Young Pallasgreen footballers look for their place in the sun
The east Limerick club, close to the Tipperary border, admit to leaning more towards hurling but Sunday's match against Carbery Rangers in the Munster Intermediate Club Football final has temporarily changed their perspective.
In 2000 the minor footballers of Pallasgreen had different ideas in that giddy summer when they lifted the Limerick Premier title. The benchmark for football in the club was set.
The name Pallasgreen means Palace of the Sun and the gods were definitely shining on them this autumn when they lifted the intermediate football title for the first time since 1911.
Three villages are entwined into the area of Pallasgreen and it boasted three clubs in the 1930s Old Pallas, New Pallas and Barna.
Three became one after the 1930s and Pallasgreen contested senior football finals in the 1950s, although hurling was gathering considerable momentum throughout the century.
"Hurling would be regarded as the number one sport here. We've always had a fairly strong football team as well and we're able to combine both," said Ger O'Connell.
But football found its true heartbeat in 2000 and O'Connell stresses that minor win was the key to today's successes.
"When the minors won the title in 2000, it showed we can produce it and they were up there with the best of them. We knew we had the bones of a good side for the future.
"Nine of the county premier minor football team in 2000 are involved in Sunday's final. That was a huge boost to the club because it was our first ever premier minor football title. It was a major title to win because we beat Monaleen in that final," he added.
"Limerick senior footballers have brought something new and fresh to the county. They brought a new energy to the football scene here and it has rubbed off on the clubs. But you've got to remember that hurling is still the number one in the county."
When Pallasgreen won a county junior title in 1994, great things were expected but the enthusiasm slowly seeped away. Today there is only one link from that side Jimmy Hourigan will be part of the panel that faces Carbery Rangers in tomorrow's final.
"Sunday is most definitely the biggest day in the club's history. A Munster club final is something that we never dreamt of," added O'Connell. Their path to final never looked likely at the start of the season. With expectations high that the hurlers would win the county IHC, the footballers went out and lost to near neighbours Oola in a slow-burning first round group match.
"We lost one match by a point in the group section to Oola. The scoreline was 0-5 to 0-4. It was one of those close dogged derby matches," O'Connell added.
"Later in the year we beat Croom in the semi-final and it gave the lads a huge confidence boost. Croom had three intercounty players Mark O'Riordan, John Galvin and Stephen Lucey. We beat them by two points and then really everybody else stood up and took notice.
"But people forget that we already won the county SFL division two title this year, so that was a nice bonus to get."
Pallasgreen is one of the country's oldest clubs, founded in 1887 with football, at first, their all-consuming passion. Hurling started there in 1914 while the club as a whole has had players star on the county teams right up to the present day.
"John O'Connell has been on the Limerick senior football panel for the last two years; Aodh McDonald, Pat Courtney and Jim Redpath all represented Limerick seniors, while Dr Dick Stokes played both hurling and football for Limerick. He won National League and Railway Cup medals with Limerick hurlers and Munster and a Munster junior football medal with Limerick," he added. The giddiness ahead of Sunday's final has been tempered by the sobering news of the death of club stalwart John Horan yesterday.
His son Ted is a member of the panel and he scored a point in their county final win.
"He was an ardent GAA supporter," said O'Connell. "The match is going ahead but there is a cloud over the club this weekend. He was a well respected man and a huge loss to the club. He was a gentleman."
They know they face an Everest of a challenge against Rangers tomorrow but in nearby Nicker Hill in Pallasgreen where winter training becomes an annual hell, they have learnt the hard way. The area is notable for its many ancient extinct volcanoes and the hope is that the team at least burns with fire against the Cork side.
"We have got to be realistic they are All-Ireland champions and are hot favourites. We'll be up against it. We don't fear anyone at this stage of the competition. The lads have confidence in their own ability.
"The average age of our team is only 24 we're a young team well capable of taking on anyone. At this stage we have got nothing to lose.
"To get to the final is fantastic but to win would be a dream come true."
Pallasgreen played a county final in 1963 a junior hurling replay three days before Christmas and there was ice on the field.
On Sunday they hope to have fire in their bellies.
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