Putting the unity in community - Croke Park next for Kilbrittain

On Saturday night, The Kilbrittain Inn hosted a special draw for club members who had bought annual tickets for Cork County Board’s Rebels’ Bounty.

A number of cash prizes were on offer to turn an already great day into an even better one for a few lucky souls – though it’s hardly a stretch to suggest that some of the winnings would have been ‘reinvested’ into the coffers of mother-and-son publican duo, Josephine Dineen and Cian O’Leary.

Cian is the manager of the Kilbrittain football team, which reached the semi-finals of the Carbery JAFC, only losing to eventual divisional and county champions Kilmacabea after extra time. For the hurlers, he is the maor uisce, exemplifying the nature of how united the effort is that has brought them to Croke Park – in the main picture accompanying this piece, taken just after the final whistle, it is Cian who is embracing hurling boss Joe Ryan.

There will be a few good nights in the pub, the last one remaining in the village, between now and the end of the year – and yet they will all be a preamble to what will be a hugely special day in the club’s 122-year history, when they take on Easkey of Sligo in the AIB All-Ireland Club JHC final in Croke Park.

While former GAA President Seán Kelly is rightly praised for being a driver behind the opening up of the association’s headquarters to other sports, just as much of a legacy for the Kerryman is the creation of the intermediate and junior All-Irelands, affording so many clubs a day out on Jones’s Road.

The phrase, “The whole parish was there,” is often used in exaggeration but, in Clonmel Sportsfield on Sunday, it really did feel as if that was the case. On the weekend of January 10/11, Kilbrittain village will rival Pompeii for a lack of activity as everybody decamps to Dublin.

Earlier this year, the club and community were of course united in grief following the sudden and cruel passing of Oisín Gillain. The teenager’s memory has stayed with them, his number 8 jersey hung up in every dressing room they have occupied on what is now an eight-game winning run in Cork, Munster and now All-Ireland championships. Now, it will be with them as they prepare to grace the most famous sod of all.

It's a state of affairs that will take a while to sink in. Saturday’s match report simply began with the words, “Kilbrittain are going to Croke Park,” – as much an attempt to process the fact as to broadcast it to the world. The dream is real, though.

Naturally, it’s a time of year when Love, Actually gets a good bit of airtime but to sum up the general feeling we will turn to another Hugh Grant film, Notting Hill, and quote Julia Roberts’ character after their first kiss: Surreal, but nice.