Eamonn Keating: Ballincollig's day was years in the making

After years of near misses, Ballincollig finally got over the line as a strong second-half display saw them defeat Dungourney 1-19 to 0-16 and claim the Co-Op SuperStores PIHC title at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

For Ballincollig manager Eamonn Keating, Sunday's county final triumph was about much more than silverware.

It was the culmination of years of work, setbacks and heartbreak, all of which made lifting the trophy that bit sweeter. 

Promotion to the Senior A ranks now awaits in 2027. 

"I suppose just satisfaction really," Keating said afterwards.

"It's a great feeling of accomplishment. We made a pact together at the start of the year that we wouldn't leave business unfinished. We felt this group was good enough to go all the way.

"We were tested in all the games we played this year and today was no different. In the first half we wouldn't have been happy, but they're a great group with a tremendous spirit.

"They're a great bunch of players and we're absolutely delighted."

Ballincollig's path to county final success was far from straightforward. Successive semi-final defeats and last year's final loss could easily have left lasting scars, but instead they fuelled the determination within the squad.

Keating acknowledged just how much those disappointments had shaped Sunday's success.

"This didn't happen overnight," he says. 

"There's been two semi-final defeats back-to-back, there was a final defeat last year and then this year we have done it.

"We learned some hard lessons along the way and the players stuck with it.

"County finals can take on a life of their own. 

"There's no guarantees no matter how well you've played coming through the championship. We learned that the hard way before.

"We really believed in these players and they gave us everything. When you look at the amount of training sessions, strength and conditioning work and everything that goes into preparing a team, you're delighted to see them getting their reward."

A key turning point arrived with the game's only goal, finished by Adam Wills after excellent work from substitute Brian Keating. It was the decisive blow.

"The bench made a huge contribution," Keating states.

"Brian was instrumental in setting up the goal for Adam and I felt all week that a goal was going to be a huge score in the game. Thankfully it came our way.

"Our backs were absolutely outstanding, too. 

"I thought we suffocated them. We didn't give them any easy chances and the work-rate all over the field was tremendous."

As the final whistle approached, Ballincollig were able to enjoy the closing moments, allowing players and supporters alike to sense that a long-awaited breakthrough was finally within reach.

"We were blown away by the support," Keating says.

"The whole community got behind us. You could see all the green and white around the stadium before the game and it gave the players a massive lift.

"Hopefully this can really galvanise Ballincollig. There are good young players coming through and these lads have been through a lot together. I'm absolutely thrilled that they got their day."