Premier SFC: Paddy Hayes happy to fill hectic role as St Finbarr's look to go back-to-back

If St Finbarr’s manage to retain the Andy Scannell Cup on Sunday, it would complete a rare hat-trick for Paddy Hayes.

The two-time All-Ireland SFC medallist was a young member of the Barrs team that won the county football title in 1985; then, by the time the trophy came back to Togher again in 2018, he was part of Ray Keane’s management team.

Also a selector under Paul O’Keeffe for the 2021 win, Hayes did not have a direct role last year – his son Brian was of course a central figure.

This time around he is serving as chairperson and a win over Nemo Rangers on Sunday would provide another chance to taste success.

“It's different,” he says.

“I was only just 19 years of age in 1985. When you come into a team and there’s Jimmy Barry-Murphy and there’s Dave Barry – when I was growing up, Jimmy Barry-Murphy was my hero, so it’s surreal, really, to be playing with fellas like that.

“I was a Cork U21 at the time and it was great to be part of that team, then to win the club All-Ireland in 1987, it was fantastic.

“I was a selector in 2018 and 2021 and it’s brilliant to win when you’re involved like that, especially when you have a son playing as well. Getting over the line is just something else.

“I stepped away last year, because I had gotten my two knees done and I needed a break anyway. I was looking to get back involved in some capacity this year and I was asked if I’d do the chair.

“It wasn't something that I'd ever even thought about, but I'm enjoying the role, to be fair. These couple of weeks now have been hectic, absolutely hectic.”

Hayes of course has a memory of watching Barry-Murphy play as well as soldiering alongside him and so the fandom is understandable. However, the selector holds the same iconic status among the current Barrs players.

“You have no idea what Jimmy brings to it,” Hayes says, “it's like what Billy Morgan brings to Nemo.

“They're iconic names. You see the likes of Roy Keane talking about Jimmy Barry-Murphy being his hero and Jimmy is just unbelievable.

“He has a fabulous relationship with the players and he gets the respect. When Jimmy opens his mouth, there's silence and everyone's listening.

“He obviously speaks very well as well, he's a great communicator.”

Having steady heads in the dressing-room was key when the Barrs won won and lost two of their group games but an impressive quarter-final win over Carbery was followed by semi-final victory over Clonakilty.

Injuries and departures have meant that their squad has been tested but, as Hayes points out, that has allowed others to come to the fore.

“This year, we lost two matches and we were lucky enough to qualify,” he says.

“We went into one or two matches, minus five or six or seven of the county final-winning team from last year – that's nearly half your team, so it's massive to be without players of the quality of the fellas that were injured.

“We lost Billy Hennessy to America and Ethan Twomey decided to concentrate on hurling, they were two big, massive players last year and down through the last number of years.

“It gives other fellas opportunities and fellas have stepped up and done well.

“The likes of Fionn Crowley and Thomas Egan, those types of players, have come through the ranks and they've put their hand up and done very well.”

One more win will give the Barrs their first back-to-back titles since 1979 and 1980 – is it a good thing to be facing the same opposition as last year?

“Yeah, if you win and no, if you lose!” Hayes laughs.

“Nemo had the hoodoo over us for a long time and to get over the line last year was a massive thing for this bunch of players and for the club itself.

“We're going into the final and we haven't played our best football by any means. I put that down to the demands on the players.

“We've had an awful lot of injuries, we're improving game on game and we're hoping it'll click.”