All-Ireland final week. The dream is closer than ever to becoming a reality. Especially when it's your first final, the feeling that this is finally happening.
All those days of playing in the back with your brothers, sisters, friends and neighbours or down at the field playing this moment out in your head and here it is now. But nothing in this world can prepare you for that wall of noise and emotion that hits you when you run out on the pitch on All-Ireland final day, you feel like you could fly as you run out that tunnel.
No matter how many times you experience it, it never gets old or boring.
To those of us who are blessed to have felt it, it’s a feeling I’ll always treasure, I get goosebumps when I try to describe it and I know when I go to my eternal reward some of the last things I’ll think of will be my family and those magical days running out on to Croke Park on the biggest day.
How lucky we are to be in that club.
But I’m going to try and bring you into the world of a player on the week of the build-up to that magical moment.
Depending on the player you are, the week can be the longest ever or the quickest. For those that just want it to happen, we don’t want to chat to anyone, just want the ball to be thrown in. This week can be a tough one. The other player will relish the build-up and the bit of craic that goes with it.
I was the latter. I always enjoyed the craic and people calling to our house to collect their tickets and wish you well. It’s funny the emotion that comes out in people around these times.
People you meet week in week out, maybe even daily, but the emotion that’s in them wishing you all the best before an All-Ireland is like that of sending someone off to war. I have seen people cry wishing others well before these occasions. It really hits you then just how much this means to others and how proud they are of you for getting this far.
There’s something very special to walk into Croke Park, flick through the programme and see the name of your club, no matter how big or small that place may be printed on the programme. To see it flash up on the big screen and knowing you had some small part to play in helping to make this a reality.
You can’t buy that kind of feeling. I remember before one of the All Irelands I was lucky to play in, Mackey McKenna, a four-time winner with Tipp in the 60’s called up to wish me well.
Here you had a man who had done it all, won it all and he was so overcome with emotion trying to wish me the best of luck he just couldn’t get the words out. But he didn’t need to say a thing, I knew what he meant and just how much he meant it too.
This kind of thing will be going on around the counties of Limerick and Kilkenny this week too, two groups and counties who are very used to this big day now but regardless the emotion and pride of your place will always be there.
How you deal with that and channel it could be a big influence on your performance on the day.
Everyone will have their routines. The gear bag will be packed to perfection, checked and double checked and where would we be without the mammies making sure the lucky socks, jocks and togs are all washed and lined up for us.
Thanks Mary. Only for ye.
I miss my mother-in-law Ella most around these times. I would always share the morning bowl of porridge with her, quick chat as if all I was doing was going training that day, and before setting off in the car with Conor O’Mahony each time the message would be the same, simple but effective: 'do your best that’s all we can ask'.
The hurling grips will be changed to nice new fresh-out-of-the-box ones. The first hurley, handled like a newborn child this week kept safe and sound away from all dangers, probably not used in any form of contact in training just in case, maybe even the second and third hurleys might get new grips just for the day that’s in it.
These are things no one will even consider watching on but they will be huge to the players.
Boots, togs, socks they can all be replaced, but there’s nothing like having your good hurley primed and ready for the big day. It’s an extra buzz for you when you strike that first ball in Croker during the warm up.
So that’s the gear bag sorted. Suits next. Measurements will be taken at the first session back after the semi so these can be boxed away and sorted and be one less concern for players. If you have a good liaison team you won’t even have to worry about these again until after the game and we had one of the very best.
I am sure this is the same in Limerick and Kilkenny. Now the partners bags are a different story but again the liaison crew will deal with this.
Now on to the item which could cause the most stress if you let it – tickets.
What the majority did and probably still do is assign a family member to take control of this – give them the batch of tickets and that’s it you are done with them – no messages – no calls to be taken all done through this one person or people.
That was always the best way for me and I am sure it is the same for the majority of players this weekend too. After all these sideshows of suits, tickets and accommodations are sorted it really is up to you personally to how you approach the week.
As I said some will wish it away as quick as possible, avoid the local shops and all the potential experts with their views on how it should or will go. You always have to admire the self confidence of the person who never hurled a day in their lives above Junior C and here they are now on the Friday before an All-Ireland telling you how you should approach the first five minutes of the game – all you can do is laugh.
Declan Fanning used to call some of these people 'energy sappers' and he was right. You’d be drained coming away from a chat with them. Some players can take all this in their stride others will just avoid it. It’s like 'Up For The Match' – some wouldn’t dare flick it on, whilst others, myself included, will flick it on to see the craic going on in it and enjoy it all.
Training with the group often feels like the most comfortable place to be the week of the game because everyone is on the same wavelength, the same zone and it just feels so safe for so many and a break almost away from the madness that may be going on outside the camp.
The mood is one of excitement and anticipation and that final team meeting can stir something up in you that just triggers an emotion that says 'Ya, now I’m ready for this, bring it on'.
Often it could be the smallest thing or the quietest player saying or doing something and you just know this group is ready to explode come Sunday. That’s a very special feeling.
Sleep Saturday night might not be great, I always compare to it Christmas Eve as a young child knowing what’s coming the following day, so sleep throughout the week will be vital as Saturday night’s sleep won't dictate how well rested you are but more importantly the five days previous.
Sunday will arrive, up for the breakfast, that gear bag and those hurleys that have been checked within an inch of their lives will be left at the back door, splash on a bit of holy water, waiting for the lift or waiting to be put into the boot to go. Meet the group and return back to that safe place where the nerves seem to lessen because everyone is the same.
And then it’s up the motorway, stopping in a hotel or secondary school for the pre-game meal, a few pucks, a final team meeting with some tunes blaring over the best video clips of the group from throughout the year.
Hinges off doors kind of stuff. As a man from Portroe used to always say, all one percenters but they all add up to that performance.
And then it’s the final journey to the big arena, blue lights flashing all around the bus from the escort, headphones in, watching all the colour, all the fans and the excitement as they realise this is the team and when that bus squeezes down the tunnel under the Davin Stand and you step off the battle is nearly here.
One more hour to put down and then it’s go time.
God I’d give anything to be back there again.
