By Paul Keane

A week or 10 days into his recovery from cruciate knee ligament surgery, Tommy Conroy was almost wondering what all the fuss was about.

"It's funny alright, I remember when I was walking around after 10 days and I was joking, saying, 'Sure I might be back for a Connacht final or something along those lines'," said the Mayo attacker who was initially surprised at his speedy recovery from surgery after suffering cruciate damage whilst playing for NUI Galway in the quarter-finals of the Sigerson Cup in early February.

Now eight weeks post surgery, Tommy 'Goals', as he is referred to in Mayo for reasons that hardly need explaining, has long since accepted that he 'won't be playing football for another six or seven months'.

Speaking at the launch of the 2022 Kellogg's GAA Cul Camps, Conroy is asked if this is a particularly difficult week for him, as Championship fever grips his county in the leadup to Sunday's glamour Connacht quarter-final tie with great rivals Galway in Castlebar?

"Actually, probably not, no, I think the first couple of games that I went to, or watched, I found those very tough in that I was still kind of coming to terms with not being available and not being able to take part," said the science student.

"I think now I've come to the stage where I realise that I'm not going to be involved and I've kind of acknowledged that, so yeah, I probably found it more difficult initially, the first couple of weeks. I'm okay with it now and I'm okay with the fact that I won't be playing football for another six or seven months.

"I haven't set a proper target on it, or return date, it'll probably be the end of the year. It's hard to know how I'll fare out in terms of playing a bit with the club. At the minute, I'm just taking it week by week. I'm just trying to do as much as I can to try to get back to full fitness and to get back as good as I can when the time does come at the end of the year."

An All-Ireland final starter in both 2020 and 2021, against Dublin and Tyrone, Conroy has stayed involved with the squad throughout his recovery so far. Mayo reached the All-Ireland final and whilst they lost to Kerry at Croke Park, the 36 players used by manager James Horan was the most of any team in Division 1, indicating a high level of experimentation and perhaps even a stronger focus on the Championship.

Mayo didn't play any league games at their MacHale Park base due to upgrade work though will host Galway there on Sunday.

"I was actually down there a few times in the last couple of weeks, it's looking great," reported Conroy. "Phil, the groundsman down there, has been doing great work to get it ready for the 24th. It's looking great. It's been so long now since there's been a big championship game with full capacity at MacHale Park that everyone I think is really looking forward to it."

Conroy's loss will be significant, robbing the provincial title holders of searing pace and a strong goal threat. The flipside is the return of prolific attacker Cillian O'Connor who came on against Kerry after a long-term Achilles problem.

Conroy, ironically, is now in the position that O'Connor found himself in for last year's Championship, chief cheerleader.

"Cillian was great in that he'd always...even if it might only be a small comment after a training session or a game, but he'd have something for you in that regard," said Conroy. "He's a very clever footballer, he reads the game really, really well. It was great to have someone of that experience and someone who obviously plays a similar position to myself, that he was able to lend a lot of knowledge to me last year."

Conroy struck two points when Mayo beat Galway in last year's Connacht final at Croke Park. It wasn't a straightforward six-point win though as Mayo trailed by five after a poor first-half and had to dig deep to mine out their 48th provincial title.

"We didn't play well in the first-half, we weren't really bringing the intensity that we would have liked," said Conroy. "I suppose we were just told at half-time to turn that around and we had a good spell then at the beginning of the second-half. In terms of Sunday, we'll probably be looking to bring that form from the start and not have to wait until half-time to turn on the gas."

Conroy knows it won't be easy for him either, watching on.

"Definitely, very difficult," he acknowledged. "There are moments in the games where you're watching and you really want to contribute and really want to be involved. It's definitely difficult and I still find it difficult to watch, I wouldn't be the best onlooker. The first few games, I didn't really enjoy even going to them.

"I've become a bit more positive at this stage and have come to terms with it a bit better. In terms of Sunday, it's a big game, back in MacHale Park, full crowd - that won't be the easiest thing but I'll still be there for my teammates. I'll be wishing them well."

Kellogg's and the GAA have announced the most hotly anticipated summer camp, Kellogg’s GAA Cúl Camps, has returned for 2022. The Camps are anticipating an extra level of excitement this year with numbers back at full capacity across the country following Covid restrictions. Camps will kick off on Monday, June 27th and will run up to August 26th. GAA clubs across the country are set to be a hive of activity this summer with bookings for participants aged 6-13 now open. For more information on the Kellogg’s GAA Cúl Camps visit www.gaa.ie/kelloggsculcamps