St Finbarr's chairman Hayes fully aware of what awaits as Nemo seek bounceback

Paddy Hayes (left) and Dave Barry pictured last November at an event in the Heineken Brewery to mark the 40th anniversary of St Finbarr's 1985 Cork SFC title win.

St Finbarr's football chairman Paddy Hayes has been there and done it. 

The All-Ireland SFC winner with Cork has tasted the utmost of success with his club too. County, Munster and All-Ireland medals have been garnered as a player in blue.

That winning feeling has also come as part of the management setup, under Ray Keane in 2018 and Paul O'Keeffe in 2021. Will that follow him into his role as football chairman? 

Paddy's never too far from the action, especially with his son, Cork hurler and Barrs dual-talent Brian, aiming to wreak havoc on Nemo Rangers in the Cork SFC decider this Sunday.

So how does this team compare to the ones gone before? Up there? 

"Yeah, we have a nice mixture of youth and older, experienced players," Hayes said. "It's all about bringing more players through. At the start of the year, we lost two games. We had a lot of injuries.

"I think at one stage we were minus seven of our county-final-winning team from last year. So I think that took its toll. But we had a lot of players out injured, and they're back now.

"So everybody's back fighting for their place."

A current Cork senior hurler and a man who wore the blood and bandage in both codes departed the Barrs football camp before the season, but in their place have stepped some of the club's latest young guns. 

"We've also lost Billy Hennessy, who emigrated to America, and Ethan Twomey has decided not to play any football this year; he's concentrating on his hurling," Hayes continued. 

"There are massive losses. But then you have the likes of Fionn Crowley and Thomas Egan coming in and doing what they're doing and playing very, very well. 

"Especially Thomas Egan was just immense against Clonakilty, especially in the last 10 minutes when we needed someone to win the ball for us.

"So in fairness, those guys have stood up."

In the likes of Ian Maguire, Steven Sherlock, Brian Hayes, Alan O'Connor and Jamie Burns, to name just a few, the Barrs have leaders all over the field. 

Brian Hayes, St Finbarr's, grabs a goal as the ball goes past Nemo Rangers keeper Micheál Aodh Martin in last year's decider. Pic: Dan Linehan

Does that allow the likes of the aforementioned youngsters Egan and Crowley to slot seamlessly in? Not that simple. That ruthless nature to selection remains central.

"We play to a system, and you buy into that system, so those guys are buying into that system," Hayes added. "They acknowledge the role that they have to play, and they're very good at doing that role. I'm sure if they weren't, we'd have somebody else to come in.

"There's plenty of fellas looking to try and get on this team."

What lies between St Finbarr's - in their 150th year - and a first Cork football back-to-back since 1980 is a wounded animal in Nemo Rangers. 

Their near neighbours have lost each of the last three deciders, two to Castlehaven and one, last year, to the Barrs. 

Neither of the city giants performed to their very best level in their narrow semi-final wins over Clonakilty and Carrigaline, respectively.

Both sides showed their winning know-how late on a fortnight ago, though, and that's something that they'll need to count on down the stretch at Supervalu Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday.

"Realistically, we have a very good team around us here," Hayes added. "Our manager Brian Roche and coaches are doing a fantastic job. 

"Our guys are really, really fit. They are up and down the field. The modern player has to be able to do that now at the moment. It'll be nip-and-tuck against Nemo, as all Barrs-Nemo games are.

"At the end of the day, there's only going to be a kick of a ball between us."