Countdown To Maastricht

You can't beat this time of year. County Finals happening all over the country. Every day, the papers are full of great stories about the clubs and individuals involved.

I only played in one, against Ilen Rovers in 2001. I've told the story of the game and the context previously so won't go over old ground.

The run-in to such a game is a fantastic experience. The parochial nature of G.A.A. makes for a fiercely intense build up. If I remember correctly, we had a few weeks between our semi-final win against Adrigole and our date with Ilen.

Lots of things happen between the semi and the final. Signs and bunting are put up around the town. You have people up watching training. There is the media night. There'll be someone from the Divisional Board come down and give you a ‘motivational’ talk at training. You can expect a bit of new gear along the way too.

Generally speaking, all anyone around town wants to talk to you about is the match - team selections, form, injuries etc.

As a player, you'd have been following the teams progressing through the championship. You'd know their form inside out. I was in UCC at the time and the GAA network there would make sure you were well informed.

We knew from day one that to win a County that year, we would have to beat Ilen. Their team was high profile with nearly all of them having represented Cork at some level. Belief is key in that situation. You just have to be completely convinced that you are up to the job. That's not something which you can switch on and off. It is built up on the journey to the final.

That year, we'd come through some massive battles, all the way from the first round against Valleys. We scraped and fought through each round. We overturned a 0-7 to 0-1 half time deficit in the South-East final against Courcies. We beat Mitchelstown in a replay and then toppled a fancied Adrigole side in the Semi. That is where the belief comes from, knocking teams down, one by one.

Final day throws some last minute distractions into the mix. The programme has a few more pages than normal. The warm-up can be thrown off kilter by having a curtain raiser. Then there is the pipe band. Jesus, the first beat of the drum always sends a shiver down my spine. National anthem. The whistle to start the game and before you know it your hearing it again to bring a close to proceedings.

What happens it between is linked to a lot of things; how you've prepared mentally and physically, how you've managed your nerves, how you've been able to focus in on the game plan and your role in that, whether you truly believe you can do it, whether you are really, truly willing to push yourself to your very limits and of course, whether you were good enough.

We ticked a lot of those boxes in '01, led at half-time but simply couldn't live with their class in the end.

We don't have a County Final as such in Europe. The Championship is played over three rounds with a tournament format in each round. Points are awarded depending on where you place. Based on results, ourselves and Guernsey are the main contenders. Maastricht in two weeks time, is the closest we have to a County Final.

The lads are enjoying the run in now. I’d stepped away from the social side of things for much of the year but since the Pan-Euros got going, I've pretty much just thrown myself into everything. In five years, I've never seen a group with such a bond – across both panels.

For the first time in a couple of years we are in with a shout of winning it out. We don't need to be warned that Maastricht promises to be the most competitive round in the history of the Pan-Euros. Everyone will arrive loaded and with eyes on finishing the season on a high.

I read a good quote from the Castlehaven manager in the build up to the Cork County Final yesterday. He said you don't go to a County Final just to march behind the band. The sentiment was simple and clear. Forget everything else and focus on the job in hand.

Just under two weeks and four sessions to go now...