The Ultimate G.A.A. Odyssey

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Brussels, Belgium
A journey of triumph and despair across the roads, railways and skies of Europe, sharing in the relentless mission to develop, sustain and grow a G.A.A. club in the backwaters of the Association.

Sunday, October 30, 2011

D Day Looms

Our last training weekend of the season and it started with many question marks remaining over the Championship and Shield panels. On Friday night we were out in the BSB focussing mostly on kicking, shooting and some conditioned games. On Saturday we moved to a grass pitch in Brussels centre and played a full pitch match.

Going into the weekend, I had a fair idea of how I thought the panels would shape up but myself and Conan had yet to sit down and go through them. However, after the back to back sessions, a few more lads clawed their way back into contention and that makes the decisions a little less straight forward.

Since the beginning of the year when Conan and Eoin split the panels in Lux, the door has remained open for guys to stake a claim for a place on the Championship team. The result is that we now have a much larger array of options in each position and have been able to cope with the loss of a hoard of players.

Within today or tomorrow, we will finalise everything and the lads will be waiting eagerly for the news. There is a healthy tension there at the moment and it was needed heading into the weekend. Tom Lane, back from his global travels, was down at the match yesterday and he commented how there was a noticeable edge to the game.

We played four twelve minute quarters and by the final quarter many of the issues had been ironed out. Our foul count has dropped massively in the last week and that would be one of the main improvements we are looking for in Limerick. Our defensive set-up is solid so we will be hard to score against but we must make sure we don’t cough up innocuous frees and give teams an easy way into the game.

The tension I mentioned was visible right through the group over the last week both on and off the pitch. It brought the best out of the majority of fellas and we have a much more tuned group than we would have had a couple of weeks ago or even before either of the last two tournaments.

The immediate priority now is to get the panels named and not have that tension burn up energy unnecessarily. Many of the team have already left for Ireland and others will go in the coming days so we will have one final run out on Tuesday evening and leave it at that.

The roadwork is done and I'm confident that when the lights go on next Saturday, we'll have two teams primed for action.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Big Week

It’s the biggest week of the season for everyone. We will train Tuesday, Friday and hopefully have a full pitch match on Saturday. With a public holiday next week, a lot of the lads have planned in a couple of days at home prior to Limerick. It will be the last chance for many to stake their claim for a place on the Championship panel so that should bring an extra edge to things.

The clutter for places has reduced a little with the news that both Johnny O and Hudson have been ruled out due to work commitments. On top of that, we lost Collie Byrne to a recurrence of a calf injury last Friday night and the Bull will be in Haiti building houses.

Despite this, we have enough lads available to give myself and Conan selection headaches. We’ve options on each line of the pitch and separating guys won’t be easy, especially as so many have stepped up at recent tournaments. The fact the tournament is in Ireland will mean that family and friends will be in attendance and that is driving everyone on that little bit more.

By Saturday evening, everything will be a little clearer but we will probably still hold back on naming the panel until the middle of next week as you are guaranteed someone will have to pull out for one reason or another.

Whichever way it turn out, we should be competitive in both competitions. In the previous two rounds of the Championship, we couldn’t complain too much about the manner of our exits but we still left knowing we were only a score or two off the pace.

The Shield team has only had one outing and were eliminated by a shoot out in Leuven. Looking at the potential panel that will be on display, there is serious potential to cause a shock or two. They will face some heavy hitters with Amsterdam leading the charge. Our neighbours travel with one hand very tightly gripped on the cup but the likes of Frankfurt will be hell-bent on spoiling the party.

So plenty to focus the minds this week. Five sessions and counting.

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Friday Frustrations

Training took a bit of a dip Friday night and it turned out to be our least satisfactory session in a while. In fairness, we have very few lads who turn up to go through the motions so we were all a bit pissed off leaving the BSB last night.

There was a combination of factors which contributed to it. After the warm-up, Conan put us through a series of kicking drills and the quality of the kicking was cat. Even after a stoppage to point this out, we continued on a downward curve. Concentration levels looked poor and I’m not sure was it the fact everyone was at the end of a working week or what.

Numbers had also surged and that put off the planning a little. Conan planned for the usual number and he always sets out all the drills at the start of the session to ensure we can have a smooth and quick transition between exercises. When numbers are far higher than expected, it means groups are bigger and that impacts the amount of time each player gets on the ball, so the players aren’t happy.

I faced the same problem with my shooting drills. The ball to player ratio was far from optimal so that led to too much delay for each player. I’d also set the drill up to favour the right footed player which displeased renowned drill wrecker Darragh Cotter. I’m all for feedback but I didn’t take kindly to the tone of his so we had a sharp exchange. He then proceeded to try and kick every ball over the fence when it was his go!! I was nearly climbing up it to stop him from getting satisfaction from succeeding in his goal.

Despite there being aspects of myself and Conan’s planning which could have been sharper, the player still has no excuse for not executing the majority of the drills properly and lads should make sure that when they are in play on an exercise that they are fully concentrated. There was a fleeting return of the ‘excuses mentality’ on Friday which needs to disappear fast. I don’t think that will be an issue though.

