The acquisition of Paul Galvin by Kildare manager Glenn Ryan further embellishes the coaching and managerial portfolio of Kerry’s All-Ireland winning team of 2009.
Of the 20 players who featured in that year’s All-Ireland final win over Cork, two have managed at senior inter-county level and four more have served or are serving in management teams at that level, with several more having worked with underage and/or third level sides.
Indeed, a small handful of the team that delivered Kerry’s 36th All-Ireland are either still playing or recently retired from inter-county football and so haven’t had the opportunity to cut their coaching teeth at a high level just yet.
There isn’t clarity about just what Galvin’s Kildare role will be, with some reports describing him as a skills coach and others as a forwards coach, and Ryan wouldn’t be drawn on exactly what his latest acquisition’s duties will be when speaking to the Leinster Leader, saying that “he is part and parcel of a team where everyone has an input, all important, from that perspective and it is important we get the right people to do those jobs that we think need to be done”.
Galvin joins a high profile coaching ticket that Ryan assembled when appointed in October alongside former Kildare stars John Doyle, Dermot Earley, Anthony Rainbow and Brian Lacey.
Kildare open their Allianz League Division One campaign on Sunday week at home to Kerry, who are managed by Ryan’s immediate predecessor and the mastermind of the Kingdom’s 2009 All-Ireland win, Jack O’Connor.
Kerry’s Class of 2009
Diarmuid Murphy - Retired after the 2009 success and Jack O’Connor added him as a Kerry selector ahead of the 2011 season. He stayed on in that role under Eamonn Fitzmaurice and has now returned alongside O’Connor this year.
Marc Ó Sé - Managed his club An Gaeltacht to county and Munster intermediate titles and is currently in charge of Listry. Has also been involved with Kerry development squads.
Tommy Griffin - Peter Keane’s right-hand man during the latter three of Kerry’s five-in-a-row of All-Irelands at minor level from 2014-18 before following Keane into the senior set-up as coach/selector for three seasons up to last year.
Tom O'Sullivan - The maverick defender has not made any noteworthy forays into coaching/management as yet.
Tomas Ó Sé - Cork-based Ó Sé has been involved with UCC at Sigerson Cup level alongside Billy Morgan and managed Glanmire in 2021 before joining the Offaly senior management team recently.
Mike McCarthy - The Kilcummin man kept a low profile during his playing career and hasn’t sought notoriety through management since hanging up his boots.
Killian Young - It’s only two years since Young brought the curtain down on a fine Kerry career and he continues to line out for Renard.
Darragh Ó Sé - Another for whom the 2009 campaign was his last, Ó Sé was an under-21 selector under Eamonn Fitzmaurice in 2012 before taking charge of the team himself for the subsequent three years, though they couldn’t break out of Munster.
Seamus Scanlon - Another of the exceptions from the 2009 vintage, the Currow midfielder hasn’t made waves in coaching just yet.
Paul Galvin - The 42-year-old had a brief stint in charge of Wexford in 2020 which ended prematurely when he was forced to relocate to the west of Ireland with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Has now linked up with Kildare.
Declan O'Sullivan - Now the Kerry under-20 manager, he previously guided his club Dromid Pearses to South Kerry Championship success. Was also forwards coach with Kerry minors under Jack O’Connor.
Tadhg Kennelly - Only played for Kerry in 2009 and has lived in Australia for most of the past two decades. Has been involved in Australia’s International Rules management teams, however.
Colm Cooper - Is now a selector with the Dr Crokes senior team having drawn a line under his playing career.
Tommy Walsh - Has only just retired from Kerry duty and will hope to play for Kerins O’Rahillys for a few years yet.
Darran O'Sullivan - Another who has youth on his side in a coaching context having packed in his Kerry career in 2018.
Donnchadh Walsh - Was physio to the Kerry hurlers last year but that’s about the height of the Cromane man’s involvement in management teams for now.
Mike Quirke - Managed his club Kerins O’Rahillys before taking charge of Laois for two seasons. Stepped down last year and was snapped up by Jack O’Connor as a Kerry selector.
Kieran Donaghy - Having been a performance coach with the Galway hurlers, he jointly managed IT Tralee in the Sigerson Cup two years ago and is now part of Kieran McGeeney’s management team in Armagh.
David Moran - The only member of the 2009 panel still playing with Kerry.
Aidan O'Mahony - Currently managing MTU Tralee (formerly IT Tralee) in the Sigerson Cup and is Declan O’Sullivan’s S&C coach for Kerry under-20s.
