What's next for Galway senior footballers and Padraic Joyce

After reaching All-Ireland finals in 2022 and 2024, Galway have failed to get back there and it feels as if this could be a missed opportunity for Padraic Joyce and his side to reach the holy grail.

With Paul Conroy now into the latter stages of his inter county career along with Damien Comer, Shane Walsh and Liam Silke all into their 30’s, there will be a changing of the guard over the next few years.

Joyce has consistently brought Galway as challengers for All-Ireland honours,but back to back All-Ireland quarter final defeats now makes the off season interesting to see whether the Killererin native will return to his role in 2026.

The Galway manager has two years remaining in his contract, Joyce, John Concannon and Mícheál Ó Domhnaill have all now been part of the Tribesmen’s backroom team for the last seven years.

“I've seven years done here now, I’ve two more to do. Galway's getting there,” said Joyce in the aftermath of Galway’s defeat to Dublin.

“I think we're lacking, obviously, didn't get it over the line last year. We've been in four quarter-finals now, we've lost two of them, lost two finals. It's a lot of defeats for a lot of the players there.

“Today is probably not the day to talk about that but there's still a lot of good young talent coming through in the squad. There's two or three probably on the wrong side of 30, though, at the same time. Not that they're going to decide anything in the next while, but they just have to come back again. The football is there in the county, so they'll always be there or thereabouts.”

READ NEXT: WATCH: Padraic Joyce reflects on Galway's defeat to Dublin

The Tribesmen appeared to be in a strong position leading 1-20 to 0-17 on 55 minutes but Dublin finished strongly and drove on for a four point win. Galway’s two defeats in the championship this year have been down to letting leads slip.

Galway were six points up against Roscommon in the Connacht Championship and six points in front against Dublin and Joyce’s side failed to close the deal on both occasions.

“Teams get purple patches, we can't dominate the game for a full half. Even for their goal, it was a ball on the ground that we went for, it just broke the wrong way, we lost it, and then it goes inside. It's just trying to break that momentum. It's really hard to turn it around when it's going against you.”

On 64 minutes, Galway captain John Maher appeared to be fouled inside the small square and referee David Gough refused to award a penalty, leaving Joyce baffled by the decision.

“I don’t know did Dublin find another gear, I think they were helped find another gear along the way with some poor decisions that was given out there.

“We have an advantage on a two-pointer that John Maher catches inside the big square. He is clearly pulled to the ground from what I can see, and the [penalty] is not given because the referee told the linesman that it wasn’t a foul, so go back to the two-point free. That’s a frustrating one.”

Despite not getting a penalty after Maher was fouled, Joyce did admit that his team needed to take responsibility for losing. “We have to own the defeat, which I’ll do and the players will do. There was a lot of stuff in the game that didn’t go right for us. We didn’t get our hands on enough ball from kickouts. Everyone knows that. But we had chances, as well. We had a few bad wides. Our efficiency overall was quite good.

“We just didn’t see the game out. Went six up, should have pushed on more and got scores. Didn’t do it and paid the ultimate price for it.

“Yeah, so not taking away from what Dublin did at the end there. We can put a bit of blame on ourselves to score only once when we were six up and then lose by four.”

It has been a really difficult week for Galway GAA with the sad passing of two time All-Ireland winner in 1998 and 2001 Paul Clancy last week.

“It’s devastating. There is more to life than football. He’s gone and his kids have to grow up now without their dad in their life.”

Joyce and his teammates will be back in Croke Park later this year when the 2001 Galway All-Ireland winning team are honoured in the GAA headquarters.

The Galway footballers paid a lovely tribute to Clancy, retiring the number ten jersey before the game and placing it on the pitch in Croke Park as supporters gathered together to pay tribute to the Maigh Cuilinn clubman for a minute’s silence.

Members of the Galway panel and management formed in the position of a number ten during the minute’s silence.

“It’s going to be really tough for that team to try and do that again without him in a couple of weeks. It’s really heartbreaking, it’s had a huge effect on the people in Galway.”