The session did finish well with a tough last ten minutes of running. Paddy Cassidy was telling me a couple of months ago that his club used to always finish with a hard running drill and called that part of the session, ‘the final ten’. He told me it was to try and create a mentality to finish the game with one final burst (correct me if I’m wrong Paddy). I passed this on to Conan and he has brought it into the sessions. I find it good as you are hanging at the end of the session, which is just what you want. Special mention this week goes to Paul Gavin who seems to have a rocket up his ass. The man is displaying fitness and speed prowess that he has previously kept fairly well hidden.

We headed back to Schuman afterwards and popped into the Coolock for a change of scene. There is a good buzz with the lads at the moment so the banter over a few pints is always enjoyable. Apparently Griff knew we were in there but he still rocked up with a bird on his arm. He looked sheepish enough as he shuffled by and then ignored us for the night.

Another lad giving the cold shoulder was John Van Pool, FC Irlande’s premier net minder. John, from Oklahoma goes by JVP when his name is mentioned in written form but I’m sure from the way he carries on that he’d rather ‘MVP’! He was awkwardly shifting from one bird to another, looking like all his planning had had some unfortunate collision.

We picked up a couple of new players in recent weeks, most notably Diarmuid Lynch from Cork and Cillian O’Donghue (from Cork originally, but moved to Meath when he was eight). Both are capable footballers and also very good trainers. We needed the influx of a couple of guys like that and it helps too that they have integrated seamlessly.

Brussels being Brussels, there is rarely such thing as a couple of quiet pints. Johnny P, Keary, Mul and Darragh all disappeared around midnight and I thought they’d headed for home but apparently they ditched us for a party that Hagan had an ‘in’ for.

Curiosity pricked, we got the phones out to see what the story was. Naturally the questioning revolved around the ladies at the party. Mul, the only single one amongst the lads, tried hard to put us off the scent but the others suggested it might be worth the trip. Off we went and with us went any chance of a productive Saturday.

The main comment I remember from an otherwise hazy enough night was one Ger made about me losing some sprints during the week. I was conscious of this in my head but it’s good for someone to mention it to you as it gives you a jolt to up the ante.

Hopefully the few pints will have washed away the malaise from Friday and everyone will be in much better form come Tuesday.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

City of Sports Welcomes Euro G.A.A.



The season end is approaching quickly and we’ve entered the final phase of training. This year, as part of Limerick being the European City of Sport, the final round of the Pan-European Championship & Shield will be hosted by UL.

We avoided the usual post-tournament dip last week and lads showed great eagerness to get straight back to work after Guernsey. The only hiccup was Friday night. I was back in Ireland but Conan was keeping me in the loop. The above picture was the scene at the appointed start time. Apparently there are three lads somewhere in the dark.

Everyone eventually arrived, citing a bomb scare for the delay. This is the second time they’ve pulled this one. The last time I bit my tongue and went home to check the internet and found nothing about it. I’m not sure I’d have been so gullible this time.

Conan is back on board full-time with the training. When he is ‘in’, you can barely buy five minutes of time at training to do stuff!! The chemistry has the right balance now though as we have two trainers hungry to take sessions and that should benefit all. Looking further ahead, it may also solve any potential trainer issues next year.

We have six sessions left and its clear guys are up for the last trip of the year. Darragh is back after a shoulder injury and looked like a man feeling the heat for his place after Olof and Griff’s performances in Guernsey. I thought he’d drifted into the periphery in training before he got injured but he was much more engaged on Tuesday night.

Practically all the regular trainers have got a shot on the Championship panel this year and it leaves us with a lot of options . We finished third in both the last two tournaments using over twenty players. The perception would have been that the team for the Belgian tournament was stronger than the one for Guernsey. However, with both groups achieving the same placings, it knocks that idea on its head a bit. There is great competition and the key thing in two weeks time will be getting the blend right to improve on the previous results.

The Championship has been the most competitive since we started playing in 2008. The amount of games which have been won by a point in the last two tournaments is unreal. The Hague and Guernsey have been a step ahead but ourselves and Lux have been there or there abouts. Jersey have been slightly further back while it’s difficult to judge where Stockholm are at. They missed the Guernsey tournament and were pitted in a tough group in Belgium against The Hague and Guernsey. Amazingly, we’ve yet to play them since they joined the ‘circuit’ so we’d look forward to the challenge of testing ourselves against them.

So, three sessions left in the British School and hopefully we will never have to return there again. It’s a pain in the ass to get to and the surface wrecks havoc on the body. In the week preceding Limerick, we move back to the VUB who have just laid a new astro. It will ensure we start the final week of the season on a good note.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Kinsale - County Intermediate Football Champions 2011


County Intermediate Champions 2011. I texted Barry Gray on Sunday evening and when he replied he tried to soften the blow of missing it by inserting ‘probably’, when telling me it was one of the best days. When you haven’t won an adult title since 1932, there’s no need to understate anything.

I made it back from Guernsey in time to tune in to the commentary and tweets online. I wasn’t alone in cyber world. Conor was in a McDonalds in Wellington. Paul Hurley was tuned in from Thailand whilst Leary and others were in on it too.

