As ever, sense of belonging a key aspect of Castlehaven's search for yet more glory
IN THE BLOOD: Damien Cahalane of Castlehaven, second from right, who stood in goal for the penalty shoot out, celebrates with his mother Ailish and brother Jack Cahalane, after the AIB Munster GAA Football Senior Club Championship Final match between Dingle, Kerry, and Castlehaven, Cork. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
Christmas in Castlehaven: Weddings, walks, and two Cups constantly on the move.
The Haven have long signed up to the GAA’s healthy club project. At 11am on St Stephen’s morning, and as part of that initiative, a walk was organised from the clubhouse.
Participants had the option to run or jog as well, but given the gluttonous consumption levels the day previous, most opted for a steady and sensible stroll.
As mam, dad, young kids, and granny and grandad circled the Castlehaven grounds, there on the second pitch sweating off the Christmas dinner were the senior footballers.
More often than not, the walkers, when reaching the second field, would pause stride to look in at the work of James McCarthy’s players.
For a St Stephen’s morning, their Moneyvollahane base was a myriad of activity.
“Twas a big novelty for the parish to see us training on Stephen's morning and the walk on around us,” McCarthy begins.
“There were wrens on too and music being played in the clubhouse. The weather was good Stephen's morning, so everyone was in great spirits.
“While we were concentrating on our training, you could see people stopping and looking. A lot of families were out that you mightn't have seen at the Castlehaven pitch before, but the club has started drawing in new members again. Or parents that might drop and go are now seeing the benefits of being involved in sport a bit more.”
Three days further on, half the parish and the entire football squad gathered up the road in the Celtic Ross Hotel for the wedding of panellist Jamie Walsh to Katrina O’Driscoll.
Two chairs at the top table were held for the Andy Scannell and O’Connor Cups.
“That was a special moment for Jamie. It isn't too many players can bring the County and Munster Cups to the day of their wedding. All the players were at it and all these occasions are very special now.
“There is a new group there and they have their County and Munster medals in the back pocket. They are bonded. They are a close-knit group.”
Outside of a long night at the Celtic Ross, the Castlehaven footballers spent a healthy chunk of the Christmas plotting a route to Croke Park from their second and smaller pitch.
As for the two pieces of silverware the players brought west in October and December, there’s hardly a house in Castletownshend and Union Hall they haven’t visited the past fortnight. A quick scan of the club’s Facebook page testifies to that.
Just because St Brigid’s are the focus of McCarthy's boys, it doesn’t mean the rest of the parish must stop enjoying what’s in the rearview mirror.
“The Cups are not in the past. The players will be celebrating them again whenever this journey is over. But the community should never stop enjoying them because they come around rare, and that is one of the main aims of the club that they go to every house in the parish.
“Anywhere they are wanted, they are booked in. I don't think there has been a day idle without them going somewhere. That brings a bit of joy to that household for as long as they are there.
“The parish people are on a high. Anywhere I went over Christmas, they were in good spirits. The matches give them cause to get out. And even those who couldn't go, they were looking forward to the matches every two weeks on television.
“A lot of people weren't coming out there because of Covid. This gave them a kickstart again. They are really enjoying themselves.”
Castlehaven have made previous visits to the All-Ireland club semi-final enclosure. They’ve never gone beyond it, though. Baltinglass, Kilmacud Crokes, and Erin’s Isle advanced to St Patrick’s Day at their expense in 1990, ‘95, and ‘98.
The challenge this time comes from the west. The challenge from the west is unlikely to be overcome with the same small number of scorers - three - that saw Castlehaven hold onto Dingle all the way to penalties.
McCarthy looks differently at their sparsely populated Munster final scoresheet.
“In fairness to the panel, every day we have gone out, we have had a different hero standing up. It was Cathal Maguire the last day. Robbie Minihane got the goal in the Munster quarter-final.
“I've been with this group for four years. The team is finding ways of winning games now that maybe we didn't have two or three years ago.”
To Thurles they travel. McCarthy was a panellist when they travelled to Aughrim 34 years ago. The journey has never left him.
“A small club like Castlehaven down here in the southwest of Cork heading up to Baltinglass for an All-Ireland semi-final, the stories are still spun about those occasions. I hope in 30 years time they will be talking about the occasions we are after having.”
And the occasions still to come.
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