Present arms:

THOUGH not quite an overnight success story, at the age of 29 Dublin-based Army captain Alan Quirke has special reason to take pride in his contribution to Cork’s Munster football championship victory this season.

In doing so he made a little bit of history for the Valley Rovers club, after having first been introduced to the panel in 1999 and effectively absenting himself for almost three years due to Army commitments.

Brought in during the 1999 National League campaign, he was reserve to Kevin O’Dwyer when Cork captured the provincial title that summer. And, by and large, it had been a case of playing second fiddle in the interim period to O’Dwyer, who made his debut in 1995.

More interesting is the fact that Quirke is only the fifth Cork goalkeeper to play in a Munster final in 40 years, with Billy Morgan holding down the position for 16 years, Micheal Creedon there for a further three and the late John Kerins the number one choice between 1984 and 1994.

Now stationed in McKee Barracks, where he had to report for duty as usual yesterday morning, Quirke opted out of the panel in 2002 in order to commit himself fully to two years of training in the Curragh camp.

And, while Morgan invited him back into the panel, overseas duty in Liberia meant that he was again out of the loop until last June.

While he won his first medal as a sub in 1999, he was first-choice ‘keeper (ahead of Charlie Nelligan’s son Daniel) on the UCC team which won the Cork county championship that year. Other team-mates included current Kerry players Paul Galvin, Eamonn Fitzmaurice and Eoin Brosnan.

“This year was the first really that I got an extended run in the team, from the McGrath Cup games into the National League,” he said.

“It takes a few matches to bed in. It was a good chance to get to know the fellows in front of me and get to know the midfielders with kick-outs and all that.

“Previously I had got the odd league game here and there, but it’s very hard to make an impression that way.”

Apart from Morgan’s role as a goalkeeping mentor, he agrees that the Cork manager has put his stamp on the team.

“It’s nearly a cliche at this stage to say that Gaelic football is his life and soul, but it really is. He’s so passionate when it comes to the game.

“He imparts savage self-belief into players.

“It’s the one thing that might have been lacking in the team for the last couple of years, but it’s coming good this year.”

While looking forward to the experience of playing in the All-Ireland series and feeling that the gap between the games is about right, Quirke says that the one big worry is Graham Canty’s fitness. “Hopefully, we’ll be in good shape, but he would be a huge loss if his injury turns out to be serious.

“Having said that, facing Fermanagh or Donegal is going to be a huge challenge. We haven’t a brilliant record against northern teams. We’re not going to be complacent at all.”

* Valley Rovers is better known as a hurling club and was the home club of former GAA President Con Murphy. More recently Brendan O’Sullivan distinguished himself as a member of the All-Ireland winning hurling team of 1990, captained by Tomás Mulcahy. In the past few years they have produced talented underage footballers like Mark Kelleher, Kevin Canty and Fiachra Lynch.

GAA fixtures

Friday:

Tommy Murphy Cup (Round One): Carlow v Wicklow, Dr Cullen Park, 7.30pm (M Meade, Limerick).

Saturday:

Guinness All-Ireland SHC quarter-finals: Cork v Limerick, Semple Stadium, 4.15pm, (E Morris, Dublin); Kilkenny v Galway, Thurles, 6pm, (P O’Connor, Limerick).

Tommy Murphy Cup (Round One): Waterford v Tipperary, Dungarvan, 2pm (D Fahy, Longford); Roscommon v Cavan, Dr Hyde Park, 2pm ( S McCormack, Meath).

All-Ireland U16 B HC: Kerry v Westmeath, TBC, 3.30pm; Roscommon v Mayo, Athleague, 5.15pm.

All-Ireland U21 B Final: Mayo v Laois, Athleague, 7pm.

Christy Ring Cup Relegation Final: Kerry v Roscommon, Cusack Park, Ennis, 2pm.

Nicky Rackard Cup quarter-final: Longford v Louth, Pearse Park, 2pm.

Sunday:

ESB All-Ireland MHC quarter-final: Antrim v Galway, Cusack Park, Mullingar, noon, (J McGrath, Westmeath).

Christy Ring Cup semi-finals: Antrim v Kildare, Cusack Park, Mullingar, 2pm; Down v Carlow, Cusack Park, Mullingar, 4pm.

Guinness All-Ireland SHC quarter-finals: Wexford v Clare, Croke Park, 2.15pm, (M Haverty, Galway); Tipperary v Waterford, Croke Park, 4pm, (B Kelly, Westmeath).

Tommy Murphy Cup Round One: Antrim v Kilkenny, Casement Park, 3pm, (P Finnegan, Louth).

Tuesday:

Tommy Murphy Cup Round One: Clare v Louth, Cusack Park, Ennis, 7.30pm (G Ó Connamha, Galway).