From the moment Jeremy broke his leg early in the first half, the lads never looked back and they controlled the game. Wardy, who didn’t even make the panel for the semi, came on and kicked two points. David Coughlan had the game of his life. But the crucial score, a second half goal, came from the boot of Barry Gray - goal poacher extraordinaire. Twelve years on from his goal scoring debut against Courcies, he raised the green flag again on the club’s biggest day.

The victory is an incredible achievement. The team has mixed two generations of players. Both were talented but neither were what you would call a ‘golden generation’. Plenty of work needed to be done to bring this team together to achieve what they did last Sunday.

Gearoid gets a bulk of the credit. The papers were full of praise for the team’s style of play and their usage of the panel. ‘Modern management’ came up more than once. Part of that management was getting Brian Murphy more involved and getting Ollie Cahill and Tony Griffen fully on board. He’d say himself that their input gave fresh impetus to the whole thing.

They won a county with what may be considered by some as ‘unfashionable’ players. Throughout the year, the team was doubted and even afterwards some people unbelievably tried to play down the achievement.

Still, the majority drowned out the minority and the town was buzzing all week by the sound of it. The Primary Schools were visited on Monday and the session looked like it continued all week.

I’d be in touch with Gearoid on practically a daily basis and you can’t imagine the amount of work and thinking that goes in behind the scenes. Getting a group of players fully focused in a town like Kinsale is a very difficult task. There were times when I’d say he was ready to walk but he stuck with them and he showed unreal resilience to keep believing in his ways, in the face of some fairly persistent criticism.

Bolster was home from the States and saw the team play for the first time since last summer. He said the transformation was incredible. He commented about how composed and confident they were, especially in defence. He said the work rate was incredible. The work in progress became the finished product.

There is no doubt that it’s a killer to miss out on last Sunday but such is life. If I was only here a year or two, the pain would be greater. The longer you are away the more you can accept that you’ve just become an interested spectator. Well, I say that but I barely mean it.

It will be some Dinner Dance when you considered the amount of All-Irelands, Munster Championships and Sigersons that came back to the club this year. To put the final bit of icing on the cake, Brian Coughlan finished a memorable year by winning a Senior Football Championship medal with UCC today. 2011 will live long in the memory. Hopefully it won’t remain a reference point the way in which 1932 did. At least not for so long.

Monday, October 10, 2011

‘Put that in your blog!’

Three years writing the blog and I was wondering how long it would be until someone used it to take a swipe at me. It was right out of the Jason McAteer repertoire of gags. I’m not sure why you would even acknowledge to a player that you know about his blog or anything else in a heated exchange. I’ll take it as a compliment. ‘Keep it lit’ they said, you can be sure Saturday’s exchanges with Lux will keep the fire burning in our club. More of that later...

We arrived in Guernsey on Friday evening and were greeted by members of the club who drove us to our hotel. Can’t fault that kind of welcome. Giller rocked up later with the local paper which had an interview with the club’s Chairman, John Payne. He was bullish about their prospects, saying they had assembled their strongest team to date.

Our opening fixture was against Lux. We happened to be on the same flight as them and it was clear they were very focussed, not engaging in any chit chat. They had a more physical approach in Leuven the last day and they weren’t shy on Saturday either. We got the tough start expected.

I have to put my hand up for making a balls of it. I changed the tactics and we were all over the place as a result. Lux upped the ante and we got frustrated with some persisting fouling. The advantage rule is always contentious, more so when you don’t avail of the advantage itself! We tried to adjust things at half-time but we’d totally lost our rhythm and we didn’t deserve any more than the three point defeat. It was a big lesson.

We needed to get back on track urgently and Jersey provided the next opposition. It was a dour and tight encounter, lit up in the first half by a great team goal. I received the ball in defence and played a one two with Liam Walsh before releasing Timmy. He carried as Giller made up the hard yards, arriving in time to fist Timmy’s square pass to the net. Jersey struck back and goaled after a couple of ricochets around our square. In was level until the last play of the game which would find its way to Timmy. He landed a monster winner to put us back on track.

Next up was The Hague. We had our stride back but a couple of early frees from them slowed our progress. The game revealed a serious issue in Saturday’s panel; we hadn’t one recognised forward in the travelling party. None of the lads would have been forwards when they played at home and we lacked the necessary cutting to claw back The Hague’s three point half time lead. Timmy did flash a shot across the goal in the second half and if that had rippled the net we may have muscled our way back in. As it happened, we went down by five points.

Our last game was against Guernsey and we made a couple of switches to freshen things up. Starting well and playing with a very strong wind, they took the lead and were then awarded a penalty. Up came their keeper and as I was in goal I thought it would be helpful to ask him what he was going to do with it. He told me but I was still a few inches away as it whizzed past.

We’d goal soon after through Ryano (i think!) so trailed by only a point at the break. We threw caution to the strong wind that was now at our backs and went for bust. There was a melee around the goalmouth and we were awarded a penalty. I was on duty for the day so up I went.

