John Horgan: Only one Cork club made it to Croke Park but they did us proud

The club championships over the past few months in both hurling and football have reached an entirely different level.

The provincial finals, All-Ireland semi-finals and finals that have taken place thus far have, in many instances, been spellbinding, capturing the imagination so much that you just wanted another 20 minutes of extra-time.

Only one Cork club made it into Croke Park for the final day and boy, did they do the county proud.

Kilbrittain's joust with Sligo and Connacht champions Easkey formed the first part of a double-header at headquarters last Saturday and that was followed by the All-Ireland intermediate final between Mayo's Tooreen and Tipperary's Upperchurch-Drombane.

In both instances, the two clubs representing Munster had been the pundits' choice and that was understandable given the standing of the game at those levels in Munster and Connacht.

It was Cork and Tipp against Sligo and Mayo and there should not have been much argument about what would transpire. But both those Connacht clubs had history in both competitions and they were not just rookies going to Dublin for a day out.

Kilbrittain triumphed in the opener by the bare minimum in a contest that was enthralling throughout with the Sligo team going right to the wire with them.

There was controversy too with the red card dismissal of one of their players and there were varying opinions on that, harsh the view of many.

Nothing at all to do with Kilbrittain, they got the job done by holding their nerve in a frenetic finish, providing the county with its seventh All-Ireland title in the grade.

The clubs who emerge victorious on those days on Jones' Road are often not marquee names but their input into the association is as great as any of those who triumph at senior level.

And Kilbrittain are one of those clubs, continuing to provide players down through the years who carry the club crest with huge distinction.

Their battle hardness is well documented, their black and amber jerseys are worn with huge pride.

LEGENDS

Their past is littered with the contributions of some great clubmen, Dan O'Connell and Geoff O'Connell, the late and great Michael Holland, Ross Cashman and Owen Sexton and Maurice Sexton to mention just a few.

Jamie Wall continues to inspire, is hugely immersed in the club and how delighted he must have been to watch his brother Philip climb onto the podium in Croke Park to receive the trophy.

Now, there's a brand new set of heroes down west, the aforementioned captain, Ronan Crowley, James Hurley, Darragh Considine and Mark Hickey plus all the rest.

Getting into Croker for an All-Ireland final is a hugely difficult task when you are representing Cork, all the more so now when you have to negotiate very rough terrain in trying to emerge from the group you are placed in initially.

Then comes Munster and again nothing easy comes there before you embark on the All-Ireland trail.

Yes, if it was their opponents last Saturday, Easkey against opposition from a different county, we'd have been right behind the Sligo team. They have been knocking around for a while now, they were beaten finalists in 2023 and their cause endures.

They are certainly an example to all other clubs who may not have their name up in lights but it's a small Sligo club who are now a template for others to follow.

Clubs like Kilbrittain and Easkey, who are the soul of the GAA, dream of things that have never been and say 'why not'.

For Kilbrittain, now the next few weeks are the days of their lives, they did Cork proud on the biggest stage.

What followed their triumph last Saturday was an epic intermediate final that made for compelling viewing, one of the games of the season that required extra time to decide it.

The Tipperary champions, Upperchurch-Drombane got over the line against Mayo's Tooreen and if there was ever an illustration of agony and ecstasy being so graphically illustrated this was it.

The much more fancied team from the Premier County were behind by a point with seconds remaining in regulation time only to equalise from a monstrous free to bring the game to another 20 minutes.

In that period, Tooreen conceded a couple of goals and it looked like the game was up for them. But their response was what this club has always been about, no surrender and their fightback just fell short.

It was a game for the ages, we roared for the underdog and they came up just short with immense dignity.

No consolation, of course, just sheer heartbreak on a Saturday afternoon that they gave everything and showed that in Mayo, hurling should get the respect it deserves.

Clubs like Easkey and Tooreen are miles off Broadway but they are every bit as important as those who wear Kilkenny, Tipp, Cork and Limerick colours.

Last Saturday in Croke Park, it was all about the honour and glory of the little village.

In both codes over the past number of weeks, we have been treated to some wonderful games and who knows it might even get better next Sunday.

Our eyes will be focused once more on that remarkable team from Waterford, Ballygunner who take on Loughrea from Galway in the senior club final.

Ballygunner have lorded it over all the rest in their own county and in Munster too more often than not.

Their return from the big day at headquarters has not been as impressive, just the one title. But the opportunity is being presented again to add to that all too short list and they are slightly the fancied outfit.

As history has illustrated, Galway clubs in Croke Park on All-Ireland final day are a damn hard nut to crack.

Portumna, Sarsfields, Athenry, St Thomas, Castlegar, Clarinbridge, Kiltomer have all been successful in the past and that some return from the clubs up there. That chart of success is a warning to Ballygunner and the hope from all neutral corners is that Sunday's decider will be on a par and maybe above what transpired last Saturday.

So, who will emerge?

FAVOURITES

Ballygunner are the fancy from this quarter because of their vast experience and a team that has players like Dessie Hutchinson, Padraic and Philip Mahony, Patrick Fitzgerald, goalie Stephen O'Keeffe on board to mention just a quintet who can make the difference.

The curtain comes down next Sunday on the provincial and All-Ireland campaigns and to say that they have been a roaring success would be an understatement. That applies in both codes and we have to mention the senior football semi-final between Dingle and Ballyboden, an enthralling contest.

Those games, courtesy of TG4, have kept us on the ege of our seats in the past few weeks and we eagerly look forward to what might be coming down the track next Sunday.

And here on Leeside, Kilbrittain have flown the flag very high for Cork clubs.