Bradshaw believes Galway on right road to challenge Dublin

MOYCULLEN’S Gareth Bradshaw, who announced his retirement from inter-county football at the age of 33 last week, believes that the Tribesmen can challenge for All-Ireland honours in the coming years.

Giving Galway boss Padraic Joyce his full backing, Bradshaw says, however, that both Joyce and his squad need time to reach the level that six-in-a-row champions Dublin are at.

“I do believe Galway are not far away, given the talent that’s there,” says Bradshaw, who is a Health & Safety manager with Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE), which develops onshore wind farms in Ireland.

“Having Padraic in there, knowing what he gives on and off the field, if he is given the time and the autonomy to go and do what he wants to do, I fully expect Galway to be competing with Dublin over the next couple of years.”

Of course, there is much debate these days about the massive resources available to Dublin, which far outweigh those of any other county. Yet, Bradshaw notes that if you look at “the cold, hard facts, Galway also has so much more going for it”.

He adds: “I know when you have two flagship teams – hurling and football – it demands a lot of finance, but for what we have in Galway – two fine third-level colleges and so many businesses supporting us – there is no reason why we can’t be better than what we are on the financial side of it.”

As a player who gave 14 years of service to the maroon and white, the determined defender experienced it all with Galway – the highs and the lows – and, yet, before his journey is discussed, it would be remiss not to allude to Moycullen’s magnificent county senior championship win in 2020.

He describes the club’s first ever senior title success as “a dream”, stating he always believed Moycullen had it in them to win the Frank Fox Cup.

“I had no doubt it was going to happen at some stage with the crop of talent coming through, but you were always questioning would it happen in your playing days. Thankfully, it did.”

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.

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