Super-cool Sean Og just thrilled to be involved

SEAN Og O hAilpin is exceptional in that he is the only member of the Irish squad for the International Rules series who doesn’t play football with his county.

He did, however, play in the All-Ireland final of 1999 against Meath the year he won the first of his three hurling medals and he continued as a dual star until the start of the 2001 season, lining out in the Munster football championship against Waterford.

Just over a week later he was lying in a hospital bed after a car accident which badly damaged his left knee and seriously threatened his playing career. He was strongly advised to concentrate on one game and, as he put it himself, "naturally enough, hurling took precedence."

"Apart from that, the demands were increasing all the time. The hurling manager wanted to see you as much as he could and the football manager likewise. It was just crazy, During my student years it worked okay, but when you are in the workforce fully, it's very hard to combine the two games,'' he added.

Though modest about his achievements, Ò hAilpìn nevertheless appreciates his profile helps him as a commercial manager with Ulster Bank in Cork. His trip to Australia represents a nostalgic return to the country where he lived up to the age of ten for the first time since the family moved to Cork 17 years ago.

"My dad was working in Sydney and most of us grew up there. After the second test I'll be going up to Sydney to visit a lot of my relatives.''

Sean Òg admits to having been genuinely surprised to be called up for trials last year, not to mention making the squad.

"As well as I did in the trial games, I still wasn't expecting to be in the shake-up. When I was picked in the squad, it was a great honour.''

Apart from his athletic ability he has the temperament to deliver under pressure. It's what he does for the Cork hurlers all the time.

"The way I see it, the man who panics doesn't achieve anything. So, within a pressure situation you try and be as calm and cool as you can.''

The significance of himself and Brian Dooher being in the squad didn't hit him until they were approached by some young fans following a training session in Westmanstown GAA club before they left Ireland.

"A club official said we want a photograph of you and Brian Dooher, saying that it would probably be the first and last time they'd see two All-Ireland captains in the same year on the same pitch. It only dawned on me then. That's a unique honour.''

Naturally, he has been in regular contact with his brother Setanta to monitor the progress of the Australian squad.

"He'd know a lot of their players. They're probably the fittest guys in the league and the fastest. He's not so sure about their ball-handling skills, but one thing he is sure about is that they are best footballers available. A lot are 'on-ballers.'

"That's what they call them in Aussie Rules. A lot of guys do the hard work to give the ball to them, they are the skilful guys. Setanta reckons that they will adapt much better compared to other Aussie teams.

"We can't go in 'cold.' If we're hoping that it will be like last year, we might as well forget about it and get the first plane back to Ireland."