In the first edition of the brand-new Sports interview section, Sports Editor Aaron Davoren talks to UCD graduate and All-Ireland winner Sam Callinan about his unforgettable summer with Mayo GAA and how he balances football with the books.
Sam Callinan was UCD’s representation in the midst of the biggest sports story in the country this summer and arguably the biggest All-Ireland Final ever. 75 years, 11 All-Ireland defeats, and a curse were brought to tatters when the Mayo squad finally got over the line in Croke Park this July against hot favourites Kerry. Callinan was summoned to a pitch-side interview, just minutes after the buzzer had gone off. He described winning as an “outer body experience”.
When asked if the achievement had sunk in yet, he stated that he is back to normal life now - “However, I do think it’s a new normal to get used to.”
It was a nerve-racking last 6 minutes for Callinan, as he was subbed off with a knock. Having no control over the outcome of the final moments led him to tuck his head in over his jersey (as many Mayo supporters could relate).
“I actually had the privilege of playing every single minute of football for Mayo this season before the 64th minute of the final, and believe me when I tell you, they were the most agonising and stressful 6 minutes of my life.”
Callinan compared the ending moments of the match to the Trinity test scene in Oppenheimer.
“The bomb is detonated, and there is about 30 seconds of silence before the sound of the explosion plays from the speakers. That's a bit like what the final whistle was like.
It took a few moments of hysteria before I could register the sheer noise of the stadium, and then the Green and Red of Mayo started playing. It was absolutely surreal.”
The homecoming week was like nothing ever seen before in Mayo. From Castlebar to Westport, to Belmullet, not one town or village missed out on seeing the Sam Maguire and the county players face to face. It was Callinan’s hometown of Ballina that gave him some of the most memorable moments of the homecoming week.
“To be 1 of 4 Ballina men to bring Sam back to the club after 75 years is something I'll never forget (although my singing performance is one I could do with forgetting).”
Callinan also referenced how his first day back home, 6 days after the game, and finally getting to sit down with his Dad in the sitting room and talk about the game was his “favourite part of it all.”
Reading these quotes one might think Callinan has the perfect life; however, few realise the sheer sacrifice GAA county players have to make - especially considering the GAA is an amateur sport, the players are not professionals.
“The time commitment required to play county football is huge, between training, meetings, analysis games and gym sessions. Even living in Mayo, it can be difficult to manage, and being in college in Dublin exacerbates the challenge quite a lot.”
Callinan gave an example of a typical away match week during the National League. Whilst studying at UCD, he was travelling up and back to Mayo on Tuesdays and Thursday nights for training (the commute takes between three and four hours there and back), sometimes not getting back to Dublin until 1 am. He'd then travel back up to Mayo on Friday before heading to the away county on Saturday for Sunday's
match and then wouldn't see Dublin until 7-8 pm that evening.
Having all that commitment, as well as some behind the scenes extras including the gym sessions, tactical meetings, UCD GAA, etc, begs the question of how Callinan is squeezing in an Economics and Finance degree amongst all of this.
“It was alright in first year as there were a lot of introductory modules and I could get by alright, but by second year I was struggling to manage - getting my head around difficult maths modules, meeting project deadlines, attending tutorials etc. But after a few years, you kind of start to get to grips with it.”
Using his time efficiently and extreme discipline seems to be the answer. Instead of watching TV or playing ping pong during his travels to the games or the hotel, the night before matchday, he catches up on his coursework.
“There's a lot of late nights in James Joyce, early mornings in the gym to have more time for college later, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I've always been quite academically inclined, and I am always conscious that there is life after football.”
Having completed his degree this summer, Callinan has now set his sights on a master's in Law in Sutherland as well as studying for 2 FE1 exams this October, keeping an eye on applications for Law firms this September.
Another goal for Callinan is to pick up more silverware, this time with UCD GAA. “In my time we've been unfortunate to have lost two finals, and I would love to have a Sigerson medal in the back pocket at the end of this year”. It’s safe to say the All-Ireland champion keeps himself occupied both on and off the field!