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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Sport
Mikie O'Loughlin

Galway manager Padraic Joyce: Wife Tracey, grown up daughter and two young kids, day job and GAA career

Pádraic Joyce lifted Sam Maguire twice as a player with Galway and is now hoping to lead them to All-Ireland glory as a manager.

The 45-year-old also won three All-Star awards during his 15-year spell with The Tribesmen.

Per RSVP Live, the legendary centre-forward also represented his province in the Railway Cup and Ireland in the International Rules series against Australia.

READ MORE: Galway manager Padraic Joyce: 'I am who I am. I’m not going to change'

He took over as Galway manager in 2019 and immediately oversaw an upturn in results.

However, once the side got back on the pitch after the Covid-enforced disruption to the season it was a different story as they lost all momentum.

They similarly endured a mixed campaign last season as they allowed Mayo to storm back from a half-time deficit and once again win the Connacht title.

But this season they have showcased an improved defensive solidity while the likes of Rob Finnerty have stepped up to ease the scoring burden on Shane Walsh, Damien Comer and midfielder Paul Conroy.

They saw off their old rivals Mayo before sealing a Connacht title against Roscommon. Since that first provincial crown since 2018 they have defeated Armagh in an incredibly gripping All-Ireland quarter-final that went to extra-time as well as outlasting Derry last time out.

Inter-county career and honours:

Pádraic played Gaelic Football for Galway, making his debut in 1997 before announcing his retirement from the game in 2012.

  • Six Connacht Senior Football Championships: 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2008.
  • Two All-Ireland Senior Football Championships: 1998 and 2001.
Playing in the International Rules Series in 2003 (©INPHO/Morgan Treacy)

Family life with his wife and kids:

Pádraic married his wife Tracey back in winter 2010 as his club Killererin beat Corofin to win the Galway Senior Football final.

The GAA great is a father of three kids. He has a daughter, 19-year-old Ava, from a previous relationship with his ex Michelle. He and Tracey have two kids together, six-year-old Charlie and Jodie, who is four.

Padraic Joyce with his wife Tracey at Punchestown in 2014 (Matt Browne / SPORTSFILE (Photo by Sportsfile/Corbis/Sportsfile via Getty Images))

Talking about getting up in the middle of the night, he told the Irish Times: “Then you find yourself looking at a match at five in the morning! Once I wake, I wake.”

Pádraic and Tracey founded a business together in January 2010 called PJ Personnel. It specialises in recruiting temporary and permanent staff for the construction, industrial, manufacturing and commercial sectors.

"In fairness my wife Tracey and kids, they are great," he told Gaa.ie "They are really into football, Tracey is getting into it. The kids are into it. We are enjoying it.

With daughter Ava in 2007 (©INPHO/Lorraine O'Sullivan)

"It is something I wanted to do and that is why I did it. It was for three years and this is my third year of it, I said at the start what I wanted to do and we are almost there in the third year. It would be great to finish the job."

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