Hickey hoping to pass final test with students

UCC defender Martin Hickey is determined to seize a rare chance to feature in a county senior football final when he lines out in next Sunday’s Cork showpiece in Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

Hickey plays with East Cork’s Carraig na bhFear at club level and knows he won’t get too many chances to play at this level.

“To be in a county senior football final is unbelievable, particularly when you come from an area like East Cork where hurling is dominant.

“With Carraig na bhFear, we’d be a small junior club and lost this year in the East Cork final in hurling and in the semi-final in football. I’m going into my final year in college and won’t be playing much longer with UCC. it’s very unlikely that Imokilly would get anywhere near a senior final so I want to take this chance.

“Plus I’m doing final year civil engineering and the prospects aren’t too great for that. Emigration is a possibility so you might not get too many more years playing football in Cork.”

Hickey and his UCC team-mates will come up against a former acquaintance on Sunday in Castlehaven attacker Mark Collins, who featured on the UCC team that won the Sigerson Cup last March.

Hickey also lined out alongside Collins at minor and U21 level for Cork, and was trained at Cork U21 level last year by current Castlehaven selector John Cleary.

“We’d know Mark very well from the Sigerson last year and I’ve also been played with him on Cork underage teams. He’s a serious footballer.

“Then you’ve John Cleary involved with Castlehaven as well and I’ve great respect for that man when you look at his football record and everything that he has achieved. It’s been a surreal year for us with UCC as we haven’t done too much training together.

“But it’s always great craic playing football with the college, as all the lads from different counties mix very well together.”