As Corofin continue to rack up titles and records, Kieran Molloy doesn’t pause for thought too often.
Sunday’s win over Ballintubber sent them into another Connacht final where they will look to complete the four-in-a-row in the province against Padraig Pearse’s on Sunday week.
It wouldn’t quite be a record as Roscommon’s Clan na nGael won six on the spin from 1984-89, though their seven-in-a-row in Galway, achieved with a replay win over Tuam Stars last Sunday week, was the first in the county since Tuam did it themselves in 1960.
Corofin made light of the quick turnaround following that victory to eke out a two-point win over the Mayo champions on Sunday.
Molloy said: “Sometimes your head gets up in the clouds but then you are brought back down and you realise just how precious these times are. It’s not often a club wins seven in-a-row county titles and that was brilliant.
“We were thinking of it is another game and because of the week turnaround for this game we didn’t get much time to reflect on what we had accomplished.
“We have two weeks now to prepare for the final and hopefully it will be a bit easier for us to prepare.”
Corofin became just the fourth team to retain the All-Ireland club title earlier this year and remain on course to become the first to win it three years running.
Their relentless drive shows no sign of waning.
“It is hard to know where it comes from,” Molloy continued. “It is nearly bred into us at this stage.
“As you are coming up through the years and developing as a play you are seeing all these lads around the place who have achieved so much and that gives you a hunger.
“And then when you are in there, you are constantly fighting for your place because the bench we have would be starters in any other team in the county and in Connacht.
“That’s where we get the desire because we have to keep pushing ourselves because you know that there is always someone behind you pushing hard.”
That drive is probably personified by Kieran Fitzgerald more than anyone else, the former Galway defender still going strong for the club in his late 30s.
“I don’t know how he is still doing it,” said Molloy. “He is 39 this year. It is absolutely crazy, he just dies for the sport.
“He will do anything he can to come out on top and get a win. It is great motivation, great inspiration for these young lads.
“When you see him come all the way up from full-back making a run it is just an inspiration to the rest of us.”
Best known as a wing-back, Molloy has been operating at midfield for Corofin of late.
“I didn’t think I would be there this long but they seem to enjoy putting me there. It is different to wing-back but I am trying to adjust slowly.”
When asked if playing there for the county would appeal to him, Molloy replied: “I have not really given it that much thought. With Padraic Joyce in, you don’t know what he is going to do. He could throw a complete spanner in the works, we don’t know.
“To be honest, it is not on my mind rightly. They have started back training but they are aware of our situation. We are constantly focused on the club as of now.”
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