Gary Fahey

Infobox GAA player


name =Gary Fahey
irish =Gearóid Ó Fathaigh
placeofbirth =Galway
countryofbirth =Ireland
sport =Gaelic football
code =Football
county =Galway
province =Connacht
clposition =Full-back
club =Killanin
clyears =??? - Present
clcounty =0
clprovince =0
clubs =Killanin
counties =Galway
clapps(points) =
icposition =Full-back
iccounty =Galway
icyears =1991-2004
icapps(points) =
icprovince =5
icallireland =2
nfl =0
allstars =1
icupdate = May 2008
clupdate = May 2008|

Gary Fahey is a former All-Ireland winning captain for Galway.

His reputation as an excellent full-back in the annals of Galway football is assured, with five Connacht Senior medals and two All-Ireland medals which is a terrific personal haul.

Fahey’s intercounty career began in 1992 when he joined the Galway panel after playing a crucial role for the Sigerson Cup winning UCG team. Seán Óg De Paor was captain that year and Niall Finnegan also played when the Galway college defeated a star-studded Queens University Belfast side in Pearse Stadium, Galway. He made his debut in the summer of ’92 when he came on as a substitute against Mayo in Castlebar. Galway were defeated on the day and remained in the football wilderness after defeats to Leitrim in 1993 and ’94. It wasn’t until 1995 that they finally managed to win the Connacht title under Bosco McDermott. They defeated Mayo in the glorious sunshine in Tuam Stadium: their first provincial title in 8 years. Galway narrowly lost to Tyrone GAA|Tyrone in the All-Ireland semi-final.

Mayo under the guidance of John Maughan defeated Galway in both the 1996 and 1997 Connacht campaigns where they also lost both subsequent All-Ireland finals. John O'Mahony, who had brought Connacht titles to both Mayo and Leitrim, was announced as the new Galway manager in September 1997 after Val Daly's sole year in charge. The Mayo native then presided over what was to be a glorious period in Galway football with Fahey a central cog in the team.

Galway football supporters will never forget 1998 when their county defeated Kildare in the All-Ireland final to end 32 years of anguish. Gary Fahey had a great game at full-back that day and his tussle with Kildare’s Karl O’Dwyer was a feature of the final. The journey to the Holy Grail and Sam Maguire had started with a pulsating contest against who else but Mayo in Castlebar in May 98. It was here that the seeds of success were sown for a Galway team that badly needed to overcome their arch rivals to silence the doubters. Their 1-13 to 2-06 was the catalyst for an amazing season for Galway, who followed up with victories over Leitrim, Roscommon in the Connacht final and Derry in the semi-final.

Fahey had soldiered on the panel for six year’s before that magnificent All-Ireland victory and in the next 4 year’s he would play in some of the biggest games in Galway’s history. In 1999, an unfortunate hamstring injury kept him out of the Connacht Final, an injury that many believe that cost Galway that day against Mayo in Tuam Stadium. He returned refreshed for the 2000 season where the Tribesmen re-claimed the Connacht title after defeating Leitrim before narrowly losing to Kerry in the All-Ireland Final after a replay. According to Fahey, "The 2000 final was the one that got away because we had the chances at the end of the first game to take the title."

Galway began the 2001 championship season very badly when Roscommon ambushed them in Tuam but through the new ’back-door’ system they embarked on a sensational run of victories over Wicklow, Cork, Armagh GAA, Roscommon (again) and Derry before clashing with Meath in the All-Ireland final. The initial Roscommon defeat was gut wrenching but with Alan Keane coming in as goalkeeper and Tomas Mannion reverting to centre-back Galway were an invigorated outfit.

Galway trounced Meath in the final by nine points to make up for the previous year against Kerry and in the process Fahey collected his second Celtic Cross. He also had the great honour of lifting the Sam Maguire trophy as captain, joining the likes of Galway men Jack Mangan and Enda Colleran.

Galway managed to win the Connacht title again in both 2002 and 2003 but fell short when it came to All-Ireland glory.

John O’Mahony departed in 2004 after guiding Galway to four Connacht titles and two All-Ireland triumphs. They also narrowly lost 2001 and 2004 National League final’s too. Gary Fahey’s superb defending at the edge of the square was a feature in many of those games and Galway supporters were always much more confident of victory when he was in the side.

He hasn’t given up playing club football with Killanin either with whom he admits; he owes a debt of gratitude for giving him the outlet with which to develop his game.