From the terraces to centre of action in space of a year

EDDIE Hoare watched from the terraces as Galway were walloped by Mayo in the Connacht senior football semi-final at Pearse Stadium last May.

Like all other Galway fans in Salthill, the city man was saddened by the scale of the 4-16 to 0-11 record defeat. But unlike most supporters, Hoare could truly empathise with how the Galway players and management were aching.

After all, the St Michael’s clubman from Circular Road, Bushypark, had soldiered with many of them during stints with the county set-up at senior and underage. He felt the hurt, too.

“Having been team-mates with a lot of the lads, I understood the hurt that was going through them . . . how I felt as a Galway supporter was it was a sad day leaving Pearse Stadium, seeing former team-mates of mine beaten like that, but all we can do now is try and put that right on Sunday,” says Hoare.

Sunday is Connacht final day and while the Galway camp all week has focused mostly on tactics and preparing to get the best out of themselves in Castlebar, Hoare says of last year’s display: “It’s definitely used as a motivational factor . . .”

That Hoare will be lining out at all this weekend, appearing in his first senior provincial decider, rather than watching from the terraces again is a testament to his positive attitude, where giving up was never an option.

Plagued by injuries for years, Hoare’s journey to where he is now – one of Galway’s top forwards – is a tale of gritty persistence. Of long days and nights, alone, in the Ardilaun Hotel gym. Of boring, repetitive recovery exercise. It’s one of failed rehab and exploring all avenues to recuperate. But mostly it’s a story of that ‘never-say-die’ quality that has epitomised his football career on and off the field.

Hoare, who captained Galway to a Connacht minor title in 2005, was first drafted into the senior squad almost seven years ago, in November 2007, by Liam Sammon.

He made his league debut against Tyrone the following Spring; and was among the Galway panel of 26 – though never played – who won the Connacht senior title against Mayo in 2008, the county’s last. His breakthrough onto the starting xv appeared to be imminent. It wasn’t.

After guiding his club to an All-Ireland intermediate club final at Croke Park in February 2009, Hoare was forced to leave the county squad months later with a career threatening back injury – bulging discs.

Rehab wasn’t working until NUI Galway physiotherapist, James O’Toole, recommended a specialist in Harvard Medical, who eventually got him back playing for St Michael’s in March, 2010. The back was fine but then another setback – he dislocated his shoulder, regressing him another six months.

True to form, Hoare never gave up on the prospect of playing for Galway. He rehabbed, worked hard, impressed with St Michael’s and caught the eye of incoming manager, Tomás Ó Fátharta.

Hoare did well in trials in November 2010 and started five or six early season games under Ó Fátharta. But, again, more regression as the same shoulder was dislocated at training and only surgery would do.  At that point in 2011, the prospect of him ever playing championship for Galway was slim.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune