A LIFFORD native is gunning for the Liam MacCarthy Cup in this afternoon’s All-Ireland Hurling final at Croke Park.
Tom French has had quite the journey since leaving Donegal in 1999 to move to the banks of the Corrib.
Today, before a heaving 82,300 at GAA headquarters, French will take his seat in the Hogan Stand dugout as Galway face the might of Kilkenny.
French has been the strength and conditioning coach with Anthony Cunningham’s team since the winter of 2013.
Picture caption: Tom French (right) with Galway physio Alan Daly and goalkeeper James Skehill.
When ‘Cooper’ French left the border town in the late 90s he was best known for his exploits at The Greenbrae, where he was a star of the Lifford Celtic team of the time.
He completed the UEFA ‘A’ Licence and was heavily involved at Galway United, where he was the team’s strength and conditioning coach before becoming the assistant manager.
He is now the co-owner of French Vanoli School of Fitness in Oranmore along with his wife, Claudia, a Pilates instructor.
They joined forced and amalgamated their resources in a 12,000 square foot facility in 2012.
French had doubled jobbed between his work as a personal trainer – he actually opened one of the first personal training studios in Galway – and his involvement with Mervue United’s soccer team.
In 2010, having completed his UEFA qualifications, French managed the Mervue senior team in the League of Ireland First Division.
French has worked his way up several ladders since moving out west.
A qualified athletics coach, he holds a Level 2 badge and he became a qualified Tutor Trainer in 2011.
It is with the county hurlers that French is now earning a name for himself.
He was taken on board just shy of two years ago and Galway’s summer has been quite the voyage with today’s final a repeat of the Leinster final, won by Kilkenny 1-25 to 2-15.
Galway got back on track with a 2-28 to 0-22 win over Cork before an exciting semi-final triumph over Tipperary on a day when sub Shane Maloney, making his debut, drilled over an incredible winner after being picked out by Joe Canning.
Seamus Callanan – who has strong family ties himself to Donegal – had scored a remarkable 3-9 for Tipp, but Galway prevailed.
Now, French and company have Liam MacCarthy in their sights.
It would be some chapter for the man from Croaghan Heights.
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