After initiating the banter with their keeper before his penalty, he now wanted to know where I’d put it. I didn’t respond initially but then he goaded me! I told him left, he asked which left, I clarified and then stepped back. The goals on the second pitch were particularly narrow, something between an U-12 goal and full sized one so it required more power then I’d normally like to use. He was close but not close enough.

As the clock ticked down, we trailed by two and we were awarded another penalty. Up I went again to try and win it with one of the last kicks. There was no banter on this occasion. I went left and high again but the keeper somehow reached it. We’d get one back with the next play but not enough to win it.

Guernsey were through to the final and on the other pitch, The Hague had launched a second half comeback to pip Lux to the final by a point.

Our day would finish with a 3rd/4th place playoff against Lux. Often these games can be a bit of a washout but we had plenty of motivation. We didn’t match them physically in the first game. Crusher had sustained a nasty shoulder injury in a challenge, Timmy received a late blow that caught him in the mid-section and some of the rest of us felt the brunt of some mistimed tackles. We knew we needed to step up.

The icing on the pre-match speech was a comment made as we had lined up a free in the first game. A Lux player roared, ‘We don’t want to lose to a shit team’. I don’t understand such comments. It makes virtually no difference to your own team’s performance but when the opposition hear it, they will bank that for years and the very mention of the incident will fire us up from now on.

We were going to give as good as we got which made for a tetchy encounter. It was fairly contained until half-time but then one of their players head-butted Griff as we walked off at the interval. That led to what you might call a ‘coming together’ of both teams and a frank exchange of views which took some time to sort out. Plenty of blogging advice was offered!

It turns out they were incensed by an incident which preceded half-time where Griff had put a shoulder into one of their lads. It occurred as Lux were about to take a free from the wrong spot and Griff pointed that out to their player. No need to repeat the response from the player but he probably misjudged that Griff would face down the threat so quickly.

As the half-time chit chat was broken up by the ref, one of them reminded me that this was Championship. So it is and you should be able to take it if you give it. They continued to give as Crusher was pinned down by his man off the ball but we kept our cool.

The half-time score of 0-0 to 0-1 in our favour gave a good indication of the type of game it was. It remained tight through the second half, despite one of their subs coming on and telling Ross he would kick six points off him. They would score one and Paddy would slot two frees over to give us a 0-5 to 0-1 victory. I was fairly wound up before and during the game. I hadn’t felt like that in a while but when I have that feeling my game lifts a level or two.

Lux had performed well during the day so it was good to reverse the earlier result. It’s brought a new edge to our rivalry with them and you need that. Nothing boiled over but it brought an intensity to proceedings and we always play our best football in those conditions. Hands were shaken at the final whistle but it was clear minds have already turned to our next encounter.

Reflecting on the overall day, we can’t feel too badly about the performance. We had 14 players travelling. Only 4 of those lads made the Championship panel last year. All the rest, except Liam Kelly, were here last year and playing Shield. Liam arrived a month ago and was a sub on the Shield team the last day. It’s a big step-up to make en masse but no-one was found wanting.

To battle to third in such a tough competition and be competitive was satisfying in that context. However, as I said to the lads after, we can’t always be content by finishing 3rd. We understand where we are on the learning curve but we can’t forget that the goal is to continue to improve and contest finals, sooner rather than later.

In fairness, everyone played to their max but three stood out. At the back, Crusher was immense. He could barely move his shoulder Sunday morning but got up and down the pitch all day, topping it all with a left footed goal.

Griff, playing his first Championship round, put in a massive performance. He’s the type of guy we need; big, strong and ferociously committed on the pitch. I’ve been reluctantly on his case at training to sharpen up his ball skills and tackling. I say reluctantly because he always looks back at you as if he will kill you.

The third player I’d pick out is Timmy. He missed six weeks training from mid-July to the end of August. When he returned, I was on his back more than most because I knew he was going to be a key man and we needed him flying fit. He barely missed training since and has worked his balls off. He was magnificent on Saturday, showing bravely time and time again for ball whilst leading the attack.

So now we all turn towards Limerick. Guernsey beat The Hague by a point in the final and as far as I know it means we still have a mathematical chance of winning the Championship. Considering the competitive nature of this year’s competition, anything is possible. We go back to work Tuesday.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Belief The Only Barrier

Trains, planes, cars and boats are all on stand-by for our imminent departure to Guernsey. It's the trip we dreaded all year but now that it is upon us, we are looking forward to the adventure. More importantly, we are eager to take our chance to improve on our showing in the last tournament.

The team is much changed from Leuven. Out go Brendan Lynch, Darragh Cotter, Ciaran Hudson, Paul Gavin, Diarmuid Laffan, Diarmuid Lynch and James O'Dowd; all unavailable. In come Shane Ryan, Ger McMahon, Shane Griffen, Olof Gill, Johnny Phelan, Conchur de Barra and Liam Walsh.

In past years, our A and B teams pursued different styles of play. You could accuse the A team of having a more individual focus whereas the B team was more team focused. In the last couple of months we have set out one template for both teams. It was done so we could counter the situation which presents itself this weekend. With our approach of the last couple of years, we would be cannon fodder this weekend had we not sorted it out.

