Healy hopes for silverware finish

Laois Under-21 captain Cahir Healy knows not to be too over confident heading into Saturday's All-Ireland final but speaking at Croke Park at a photocall for the final, the Portlaoise man agreed that it certainly would be nice to be lifting the cup this weekend.

Ahead of the clash with Munster champions Cork, Healy said: "I'm delighted to be in the final and it isn't every year that you get to play in an All-Ireland final. This is probably the fruition of seven years' hard work when we started out with Sean (Dempsey) at Under-14 level back in 2000, but it won't be any good unless we finish the job and win out the game."

Healy knows that Cork will be a threatening side and isn't underestimating the challenge they will pose in Thurles on Saturday.

"Cork are a brilliant team, they have won four Munster titles in-a-row and they have so many brilliant individuals. It's going to be hard for us, they beat us last year with nearly the same team so it is going to take a massive effort to beat them."

The DCU student, who is currently on a work placement at Croke Park, feels that there isn't too much of a difference between this Laois team and last year's one.

"I don't think that there is much of a difference. We went into every game last year with the same attitude as we did this year and just this year it happened to work out for us a bit better. But if we lose on Saturday we still have just a Leinster title like we did last year, it's still the same result at the end of the season," Healy admitted.

The talented defender doesn't feel under too much pressure even though Laois have not won the All-Ireland U-21 title before in the 33-year history of the competition.

"If Laois won 20 All-Ireland Under-21 titles I think we would still be trying to win this one the exact same way. The fact that no other team from the county has done it doesn't make a difference to us.

"We just want to win this for ourselves and the management team who have been training us for the past seven or eight years."

Healy confesses that there is a good buzz about the squad at the moment, ahead of the crunch final.

"The mood in the camp is great, it's an All-Ireland final and if you are not buzzing around the place thinking about this game there is something wrong with you.

"We just can't wait to get out on the field, it's four years since we played in that Minor final and I can barely remember what that felt like so I'm just mad to get out and have that winning feeling again," he added.

The Laois U-21 footballers had a chance to get a look at the Thurles pitch on Sunday evening when the squad were afforded a session at the Tipperary venue.

Although they did not take the opportunity to train on the pitch, Healy felt that it was good to get acclimatised to the surroundings of the newly revamped stadium.

"It's nice to familiarise yourself with the place and have a look around and have a look at both ends of the pitch," he said.

"We were in the dressing rooms also. It's just when you come in that you aren't admiring new dressing rooms and thinking 'wow this is cool,' because then you are not thinking about the game.

"It doesn't matter where the game is played but it is nice to familiarise yourself with the place.

Healy is hoping for success but is not thinking too much about lifting silverware in Thurles.

"The aim is to win that trophy on Saturday but I'm not thinking about lifting it or about speeches. As I said before the Leinster final, my mind is then all over the place. What I have to be thinking about is marking my man, winning the ball and supporting my team-mates. I have to think about the things that are going to help us win the game.

"If I'm thinking about lifting trophies I'm going to be taken to the cleaners."

As the big game draws even closer, the Laois skipper concedes that there are some nerves among the squad.

"There are a few nerves in the squad but I think most of the boys are just excited and delighted to be back in an All-Ireland final after four years."

Healy was part of the Laois side that lifted the All-Ireland Minor crown back in 2003.