Aidan Walsh relishing return to Croke Park with An Ghaeltacht

An All-Ireland winner, Young Footballer of the Year and All-Star with Cork, Aidan Walsh will be hoping to secure another big prize at Croke Park with An Ghaeltacht on Sunday afternoon.

The club intermediate crown is up for grabs on Jones Road against Glenullin for the former Kanturk dual dynamo, who made the switch to West Kerry where he lives with his partner Doireann and son Macdara.

Walsh kicked a booming two-pointer in An Ghaeltacht's semi-final victory over Sallins after extra time at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh but never imagined he'd get another chance to shine at Croker.

"If you told me last year I was going back to Croke Park, I would have said not a hope. If you told me I was coming for a Kerry club, I would have said that definitely wouldn't be the case," he told RTÉ Sport.

"I suppose it was kind of in my head for the last year, especially with my son getting older," he said.

"When I was growing up, when I was his age (four), my father, the biggest influence on my career, was finishing up playing for Kanturk.

"I always remember going to his games. I always loved to hear stories about when he was playing. Coming through the ranks for the club, I used to make my father proud. I was lucky enough that he was involved as manager and selector throughout the years when I was playing.

BIG MOMENTS

"The biggest thing for me is after the final whistle, just to have Macdara, to see him run out to the field. I'm lucky enough that I've achieved a lot, but they're the big moments for me, to see my son, see him happy, just seeing the joy on his face."

Walsh, who was a dual inter-county player for Cork in 2014 and last pulled on Rebel red in 2020, is gunning for a unique intermediate double. He landed the 2018 hurling title with Kanturk.

"The big thing is to enjoy the day. People get too bogged down, too serious about everything.

"Before we know it, it'll be this day next week, and everything will be over. The biggest thing is to grab it properly and enjoy it as much as we can."

Walsh, by his own confession, doesn't have the level of Irish of the natural Gaeilgeoirs from the region. With his vast experience and self-belief, it has never been a problem. 

"It would have been a lot harder for me if I was 20 years of age, but with the experience I have now, it’s definitely a lot easier," he said.

I know myself what I need to do. I have a fair idea of what they're talking about when they're discussing tactics. It's not rocket science. 

"I always try to focus on what I need to be doing for the team, so I don't get bogged down if there's something I don't understand, "I just think about what I need to be doing, so I won't get too worried about that."