From Abu Dhabi to a county title via masters and junior football – it has been quite the journey in recent weeks for 40-year-old St Brigid's forward Senan Kilbride.
The former Roscommon ace started Saturday’s county final replay win over Pádraig Pearses, kicking a point in their 1-16 to 1-12 success.
Incredibly, it was his first start for the club since the group stages of the 2020 Roscommon championship.
Kilbride came on in the final moments of last week’s drawn encounter, but Anthony Cunningham placed his faith in him from the start this time around, and as the player told RTÉ Sport afterwards, it was something that he hadn’t even considered until Cunningham’s number flashed up on his phone.
"I was living in Abu Dhabi at the start of the year when the boys were training in the winter months and getting the league under their belts, so it’s been a fairly whirlwind few months and happy just to contribute any way I could," he said.
"I came back on the Wednesday and played with the masters on the Friday, it was straight back into it really.
"It was really good fun playing with the masters, we won the third tier (plate) of that – we played Armagh in the final of that a couple of weeks ago.
"(I) played a bit of junior with Padraig Keenan and the boys down there as well and I wasn’t expecting this at all.
"I was up with my brother in Dublin for a night and got the call from Anto and he was like 'there’s training tomorrow morning if you want it." and I was like ‘okay, yeah.’
"That was only about three or four weeks ago, so a fairly hectic few weeks."
It’s a two-week break now for the side as they player the winner of Mayo’s Ballina and Britain’s North London Shamrocks, who meet next Saturday evening.
Kilbride said that he is willing to fulfil any role going forward – or none at all – but is confident that the five-time Connacht winners can again make a mark on the provincial stage.
"I said to the boys if you need me I’ll help out. I’ll try my best to help out and contribute. Maybe the next game I won’t be needed at all and that’s fine. It’s basically about the club and the club getting as far as they can.
"We were very successful two years ago so the lads can do it; obviously there’s high competition in Connacht with champions all around.
"Whoever we get we just have to try and put in a performance."
Cunningham, meanwhile, offered his condolences to his counterpart Frank Canning following the death of his father Séan earlier this week.
"Frank Canning lost his dad there during the week, so it was a tough week and our condolences to the Canning family."
Watch Old Leighlin v Portarlington in the Leinster Senior Football Championship on Saturday from 6pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player
