Callanan retires but staying with Galway hurlers as goalkeeping coach

GALWAY’S 2017 All-Ireland winning goalkeeper Colm Callanan may have made peace with his decision to retire from inter-county hurling after 13 years, but he says he is hugely excited to be staying on as the Tribesmen’s goalkeeping coach in Shane O’Neill’s backroom team.

Earlier this week, Callanan released a heartfelt statement calling time on his illustrious inter-county career — a career which yielded an All-Ireland senior medal, two National League titles, two Leinster SHC titles, and an All-Star in 2015. He agrees there were many highlights.

“For sure, yeah. I mean, even to be involved with Galway was a highlight in itself,” states the 37-year-old. “Obviously, 2017 is going to stand out, big time, with all that went on that year and all that we did and all that we won.

“But, yeah, there were lots of other big games as well throughout the years, such as the semi-final trilogy with Tipperary in 2015, ’16 and ’17; a couple of National Leagues that we won; and I remember a few big games against Clare. So, they will always be things you will be able to look back on.”

Noting that his announcement to retire was not “a snap decision”, he outlines he had pretty much made up his mind after they were knocked out of this year’s championship by Dublin at Parnell Park. “I knew that evening that there was a good chance that I wouldn’t be back there again,” he says.

“Kinvara then had a good run of it over the last few weeks and that probably delayed things a little bit because I was ready to make an announcement a number of weeks ago. I let a few people close to me know the craic. It is done now and, to be honest, I am okay with it. I have reconciled with the decision in my own head, so it is just time to move on.”

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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