Paul Galvin: 'Hurling put an edge into me as a footballer'

There was nothing left for Paul Galvin to achieve on the Gaelic football field, by the time he ended his playing career.

A four-time All-Ireland winner and three-time All-Star, the Kerry forward was also crowned Footballer of the Year in 2009.

But growing up, playing intercounty football was far from his mind as he predominantly focused on the small ball.

"All around me where I grew up is all hurling. Hurling served me awfully well as a footballer," Galvin said in an interview on Comhrá le Tomás.

"I started playing senior hurling at 16, and I'll never forget my first hurling game inside in Austin Stack Park. Blood sport!

"It toughens you. It was a great education for me. It really toughened me. Playing hurling put an edge into me as a footballer."

It was a great education for me. It really toughened me.

Indeed, those in his hurling club of Lixnaw had little regard for the Kingdom's footballing exploits.

"Anytime Kerry went out of the championship, we were straight into hurling county finals or semi-finals," continued the now-Wexford football manager.

"A lot of people in Lixnaw at the time were probably happy enough to see Kerry go out of a championship so we'd be free to go hurling!"

But eventually, his talents on the football field came to the fore, and he attracted the attentions of the county management.

"I hadn't considered Kerry football at all until I went to UCC. Éamonn Fitz (Fitzmaurice) said to me, 'Páidí [Ó Sé] has his eye on you by the way'," he recounted.

"It was just dawning on me. I had played minor with Kerry, I had played U21 with Kerry. But it was not a big thing. When I was young, it was hurling, hurling, hurling, hurling."