In a special little Haven

An odd thing happened after yesterday’s county final in Cork’s Páirc Uí Chaoimh — but only odd if you’ve failed to grasp how much of a community occasion a Castlehaven championship match is to the people of the locality.

Not long after Seanie Cahalane had punched the steel grey skies with the Andy Scannell Cup, Haven players began returning to the dressing room, but only to pick up some orange bits and sundry items. Soon after they were back on the pitch, where post-Mass pockets of community chatter were up and running.

There were no laps of the stadium or airplane slides along the pitch. As the players warmed down they gradually joined the huddles to chew the fat on another Haven hope and glory occasion. Each comfortable in their own company.

“I don’t think anyone understands the special bond we have in Castlehaven,” explained man of the match Mark Collins, a surname as synonymous as Cahalane, Hurley and Cleary.

“I play my hurling with Douglas, and they’re always asking me ‘what’s the special thing with Castlehaven?’ My dad (Francis) was in an awful state this morning, he was more nervous than me, he was like a bag of cats. Myself and my brother (Stephen) were getting ready for the match, happy out, looking forward to it, but dad’s nervousness summed up the community down there, and what this means to them.”

For a moment, Collins transported himself from the madness of Páirc Ui Chaoimh along the road west and into the heart of the celebrations. “It’s unbelievable, it truly is. I know there’s a lot of pressure on us, but it’s all worth it when we go home tonight, what pride and happiness this will bring to people in the parish.”

It’s only nine years since Castlehaven’s third county title, but for a parish where next year’s championship is already the topic of fevered debate, that’s an interminable period. With only a week between semi-final and final this time, Haven were determined not to repeat the mistakes of 2011. They didn’t even wait for the post-match meal last Saturday week, preparing to head straight for Castlehaven to prepare for a 9am walk on the beach on Sunday.

“I know people are talking all week about there being no hype in Castlehaven, we were trying keeping it so low-key but they’re massive occasions and it does gets to everyone,” admitted Mark Collins, “we’re still very young and a lot of the players who were our go-to guys in this final are still U21 next year — the likes of Damien Cahalane and Brian Hurley.

“That’s tough on fellas. The occasion may have got to us again this year — we certainly didn’t perform the way we can in that final today, but we got over the line.”

In every hole this season, they’ve clawed their way out. Yesterday it was Collins’ turn to stand at post.

“I felt I let the team down a bit in the first half, lost a couple of 50-50 balls that have to be won in county finals,” he admitted. “I went in at half-time and met Bernie Collins, who got married Saturday and was the heart of our team last year: He said to me: ‘Mark, you’re the main man on this team, it’s time to stand up and be counted. I went out in the second half determined to play with no fear: ‘let’s just have a cut.’ “A county final is where you want to be, so the first ball I got in the second half, I took on my man, got a score and it got better and better from there. I did everything possible in that second half to do it for Castlehaven.”

Two cracking points, from either touchline, were followed by the accidental pass of the day.

“I played a one-two with Damien Cahalane and had a pop because things seemed to be going over for me, but I didn’t connect this time. But Shane (Nolan) just got enough of a touch.”

Certainly enough to keep them Castlehaven chat going over the winter.

* The community will unite again today to pay respect to the late Nora Deasy (nee Harnedy), the former Castlehaven GAA club treasurer who passed away on Friday.