Maigh Cuilinn set about their first ever senior Connacht championship campaign with unusual vigour and purpose.
Often times, teams make a poor fist of their inaugural provincial campaign, what with them usually being a touch groggy following the post-county final celebrations.
Circumstances were rather different for the west Galway outfit, who worked through their first-time county champion delirium in the Covid-hit campaign of 2020, when the county championship was as far as things went.
After winning a second Galway SFC title in three years in dramatic fashion last October, they were primed and ready for a tilt at the country.
With a side boasting current Galway captain Sean Kelly and his brother Paul, intermittent county star Peter Cooke, as well as attackers Dessie Conneely and Owen Gallagher - both of whom impressed in the 2022 Allianz League - Maigh Cuilinn gave wider notice of their credentials with a stunning demolition of Westport at Elvery's MacHale Park in the Connacht quarter-final.
More profligate on a mucky afternoon in Tuam, they needed extra-time to clamber past Strokestown in the semi-final before overcoming perennial Sligo champions Tourlestrane in the decider.
"We were chomping at the bit (for Connacht)," Sean Kelly told RTÉ Sport this week.
"After winning that Covid title, we got our celebrations done. It was our first time ever winning it in 2020. We didn't get the chance to go into Connacht after that. We watched Mountbellew in 2021 and they went close as well. It (winning in 2020) did help keep us grounded this year, we were just ready to go again.
"We were dying to show what we can do on the Connacht stage. And going onto the All-Ireland stage, hopefully we can lift it another notch.
"It's something we want to do for our own club. Writing the club's name in history.
"The teams that have gone before us, Caltra, Salthill, and obviously Corofin - one of the greatest teams ever - have set a great standard for Galway.
"It's not something we're really looking towards, or trying to live up to. It's for our own club."
While Maigh Cuilinn's displays against Strokestown and Tourlestrane felt a bit of a comedown after their televised dismissal of Westport, Kelly is satisfied that the run has showcased the Galway champions' versatility.
"Obviously against Westport, it turned out to be a lovely day. I remember getting off the bus and it was pouring rain. I thought it was going to be an absolute dogfight.
"But we came out for the warm-up and the sun was shining, the pitch was in great condition. We knew we could play expansive football. In fairness, Westport tried to play the same.
"We probably played our best attacking football that day. I think we only had two or three wides that day. We were on fire in fairness.
"Going into Strokestown, it'd be tough to keep that going. They had a solid defensive set-up which was going to be tough to break down. It was on in Tuam, a heavy pitch, tough conditions. We were missing a couple of lads that day as well.
"That was probably one of our most solid defensive performances all year. We conceded four points in the first 10 minutes but we held them to three points for - with extra-time included - the next 70 minutes.
"We have a good mix. We can play defensive if we need to. Or we can play expansive football. Depending on the conditions on the day."
One Maigh Cuilinn player who did win his first county medal this year was midfielder Cooke, who punched the decisive late goal when things were looking dicey against Salthill in the Galway decider.
Cooke, whose last appearance for Galway was in the demoralising 2021 Connacht final loss to Mayo, works for an American cyber security firm and has flitted back and forth between the States and the west of Ireland since 2019.
He was stuck in San Diego when Maigh Cuilinn broke the mould in autumn 2020 and was based in New York last summer, as Padraic Joyce's Galway made the leap from underperforming also-rans to All-Ireland contenders. Happily for Maigh Cuilinn, he's now back in Galway, albeit working US hours remotely.
He recently teased a possible return to the inter-county fold in 2023, though it's still up in the air.
"I don't think there's any decision on Galway," says Kelly. "He's still trying to figure out where that fits with work.
"But we've had a great run with him with Maigh Cuilinn now. He's put in great yards and probably got our most important score all year against Salthill. It's something he missed in 2020 so he's been a real driving force for the club all year.
"He's a talented player, it's something Galway could definitely use - if it suits him."
Cooke might well be a helpful addition to a Galway set-up coursing with belief after their radical improvement in 2022.
Indeed, he wouldn't be the only returnee, with 2018 All-Star attacker Ian Burke back in the squad after a two-year exile and named to start in tonight's FBD opener against Leitrim.
The 25-year old Kelly - son of the late Galway footballer Padraig 'Dandy' Kelly, who won five Connacht titles in the 1980s - almost ended the year by clasping his arms around Sam Maguire.
"It was a great year. We knew it was in us. We knew we could drive it on and go that extra step.
"Obviously, we failed at the final hurdle. We didn't get what we wanted and reach our main goal. So, it still was a bit of a disappointment. Hopefully, in 2023, we can build on that. Get that final goal and get over that last hurdle."