The transition process between the two teams can now be made much quicker and the lads coming up are going well. Bull has missed a month with injury but his secondment in Toronto over the last twelve months seems to have knocked some of the edges off his game. He looks more composed on the ball and in the tackle.

Ger McMahon has been the big plus of recent weeks. He returned in March after 2.5yrs in Japan. The ramp-up was painful enough for him as he got back in shape. In Maastricht he was good and in Leuven he repeated the performance. At last Tuesday night's training session, he looked powerful and sure of himself. He plays to the plan as well as anyone which makes him a big asset.

Shane Ryan is serving his goalkeeping apprenticeship currently. So far so good and he should gain confidence from the settled defence in front of him.

Unfancied teams are filling the sports pages these days. Carrigtwoill won the Cork SHC for the first time in 94 years last weekend. They were 100/1 at the start of the year and there was no noticeable revolution along the way, just a very quick evolution under a new system and management team. Their hero was Seanie Farrell. Seanie was a star in the 90's winning Minor & U-21 titles with Cork and capping it all with an All-Ireland Senior in 1999.

For an assortment of reasons, Seanie's career never progressed and he mixed some seriously productive spells in his club's jersey with some less than impressive ones. His star has been falling and at the start of this year he was playing Junior B. On Sunday, he came off the bench for his first appearance with the Senior team this year and he fired over the winning score.

If anyone is looking for a bit of inspiration, there is no shortage of it these days. Seanie and Carrigtwoill's story shows the endless possibilities in sport. From tales like that, we should derive the necessary belief that we can still regain the Pan-Euro Championship this year. Impossible is nothing....as the slogan goes....

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

2001 – Where are they now?

A check-in with the starting team of 2001.

1. John O'Connell

John would have been better known as a wing forward but successive injuries to Andy Lynch led to his conversion to keeper. It proved a successful move as he was a very steady head between the sticks. John's personality wouldn’t do panic and that made him a great guy to play in front of.

Where is he now? In recent years he has stepped into the breach when the team has been stuck but by and large he is now retired.

2. Michael O'Sullivan

2001 was Mick Sull's breakthrough season. I think it was the South-East semi-final against Shamrocks when he broke into team and he hasn’t been out since. He had a tough task that day, marking Kevin O'Sullivan in a two man full forward line but acquitted himself well. Despite spending six or seven years in Dublin, he continued to be a fixture in the team as well as captain for a period. He has also been a regular on the Carrigdhoun Senior Football team for years.

Where is he now? Pretty much where he was then; playing in the full back line.

3. Lyndon Kiely

One of the most talented footballers to come out of Kinsale. Couple his talent with his powerful frame and you get a fairly devastating full back. He was on a Cork Minor team who were beaten by Kerry but went on to win an All-Ireland with the Cork Juniors in 2000. He also put in a more than respectable performance marking The Gooch in the first series of The Underdogs.

He looked to be gone off the scene this year after injuries had caught up with him. However, he reappeared at the quarter final stage at full forward and has been a steadying influence since. Surrounded by young players, his presence is important to ensure they don't get bullied by more seasoned opposition.

Where is he now? Full forward

4. Dave Barrett

I'm not sure of the logic of playing me, a right footer, in the left corner and Mick Sull in the right corner with his left foot. That was the way we lined up in 2001. It was something of a 'comeback' year for me. I'd broken onto the team as a minor in 1999 but had been badly exposed in the opening exchanges of the South-East final that year.

I survived until full-time but the memory had lodged in the selectors minds. 2000 proved very frustrating as I started and finished every single league and challenge game. I was on the bench for the first round of the Championship against Carrigaline. I started and did well at wing back against Shamrocks in the next round before being dropped for the semi against Crosshaven.

A late cameo wasn't enough to earn a starting place against Courcies in the final and maybe it was just as well as it was one of the most miserable performances we delivered in the last ten years. We had new management in 2001 and they placed all their faith in the younger players and I’d benefit from that.

I started on Kieran Daly in the 2001 final but moved to wing-back when they brought him out as a third midfielder. I put in a good shift on Jason Whooley but it was a massive step up. They were one of the fittest and strongest teams I ever faced and as I mentioned previously, they were a Senior team playing Junior. No doubt about it.

5. Jeremy Keohane

He too was breaking through in 1999. Funnily enough, he would benefit most from my struggles in the '99 final as we switched corners and he went on to win man of the match!! Powerful like Lyndon and with a great recognition of his strengths. He would rarely make a wrong decision. A human wrecking ball. In those days he would have been a very committed player but in years after he would become distracted and disinterested.

Where is he now? The lads have him back and fully focused this campaign and he is a lead figure in the defence, lining out at centre back.

6. Ricky O'Hanlon

Ricky was a year older than me and a hugely talented underage player, captaining our Minor team in 1998. How he never even got a sniff of playing Cork Minor shows up everything that was wrong with the Cork Minor set up back then. Ricky would go on to join Lyndon on The Underdogs but it was at club level he would make the biggest impact. Better known as a forward, Ricky was converted to play centre back in 2001.

