'It's a pinch me moment' - Ian Jones savours Uibh Laoire triumph

Ian Jones described Uibh Laoire's county final success as a "pinch me moment" after the Muskerry club completed a remarkable rise through the grades by securing the McCarthy Insurance Group PIFC title at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

The lethal full-forward struck a hat-trick of first-half goals as Uibh Laoire overcame Kiskeam 4-22 to 0-23 on Saturday night, ending years of frustration and securing promotion to the Senior A grade for 2027.

"It's a pinch-me moment really," said Jones, who scored 3-2. 

"To finally get over the line and win a county final is unbelievable. We've been building towards this for a long number of years. There have been disappointments along the way and some tough days as well, but we always felt there was more in us.

"When the final whistle went it was nearly hard to take it all in. You dream about days like this as a player and when it finally happens, it's hard to put into words. It's unbelievable for the players, the management team and everyone involved with the club."

Jones was at his devastating best in the opening half, plundering three goals as Uibh Laoire stormed into a commanding lead. Yet the full-forward was more inclined to focus on the opportunities that escaped him.

"It kind of went downhill after that," he laughed.

"I missed a few chances after the three goals so I'll take what I got. But the most important thing is that we won the game. If somebody had told me before the throw-in that I'd score nothing and we'd still win the county final, I'd have taken it straight away.

"The chances were coming and that's all you can ask for as a forward. The lads were creating opportunities for us all day and thankfully enough of them found the net."

That blistering start was no accident according to Jones, who believes Uibh Laoire's fast starts have become a trademark of their campaign.

"We've done that in nearly every game this year. We've come out firing in the first 20 minutes and tried to put teams under pressure straight away.

"A lot of that is down to the preparation. The management team put huge work into getting us ready and making sure we're switched on from the first whistle. 

"Once you get that kind of start in championship football, especially in a county final, it gives you a massive platform to build on."

Kiskeam, however, refused to go quietly and repeatedly cut into the deficit with some spectacular shooting, particularly from distance. They kicked six two-pointers. 

"To be fair to them, their shooting was unbelievable," Jones says. 

"They were kicking scores from everywhere.

"You can only do so much when players are producing that sort of accuracy. I don't even know how many two-pointers they finished with, but every time it looked like we were getting away from them, they'd come back with another big score. 

"Their shooting throughout the game was exceptional."

One of the game's key moments arrived when Jones opted to square for his brother Chris Óg rather than shooting himself, allowing the Cork attacker to raise a green flag on his way to an outstanding haul of 1-10.

"Playing with Chris Óg is a joy. His positioning is unbelievable and he's always in the right place at the right time.

"You saw it again today. Every time you look up he's making the right run or finding a bit of space. He scored 1-10 and actually outscored me, which I couldn't believe.

"He makes life easier for everyone around him because defenders have to pay so much attention to him. When we're on the same wavelength, there aren't too many defences that can cope with us."

For Jones, though, the victory represents far more than a county final win.

"If somebody had told us six years ago, when we were playing Junior A football, that we'd be preparing for Senior A football, I don't think any of us would have believed them.

"It's been an unbelievable journey. There's no secret to it. We've an old back pitch that gets absolutely destroyed every January and February because of the work the lads put in.

"Everything this group has achieved has been built on hard work. The players have put in years of it and they're getting rewarded now. Hard work beats talent every day of the week."