the final," Gleeson says. "His term was up. As players, we weren't sure was he staying on. He's with Kerry now and we wish him the best of luck.
"His coaching philosophy, I found it brilliant and I'm sure the lads found it brilliant as well.
"The way he sees the game, he has a lot of experience. He'd be a very hands-on coach. Over three years, I learnt an awful lot off him."
Dunmore McHale's aren't the only one of Gleeson's clubs to be undergoing a revival in 2024, with Galway United right in the hunt for European football next season.
Gleeson made roughly 70 appearances with the club during the mid-2010s, emerging as the first choice goalkeeper as a 21-year during the promotion winning season of 2014. However, the learning curve in the top flight proved that bit too steep.
"Did I stay too long with soccer? Or did I not stay long enough? I loved my first four or five years in the League of Ireland up until I was 21. I had maybe 70 appearances. It just wasn't happening after that, for whatever reason.
"I remember 2014, I was No. 1. That was the only year I had a full season at No. 1. I was 20, going on 21. The step up to the Premier Division was definitely too early for me. I had one or two poor performances which was probably the beginning of the end for my League of Ireland career.
Best of luck to Connor Gleeson and @Galway_GAA against @monaghangaa today in Clones pic.twitter.com/Rf4MNRto0W
— Galway United Archive (@gufcarchive) June 13, 2021
"I'm keeping tabs. I still chat to Walshy (Stephen Walshe) a good bit. We train Friday evenings so if I can get a bit on League of Ireland GO (LOI TV), listening to Cian (O'Connell) and Bernie (O'Connell), I do. Still a Galway United fan, of course."
At 26 years of age, he had little notion of ever occupying the No. 1 jersey for the Galway seniors until incoming manager Padraic Joyce made the call at the end of 2019.
"It was never on my radar. Even when I was playing with Galway United and I was still doing bits with Dunmore on the QT.
"He's (Joyce) the one that gave me the chance. He rang me back in 2019, just coming into 2020. I don't know was Galway football even on my mind at the time.
"His brother Tommy and John Concannon had me at minors so that could have been an influence for Padraic to give me a call and I'm happy he did."
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