His long clearances suited our game plan and he adjusted remarkably well to the position. He was immense that year. In future years he would revert to a role in the forwards where he would get us out of jail more than once, 2005 against Ballinhassig being the one that springs to mind. Also became a regular for Carrigdhoun Seniors.

Where is he now? He wouldn't say he is retired yet but he has been working in London for the last six years so he's pretty much in the same boat as me.

7. Kenny O'Regan

As I get further through the team I get reminded more and more what a steely defence we had. Kenny is like an iron bar, with a set of fists which did a fair bit of damage in the boxing ring. He spent some of his childhood in the States and that was probably why he was in his best buddy Lyndon's shadow as an underage player. 2001 was his year though. Anyone who was in Drimoleague for the semi against Adrigole would remember his match winning goal. It was a trademark run from wing back and a rocket finish from an unattractive angle.

Kenny flirted with the U-21 panel in 2000 but in the end he settled for winning an All-Ireland Junior medal alongside Lyndon that year. Carrigaline would have been our big underage rivals around that time and Nicholas Murphy was their star. They may have followed different paths since but you can be sure Nicholas never forgot their match ups. Kenny became a regular Cork Junior and Carrighdhoun Senior.

Where is he now? Still playing football but unfortnautely for Kinsale, in Boston.

8. Gearoid Condon

He was part of one of the most successful underage teams Kinsale has produced. My brother John was also on those teams. The age gap was four years and I can remember being in awe of them as we travelled around the County following their success. Gearoid would have been 24 in 2001 but he was pretty much the only survivor from that generation of players. What a shame.

He was captain in 2001 and it was that summer in which we became good buddies. He didn't look like an enforcer but on a team with so many young players, he was the one who would do the sorting out if an opposition player was acting the maggot. I can remember Blondie (former Kinsale G.A.A. hero) saying he should pack up his boots and sell them at Bolands Corner. He was one of those players that only a teammate would truly appreciate. Selfless, with a great brain. He'd come up against more talented players but would put a lot of thought into how to counter them and more often than not he would be a match for any of them.

Where is he now? Playing Junior and managing the Intermediates on Sunday. In his playing days, Blondie was one of his detractors. Nowadays, he has many many more.

However, without bias, I would say he is one of the main reasons the team in contesting Sunday's final.

9. William Cummins

Son of the famous Cork dual star Ray Cummins (who was a selector that year). That may be the toughest cross to bear. William was a Cork Minor with Lyndon and a schools star with Criost Ri. When he finished school in 1998 he went up to The Curragh to become a pilot and from then on, it became an awful chore for him to get released for matches and training. I remember playing Dohenys in 2000 in the U-21 County. He raced down the night of the game but hadn't been released in time and I can still see him standing, looking on from the wrong side of the fence.

2001 would be his final year with us but he remains one of the most stylish players we have had. That was his best year.

Where is he now? Still in The Curragh with the army. As far as I know his football & hurling days are at an end.

10. Colm McCarthy

One of the most diligent trainers I ever came across. Sometimes he probably over trained. Unbelievable work rate and has shown great versatility over the years, playing in virtually every line of the pitch. Has juggled working in Dublin with reinventing himself as a back (where he started out actually) this year and claiming a starting berth. Along the way he played with Carrighdhoun Seniors and that spot was secured after his performances in 2001.

Where is he now? Most likely manning one of the defensive berths on Sunday.

11. Conor O’Brien

What a talent. I’ve marked my share of decent forwards but you’d rarely find one with the full package. Barry Gray had blistering pace. Gerry Murphy was mercurial. Gavin Farrissey had a great brain. And they are just the lads I’d mark in training. Colm O'Neill is the natural stand out when I consider the opponents from other teams. I remember saying after the 2005 County QF that I didn't think he had the pace to play Cork Senior (how wrong I was!). O'Neill was the guy most like Conor to mark.

Conor didn't have blistering pace but countered any shortcoming in that area with his strength. You might arrive at the ball around the same time as him but he could muscle you out of it. Four years in UL coupled with a few more in Dublin probably held his progress back. He should have been a Cork Junior and Carrigdhoun Senior at least.

In 2001, his connection with Gerry Murphy was a joy to watch. It was as if Gerry had found the heir to his thrown and their link-up play was unrivalled. In the first half of the 2001 final he went desperately close to getting a goal before the interval. That would have sent us in ahead. It may not have been enough but who knows.

Where is he now? After delivering a master class in the 2009 QF against Fermoy, he packed his bags and headed for Oz. At the time of writing, he is somewhere in a camper van in New Zealand. Don't be surprised if you see him on the edge of the square next year.

12. Brian O'Connell

Brian joined us late in 2000 and was a magnificent addition. He had won a Sigerson with Queens and had soaked up everything he was taught. He had all the right habits, on and off the pitch. Brian was a mature footballer, less of a rough diamond that any of the rest of us.

He was also very versatile. In 2001 he lined out at wing forward but in 2005 he would man the centre back spot. He's one of the guys I most enjoyed playing with. Coolness personified and tidy off both feet. I learned a lot from him.

Where is he now? New Zealand. And I'm pleased to say that after becoming a bit disillusioned with football in his last few years in Kinsale, he's back playing down there.

