‘If we win this one, it justifies 28 years’

THE thermometer is hitting minus three on a midweek evening in Ballinamere, just outside Tullamore.

With the wind chill, it feels like minus 23. On the pitch, the club hurlers of Portumna are going through their paces, their exertions plainly visible in the frosty floodlit air.

The session is fast, sharp and well organised by manager Sean Treacy. The two Portumna Allstars are present, Damien Hayes and Ollie Canning, along with Joe Canning, star of the future. Even in that august company, however, there is another who catches the eye.

Niall Hayes, you're told, full-forward, brother of Damien. Fieldwork finished, they gather at the end of the pitch for the speed and agility exercises, and he flies through it all. Short warm-down, and then the ice-baths.

Niall Hayes and his team-mates immerse themselves in ice-cold water; 30-second session, hot shower for a couple of minutes, repeat three times.

An AIB All-Ireland club hurling title is worth this? Worth a lot more, when you listen to Niall.

"It's tough, awful tough," he agrees. "It is not just the ice-baths, but training this hard and your weekends are not your own makes it very tough. But if you don't put it in, you can't expect to get it out. We'd much prefer to be training hard at this time of the year, than not training.

"To win this All-Ireland final is to justify your life. I'm 28 years on this planet, most of those years putting in effort, most of those years making sacrifices, most of those years saying I can't. If we win this one, it justifies those 28 years."

Committed? You could say that, but Niall is probably only articulating what most of his team-mates, and what all of the sides heading to Croke Park tomorrow, feel.

Winning an All-Ireland title with your own club, your own family, your oldest friends, time and again that's what they all say is the ultimate achievement.

"It's going to be amazing," reckons Niall. "I was up there for the final last year, as a spectator. It was disappointing as I was hoping we'd be there ourselves.

"It's an unbelievable place, kind of an eerie feeling when the stadium is only half full, you can actually hear the players talking to each other, which is unusual in a place like Croke Park. But, it's the ultimate honour."

As long as he doesn't make more of the occasion than it actually is, tie himself up with nerves, the new and near-perfect pitch will suit Niall Hayes perfectly.

It's long, wide, true, sheltered from the worst of the wind, made-to-measure for the pacy, skilful player, the pacy, skilful team. The problem is, while Niall and Portumna measure up in both those departments, so do the opposition.

"The big open spaces will suit Newtownshandrum as well. And they know the pitch, they've been there, won the All-Ireland two years ago, so they know how hard they have to push themselves.

"We have two All-Stars, they have three (Pat Mulcahy, new Cork captain, and Ben and Jerry O'Connor), and they have the player of the year (Jerry), you couldn't talk them up enough, they really are a quality side."

So are Portumna, their full-forward line especially, with the talents of Damien, Niall and Joe. How dangerous a line is that?

"There's been a lot of talk about that, and yes, we do have a good full-forward line," he admits.

"It's one of our main strengths, but we believe we're strong all over. I think it was the work done by our half-forward line in neutralising the James Stephens half-back line that won us the semi-final, even though the full-forward line ended up with all the scores.

"Our midfield also worked extremely hard. We're just hoping for more of the same in the final.

"I don't know about me, but the other two boys are great. We're fierce proud of them. They are two heroes for Galway as well. I have to play in such a way that they can express themselves.

"Sometimes it can be like watching tennis, the ball comes into Damien's corner, he wins it, fires across to Joe. Or the ball comes into Joe's corner, he wins it, shoots across to Damien which is exactly the way I like to see it too! It is far better to see them winning the ball than not winning it."

His 28 years then justified (in his own words), what next for Niall Hayes? Hold, wait; one bridge at a time, but if this guy's talent is properly harnessed, he'll be seen in Croke Park again, perhaps on an even bigger day.