Just another game, says Healy

Some weekends are more important than others.

A few months ago, Jerry Healy booked his stag weekend ahead of his wedding to Emer. That was before the Duhallow team he captains made the Cork SFC final, though.

“It’s over in Bristol, but look, you don’t get these opportunities too often, a county final is a once in a lifetime thing,” he said.

It’s been a long road for Duhallow since they lost to Beara in the first round last March. The Kanturk man says they’ve treated every game in the same way, though.

“We were underdogs for most of them we didn’t put ourselves under too much pressure,” says Healy.

“We’ve done much the same this year that we’ve done in previous years, maybe we got a few breaks this year that we didn’t get before, which helped us get to the final.

“We’re trying to treat it as just another game, a few of us have been with Duhallow for a few years, trying to make a final — we want to do our best and see where that takes us.

“You’d love to win, but it’s about the performance and where that takes us.”

Healy, who’s been in the divisional colours since 2001, is wary of Sunday’s opponents. “I saw Castlehaven in the county final last year, and I thought they were unlucky. Plenty of ability, a tough physical side, we know we’re up against it.

“They’ve been the standard-bearers in Cork club football for years, but we’ll be doing our best.”

Healy is old enough to remember Duhallow’s glory days 20 years ago: “I remember coming up to the 1991 final against the Barrs. It was a tough, tight game and Duhallow just about won at the end. The local school ran a bus up, and I remember it as a great occasion.

“Hopefully we’ll have a good crowd coming up for the match and we put on a good performance.”

The spirit is good in the team, he adds: “That’s built up for a good few years. Ned [English] has brought in a few new players to bring a bit of freshness to the thing and the bond is good.”

And all without a trip to Bristol.