13. Noel O'Sullivan

Noel was the big benefactor from Gavin Farrisseys injury in the quarter final against Mitchelstown and earned his stripes in the semi against Adrigole with a goal.
He was a jack of all trades and as the team developed that cost him. Knee injuries didn't help but he recovered to play his part in 2001.

Where is he now? Retired from football and in goal for the Hurlers.

14. Fergal O'Hanlon

'Horse' as he was known. I'm not sure if it was because when he was younger he wanted to be a jockey or if it was because he grew into a giant of a man.

Our tactics then were very simple. Let the ball in long to horse and the rest would play off him. When he blew hot, he could destroy anyone such was his power and big hoof. Nightmare for a small man at training like me to mark.

Where is he now? Not quite retired but barely active last I heard.

15. Gerry Murphy

Kerryman. Captained Laune Rangers to the All-Ireland Senior club in 1996. We never got to the bottom of his Kerry career but he was there or there abouts. Gerry suffered badly with back and knee injuries and that is regularly cited as the reason he didn't cement a place on the Kerry team.

He was still an awesome force when he joined us in 1999 and won me my medal that year. 40 yards out, into the wind in Riverstick to give us the lead for the first time in the last minute.

Him being corner forward and me being corner back meant that I got to know him pretty well. It was a great challenge to mark him. Some nights you'd go home and sit on the couch with your head in your hands wondering why you even bother trying to mark him. Other nights you'd be buzzing because you just broke even. What a talent and he was immense in 2001.

Where is he now? Owns The Greyhound Bar in Kinsale. Trained us in the mid 00's and is still on hand to give advice when required.

There were many more lads who played a role that year but these were the men who started the final. Five lads remain, four playing - not bad ten years on. Five more emigrated and the rest are retired.

Date With Destiny

Kinsale Intermediate Footballers contest their first County Final since 2001 this coming Sunday. Their opponents will be Beara men Castletownbere.

Since we went up in 2006, the team has struggled to make an serious impression and has had to fight off a few relegation battles along the way. Two years ago they did win promotion from Division 4 and last year they consolidated in Division 3. The best Championship runs had brought them to quarter finals in 2006 and 2009, losing to Castletownbere and Fermoy respectively.

With such a record it is difficult to build on underage success and keep the momentum. You are out of the Championship mid-Summer but must keep ticking over to complete the league. As everyone who plays G.A.A. knows, getting motivated to train for league games doesn't quite fit in with the psyche.

That league promotion in 2009 wasn't without significance. It showed there was promise in the young lads coming through. They'd won a couple of Minors and an U-21 South-East so the pedigree was confirmed. Still, they needed to transfer that success to Intermediate Championship. The longer the gap is between those underage successes and adult success, the more and more that momentum diminishes.

In that sense, this was a make or break year in my opinion. Gearoid Condon has been involved with much of this group for the last ten years, either as player or coach. He was captain in 2001 and led those recent underage teams to the successes I mentioned.

When he took over the Intermediates a couple of years ago he had a clear plan about what he wanted to do and how he wanted to develop the group. He put a big emphasis on the Junior set-up because he knew he would need a big panel and to get that, guys would need plenty of opportunity to play. And not just play for the Juniors. Even previously 'unfashionable' players would be brought into the Intermediate set-up and be given a shot. Commitment was rewarded and lads responded.

That plan I mentioned is pretty much on track. He said to a few of us at the beginning of the year that if the team could get to the quarter-final, anything could happen. Once there, momentum can really kick in as the games come thick and fast. And that's how it has unfolded. A replay win against Youghal was followed up with a convincing victory over pre-Championship favourites Kildorerry in the semi. Now the seasoned Castletownbere stand in their way.

What has been most notable about the campaign is how the team has evolved. The selectors haven't been afraid to make bold decisions, dropping some guys and bringing more in from the cold. Some outside the camp have been critical of some of the players chosen and decisions made but the management have been vindicated so far.

I'm don’t know where Kinsale were in the bookies rankings at the start of the year but I'm sure it was somewhere in the bottom third of contenders. On Sunday they will again be underdogs but that won't bother them. They've been upsetting the odds all year.

The position they are in ahead of Sunday contrasts starkly with our last County final in 2001. Then we lined up against Ilen Rovers who were really a Senior team playing Junior. They would prove that when breezing through the Intermediate ranks and contesting a County Senior final soon after. Their full forward line of Kieran Daly, Brian & Kevin O'Sullivan were all around the Cork Senior team at that time. Outside them, Pat Connolly and Jason Whooley were no strangers to the National League. Ed & John Sheehy were Cork Juniors as was Diarmuid Duggan who would progress to Senior level along with John Wycherley. And that's before we mention midfielder Fachtna Collins, another Cork Senior. There were a few more with Cork Minor and U-21 experience in their ranks. It was an ominous task.

In 1999, they had put up a cricket score against us in the County semi. It was an absolute embarrassment. Our players were either too young or too old at that time. By 2001 we were a hardened team having come through some massive battles. Two stand out for me, against our most bitter local rivals, Courcey Rovers.

