Retaining the Nestor Cup for the first time in 16 years is a clear ambition for Galway captain Damien Comer as they get their defence of the title underway.
Not since 2002-03 have Galway put Connacht senior titles back-to-back, having only ended an eight-year drought without winning the province in 2016.
Galway have found a level of consistency in recent years having reached the last eight of the Championship in four out of the last five seasons and though they’ve built up a good record in the qualifiers, Comer naturally prefers to establish dominance locally as a springboard.
“I think it is important,” he said. “Back-to-back hasn’t been done in a while. It would be nice.
“But it’s not the be-all and end-all. We’ve shown that a few years, coming through the back door route. Obviously, it’s a harder route.
“But we’ve a target going for the Connacht title and hopefully winning it back-to-back. If we don’t, obviously we’ll have to go an alternative route. But the direct route is always the best route.”
Last year Galway went a step further by reaching the All-Ireland semi-final for the first time since 2001 and though it ended in something of a whimper as Dublin inflicted a heavy defeat, Comer’s glass is more than half-full.
Diarmuid O'Connor recalls disappointment of 2018 campaign ahead of New York clash
“It was great. It was a confidence-builder. Even though we were on the back of a heavy enough defeat, but for long periods of that game, we were well within the distance.
“In the first half if we had taken our opportunities, we would have been well there. But it’s how we can build on it, how we can progress it. There’s no point in looking back, I suppose.
“We’ve a new Championship coming, it’s important that we can develop that and tighten up a few things.”
After undergoing ankle surgery, Comer hopes to return to action by the Connacht final, provided his teammates can eke out wins over London tomorrow, then Sligo.
“It’s all about going out there and getting the job done because there’s plenty of distractions but you can’t get sucked into that,” he says of the trip to Ruislip.
"You prepare as if you’re playing any other team. Go out there, and expect a good performance like we would any given day.
“Kevin [Walsh] has always instilled that he wants consistency coming from his team, and that’ll be the same with the London game and any other games that we play.”
VERDICT: Galway
If you haven't already, be sure to like our Irish Mirror Sport and Irish Mirror GAA pages on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
