Pádraic ‘Podge’ Collins believes Jason Gillane has the ability to fill the void left in the Limerick goal by the injured Nickie Quaid.
Collins worked with Gillane during Mary Immaculate College’s 2024 Fitzgibbon Cup-winning campaign. Mary I beat the University of Limerick in the final last February with Gillane between the posts.
Quaid suffered a cruciate knee ligament tear in November which has left Limerick manager John Kiely facing a genuine goalkeeping conundrum.
Quaid has been one of the most consistent goalkeepers in the game for over a decade now and the three-time All Star was a key cog in the Treaty County’s five All-Ireland triumphs since 2018.
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Gillane, brother of Aaron, has been one of those acting as a deputy to Quaid between the sticks and was Limerick’s sub goalkeeper for July’s All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Cork.
But he faces a battle for the number one jersey from Conor Hanley Clarke – who was the UL goalkeeper in that Fitzgibbon final earlier this year – and the recently recalled forward Shane Dowling, who has reinvented himself as a goalkeeper with Na Piarsaigh in recent seasons.
“I’d have great time for Jason as a goalie and as a person,” says former Clare dual player Collins, who will again be a selector-coach with Mary I in this year’s Fitzgibbon Cup.
“I think he’s excellent. He’s going to have plenty of competition for it; there are going to be two or three other goalies that he’s going to be competing with.
“They’re going to pick whoever is the best alternative to Nickie, who is a very hard man to replace. I’ve heard so many talk about him the last couple of weeks, about everything he’s so good at and everything he can do.
“How dedicated he is and how much he thinks about hurling and the amount of time he gives to it. It’s going to be down to who sacrifices the most, puts in the most effort and gives it the right amount of time.
“I think if Jason does that I’d probably have him number one. I hope he does give it a go. From dealing with him last year, I really enjoyed my time with Jason.
“It’s an opportunity for him and it’s obviously awful for Nickie. I’d say Nickie, knowing the man, I’d say he’ll be fighting to come back, maybe even towards the latter end of the year.
“But it’s a great opportunity for Jason and the other lads going for the goals. It’ll be interesting, it’s probably one that will have everyone on the outside looking on [to see what happens].”
Collins was looking on from outside the white lines this year as the Clare hurlers marched towards All-Ireland glory. The Cratloe man was one of the county’s star players during their 2013 Liam MacCarthy triumph.
“Any person, any Clare man, would love to have been out on the field, love to have been involved, love to have helped Clare win and everything that goes with it,” he says.
“But I resigned [myself] to the fact that the body wasn’t letting me do what I wanted a good few years ago. It was time for me to move on and next man up. I think that the lads did a fantastic job.
“I was behind where they lifted the cup, thankfully, or near enough to it. Jumping up and down like a lunatic in the stand, which was enjoyable as well. Not every time you go to Croke Park, we’re successful. Just to see that, it was magic.”
In particular he was thrilled for those he soldiered with over a decade earlier, including Shane O’Donnell.
“I was over the moon for him, just the way he has been playing the last year,” adds Collins. “We were so close and are so close, he’s just gone to another level in the last few years is all I can say about it.
“He’s still the absolute same guy, still as humble as ever, still as hard working as ever and just puts a lot of time into thinking about the game and training.
“He really was just phenomenal this year, he got Player of the Year and deservedly so and even with that hamstring injury coming into the final.
“As a person that tears the hamstring all too regularly, I was surprised to hear what happened, the quick turnaround from when it happened.
“I think I was having lunch with him the Friday before and he never mentioned a thing to me. He was tight-lipped on the whole thing – as it should be. I was delighted for him. What he did for the first goal was a bit of magic.”
– Collins was speaking in Croke Park at the draws for the Electric Ireland GAA Higher Education Championships.
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