By Cian O’Connell

Paul Garrigan’s interesting coaching career continues. Having flared to prominence during Meath ladies splendid journey, Garrigan has subsequently helped to guide Castletown to Wexford SFC glory.

Important matches have arrived thick and fast for Garrigan in 2022, but he’d have it no other way. The constant challenges are always worth embracing with Garrigan eager to enjoy a productive 2023 under Colm O’Rourke’s stewardship with the Royals’ senior football team.

Before then, though, Castletown will be anxious to deliver in the AIB Leinster Club Championship. Anthony Masterson, who gave distinguished service to Wexford, asked Garrigan to assume a role with Castletown.

“Obviously I was involved with Meath Ladies this year, I'd be very friendly with Anthony Masterson, he played with Wexford for years, he rang me during the year, and when Meath were finished to see if I would come down to give a dig out,” Garrigan explains.

“Castletown isn't a million miles from Baltinglass - I live in Baltinglass - so I went down to give a dig out once or twice a week. They got a bit of a run in the hurling too, they were in the Intermediate A hurling final which would be the third tier.

“They got to the final of that, so I really didn't do much with them apart from the last six or seven weeks. In Wexford they run the hurling first completely. Most of the lads would be dual players so you'd only have a few left over and a couple of the junior players - the lads that just don't play hurling.”

It has been a whirlwind couple of months, but Garrigan thoroughly enjoyed helping Castletown to overcame a talented Shelmaliers outfit.

“Really we only did eight or nine weeks of constant football with them since I went down,” he says. “It is fairly quickfire in Wexford - week, week, week so it is good in one way.

“When you are trying to catch up or get some training into teams it can be difficult because you don't have that huge contact time with them. That is how I got involved.

“Anthony rang me, really in the last eight to 10 weeks I've been doing a little bit more with them in relation to set-ups and just getting them tuned into the matches.”

Castletown are straight into provincial action at the weekend. “It is great to be in the Leinster club, you are playing Portarlington, who have got two weeks,” Garrigan says.

“They are putting a big, big effort in, Martin Murphy is over them, he is going in with Offaly. He has been with them, they have won three in a row in Laois. It will be difficult for us considering our lads will be enjoying a bit of this week so you don't have much recovery.

“This will be our eighth or ninth week in a row. We have played a game every week for the last nine weeks, but listen, that can be good too.

“Sometimes if you are off for two or three weeks you lose a little bit of momentum. It is a home match which is a help. Wexford Park is a unique environment with the wind down there - so that should help.”

An influential part of Eamonn Murray’s backroom team during a successful spell for the Meath ladies, Garrigan highlights the importance of inner belief.

“I actually spoke to the players the other night - some of the players asked me Meath two years ago against Dublin were probably bigger outsiders to beat Dublin than Castletown were on Sunday,” he says.

“I used some of the stuff - it is probably well documented now in relation how we brought all the players in, we talked about all these players and teams and people that had defied the odds Naomi Osaka winning the US Open, Kisenhofer winning that Olympic Gold medal, Leicester City and all of these teams.

“I showed the lads that on Friday night too. There are odds for the outside world and for what people think, but inside it really comes down to the players and the belief.

“The odds are only for the outside world, Castletown had every chance. It was an unbelievable story with Meath, a much longer journey. The one with Castletown is very enjoyable, but it was much shorter, and very quickfire.”

Assisting players to flourish is a mission that Garrigan always wants to accomplish. That is why the upcoming campaign with Colm O’Rourke’s Meath promises to be a lively adventure. “I'm really looking forward to it,” Garrigan replies.

“When Colm O'Rourke rang me, you have people like Barry Callaghan and Stephen Bray, obviously I'm from Meath too. Getting the opportunity to work with people like that and the players on the ground - the likes of Donal Keogan, players like that, who you have watched and have great admiration for them. They are a team, I wouldn't say in transition, but they are in middle ground.

“Getting the opportunity to try to make them better and to develop was something I felt a challenge in and something I'd have a huge interest in. I wanted to be involved.

"When you see how much it means to the people in Meath, what we did this year with the ladies, if we could have that same affect with the mens I think it'd be great. It was just something I was really interested in.

“I'm passionate about Meath football, I always was. When that opportunity came, I was delighted to take it.”