'If you could bottle this, it’s what the GAA is about'

How much of a factor in yesterday’s thrilling Cork SFC final success for St Finbarr’s was last year’s loss in the decider to Nemo Rangers?

Not much, because the notion you have to lose one to win one is “codswallop” according to Barr’s manager Ray Keane.

Of greater import is the sense of community and collegiality that such a long wait for a county title can foster.

Thirty three years in the case of one of the country’s most storied GAA clubs.

Some might even call it desperation, and there had to be the concern it could drown these callow talents in Togher.

“This eight losses thing (the club lost its last eight senior county finals) was going around but I think only one of the current group was born the last time we won a county. It was something this group of players weren’t focused on but now that it’s done, and you see grown men, in their 50s and 60s, coming up to you crying. I just stand back, as an outsider, and savour that. I just see that as complete and utter emotion and heart,” said the Barr’s manager, a brother to Peter Keane, the new Kerry boss.

If you could bottle that, it’s what the GAA is about. People who live for it, all of which helps bind communities together. Amid all the bad publicity about the GAA in recent weeks it baffles me how nobody ever looks at that side of it. It’s the greatest organisation in the country, it defines what a community should be about. Barr’s people will go about their lives with a pep in their step now. You can’t put a price on it. Or a word or a phrase on it.

In all of this heritage and hope, one of the keys for the boys in blue has been their ability to learn on the hoof and not panic.

Undoubtedly last year’s two games versus Nemo would have helped that process.

“You have to relax and not panic,” Keane explained, “one of the things we are always on about is to stay nice and calm. If you panic, your decision-making goes out the window. In last year’s final we went 11 points down at one stage, but we could have won the game in the end because we never panicked.

“Now we are further down the road and playing in finals is substantially different from second and third rounds, and even semi-finals. We are still developing but we will enjoy the next while. There are very small margins at play in finals, small details could have changed things — we are talking one kick of a ball.”

He said the Barr’s will regroup next week for an assault on Munster, but accepted that at this juncture they are hardly ready for a Dr Crokes, who they could meet in a provincial semi-final. However, the standard of fare yesterday from both sides offered some encouragement for Ronan McCarthy and Cork too, he felt.

“I think the divisions have a huge part to play (in Cork football). People seem to knock it in this county which I don’t understand. If you harness and work with the divisions, you will get better players as a result for Cork.“

On Stephen Sherlock, who bagged another 1-8, Keane added: “There’s him and a few more of that team who should be in with Cork. Why they aren’t I can’t answer. There are players in Cork, and the more players put their hands up, I am sure Ronan will work with them. He’s going about it in the right way, but it takes time. If you get a bit of momentum, things can happen. But you have to get behind the team.”