Courcies and ourselves are separated by the Bandon River. Most of the lads went to school together and the rivalry is intense to say the least. The build up to these games is unreal, with everyone in the town wanting to talk about it.

The first game was in 1999 in the South-East semi-final, my Championship debut. They had beaten us after a replay in the 1997 final. It was one of the first Championship games I remember attending. I wouldn’t forget it though. At one stage, with the ball down the other end of the field, everyone’s attention was drawn to an incident away from play. There were two Courcies sprawled out on the ground and a fairly guilty looking Kinsale man standing in between. He’d get the line but that wasn’t the end of the shenanigans. There would be more rows and punches thrown by both players and mentors. Wild west stuff.

The ’99 game was played in Innishannon’s town pitch, a great venue for a game. There’s a big bank on one side of the pitch where the crowd gathers and you have to pass through them on the way down to the pitch. It never failed to get heart pounding.

Anyway, they started the stronger and had a penalty just before half-time which went over the bar to give them a five point lead. We had a fierce young team with a host of the previous year’s minors and the ’99 minor team. We were up to the challenge though and ripped them in the second half. The decisive score came from one of those minors, Barry Gray. I can still remember it. Barry’s pace was unreal and he got in from the bank side of the town end and burst the net. A two fingers to all the doubters. Funnily enough, ten twelve years on, it was a Barry Gray left footed point that rescued a draw in this year’s quarter final against Youghal.

In the 2001 South-East final, we had to dig even deeper against the same opposition. Trailing 0-7 to 0-1 at half-time, our trainer Seamus McCarthy had us believe our first score, just before half-time would change the world and we could kick on and win. We were now within two scores of being level he told us. He instilled great believe in that team and on we went, led by Conor O'Brien and Gerry Murphy, to tear the Courcies apart in the second half.

By the time the County final came around in the first week of December we had huge self belief, despite the task facing us. At half-time we were level against our much heralded opponents and Conor had gone close with a one on one. The pace was frantic though and I can remember being bollicksed in the dressing room at half-time. We couldn't live with them in the second half and they cleared the first hurdle on their journey to Senior ranks.

The task facing this year’s team is more of a hill than a mountain. It's well within their capability to win it. They've met Castletownbere in recent years and even though they haven't beaten them, they've been there or there abouts. Kinsale have improved this year and some of Castletownbere's stalwarths aren't getting any younger with the passing years.

I was comparing the 2001 team and the 2011 team over the weekend but quickly realised it was futile. I haven't seen enough of the existing group to really judge. What we had in 2001 was a battle hardened core. Those local derbies were the making of us. We were a very close group both on and off the pitch. The team was made up of nine of the 1999 U-21 team. Eight of the first nine names on the team sheet were of that ilk. Having a defence who had played that much together was invaluable. Colm McCarthy was the ninth member of that team. However, from that U-21 group, it should be noted that Cian Quigley came on in the 2001 final, Conor O'Brien (sub in 1999) started and Barry Gray played a key role in the campaign. That was some return from an underage team and there was a great bond.

A lot of the current group haven't been through as many testing campaigns and had the same experiences of local derby dogfights. They are getting that experience this year though and have had to stand up for each other on more than one occasion. Just last Thursday they played a crucial league game up in Mallow and stood up to some overly physical play to come away with a win. Then they faced Newmarket last Sunday in a win or bust game and won convincingly. Those are the type of games that harden lads and this year the team has bridged the gap.

Any shortfall in experience in the younger lads will be made up by the older lads. Lyndon, Barry, Colm, Mick Sull, Keohane and Quigley have over twelve years under their belts in the adult grades. The 2001 team never had that kind of profile.

We had our stars in that team, no boubt. Fours lads who either played Cork Minor of Junior. Two Underdogs. Brian O'Connell won a Sigerson with Queens and Gerry Murphy captained a Laune Rangers team to an All-Ireland club.

Compare that to the current team and it's not necessarily so impressive! Rich Sull was on the Cork Senior panel until last summer when he walked by choice. He won an All-Ireland Junior from centre back this year. Captain Derry O'Callaghan was a Cork minor midfielder. Former Cork Minor, Junior and Underdog Lyndon is still around. Niall Mac and Alan Gould have gone as far as All-Ireland finals with Cork Vocs. Brian Coughlan is the forward jewel having won a Sigerson with UCC this year as well as Munster U-21 medals and an All-Ireland Junior. The pretender to his crown is Gearoid Finn, who has scored freely all summer despite his tender age. He is currently with the Cork U-17's, pushing for a Minor spot next year.

I used to think our team was talented but these lads may well trump us. The biggest thing we had in our favour was that bond I mentioned. It's been more difficult for this group because it's required two generations to mesh together. The process has been ongoing over the last few years and now they are ready.

A lot of credit is given to Brian Murphy in making this happen. He’s been involved with Gearoid in the under-age successes and would have trained the likes of Mick Sull, Barry and a few more back in 1998-1999. The combination of the two has worked well in challenging the players to go to the next level.

Sunday is Kinsale’s date with destiny. County winning teams are never forgotten. I only regret now that I didn’t back them in January.