Nothing quite beats that County Final feeling

The month of October has taken over as the pre-eminent time for the staging of county finals as clubs in every corner of the country converge on their designated county grounds in pursuit of glory and silverware.

The county final is the holy grail for all club players who comprise over 90% of the GAA's playing population with a final appearance at the county's premier ground the culmination of months and even years of hard work as the club and community combine like no other to make it an occasion to savour.

County championships by their nature are extremely competitive no matter what the grade or gender. The rolls of honour tend to be dominated by the big urban sprawls with Ballina Stephenites and Castlebar Mitchels carving up 68 senior titles between them in Mayo, underlining the great difficulty rural clubs having to compete against and beat such behemoths, especially with the shift in population to larger town centres where most of the work and employment is located.

The rural club continues to punch above its weight, however, with the likes of Crossmolina, Knockmore, Ballintubber, Charlestown Sarsfields, Hollymount and Ballaghaderreen sharing 21 titles between them in the last 30 years, which is an incredible strike rate considering the battles they face remaining competitive in a very unforgiving and vigorous championship where local rivalry and passion for victory has often trumped insurmountable odds and ignited wild scenes of celebration in many a rural, remote outpost.

County finals are always to be cherished no matter what the grade or level of competition. The whole community rows in behind the team as they make that trek to MacHale Park on County Final Sunday with the entire parish on tenterhooks waiting for the ball to be thrown in as men, women and children unite behind the club emblem and colours.

Qualification for the final gives everyone in the community a real lift as it takes place at time when the transition from autumn to winter is almost complete. The long nights and dark mornings stifle positive thinking for many so anything that lifts the spirits and creates some positive energy is always a good thing and county final qualification certainly ticks both boxes as people from all facets of life step forward to decorate houses and shop fronts, hoist flags in the most obvious and obscure places and erect signs at all the strategic entry points to a town, village and townland carrying positive messages of support for players and management alike. The pre-match talk dominates every conversation as people speculate on the team selection and who might be promoted or demoted to and from the starting 15.

The players and management do their best not to get drawn into the hype, but I won't lie, I enjoyed every minute of the build-up to each and every final I was involved in as these are the days you live for and the reasons we play and invest such time in trying to win the damn thing.

The provincial papers really earn their corn around county final time as supplements are printed with every angle of the game dissected and scrutinised with manic fervour. At a time when papers are struggling to hold onto their readers with the advent of social communication and so much access to the internet, county finals, I dare say, provide a boon for the local media as press nights are organised which raise the profile of the club and provides some interesting insights into the levels of commitment players are willing to invest to propel their team and club over the line on the biggest stage of the lot. 

The weeks leading up to the final are a hive of activity for the club executive and committee as funds need to be raised to make sure the team looks the part on the grand stage. Team sponsors are usually the first port of call and they are asked to delve deep into their stash to provide new gear for the team which always meets with a positive response as the golden rule of business applies where you speculate to accumulate with most team sponsors being entrenched in the community in the retail and hospitality sector.

The demand for club colours and gear has exploded in the last number of years with people young and old proud to display their club affiliations on a daily basis in all walks of life. The big day makes for a wonderful spectacle as both sets of supporters bring great colour and passion to the venue with the club and community taking centre stage on both sides of the divide.

The players remain an integral part of the build-up as they embrace the excitement and razzamatazz and become icons among the younger generation who often sport their favourite player's number and name on the back of their jerseys. These are the real heroes in the community, the ones the kids can readily identify with as they shop in the same places and walk the same streets and are a visible presence in and around the community.

The club jersey takes on an added significance as there's a lot of emotion and great people woven into its fabric. Those privileged to wear it on County Final day are carrying on the torch for all who went before them and are reminded of the importance of doing it justice and leaving everything on the field of play in pursuit of victory. 

All the competing teams in the 2023 finals have got there on merit and stand one game away from writing a new chapter in the long and storied history of their respective clubs. The last step is always the hardest to negotiate however and one that requires a supreme effort as county titles are hard won and are never handed out lightly. Just ask Breaffy who have come up agonisingly short in their five county final appearances in the past decade, which makes for grim reading thus underlines the very thin line between success and failure.

Every county final is as important as the next. While the senior final is the blue riband competition and takes top billing, the 'B' final in Mayo in 2023, which involved Achill and Ballycastle, meant every bit as much to the proud GAA people of both communities who continue to do sterling work keeping the game alive and vibrant in places that have been decimated by emigration for more years than one cares to remember. Their qualification for the final is a vindication of the tireless work that countless numbers of marvellous volunteers have achieved in keeping the clubs relevant and competitive and in the process provides hope for many clubs of a similar size and ilk that dreams do come true if one is prepared to work hard enough.

My club Charlestown Sarsfields were lucky enough to sample some wonderful successes on the biggest days of the lot. We have won titles at all adult grades with the 2000s our glorious decade when we competed in five county finals (including replays) and managed to win two as we regularly put it up to and beat the traditional titans and kingpins of Mayo club football. The joy and happiness those successes ignited still remain vivid in the minds and hearts of all associated with those great teams who lifted our club onto a higher plain and brought us to places we could only dream of a few short years previously. The scenes at the final whistle, the elation in the dressing room, and the journey home with hundreds of cars in the victory cavalcade are still etched in the mind as we traipsed through the streets of the town with bonfires blazing to greet our triumphant arrival. These are memories that last forever as the town and its hinterland came together in celebration. The victorious team, panel and management were hoisted onto the back of a truck and introduced to the huge crowds that had gathered in the old town square with people in full celebratory mood as this was a victory that came after many years of trying. I'm sure similar scenes played out in the communities of Ballina, Kilmeena, Lahardane and Achill and these are occasions to be treasured and cherished with victory for all of the above making a deep impact in every aspect of community life.

The day itself is magical as you can sense the anticipation once you pull your head up from under the duvet. There is a palpable sense of excitement to be felt in the air as you pack the gear bag and make your way to the local park for the final de-brief and team meeting. You can see the nerves jangling in the body language and actions of the players as you sit in the dressing room and listen intently to the management as they discuss the tactics and where the game might be won and lost.

Peter Canavan, on accepting the Sam Maguire on behalf of the Tyrone team and his people in 2003 for the first time in their history, said: "I can't think of a better place in the world I could be standing in than on the steps of the Hogan Stand..." 

Those words will resonate with any victorious county final-winning captain who has had the honour of lifting the Moclair Cup in the middle of the stand in MacHale Park in front of their own people and community as it sets in train a celebration like no other. David Tiernan gave a wonderful and rousing speech on behalf of the winning 2001 Charlestown Sarsfields team when he hoisted the Moclair Cup high into the crisp, late September air and what followed was pure elation and euphoria as a town and community were united in triumph.

County Final Day touches a chord and brings out the best in a team, club and community. All this year's participants experienced that emotional whirlwind which brought them closer to their people and parish. It makes you feel proud of where you're from and portrays your native place in the best possible light. It's more than a match, it`s an occasion and one which continues to take pride of place in the GAA club calendar as it enthrals, grips and beguiles in equal measure. 

The county final occupies a special place in the hearts and minds of the wider GAA community and continues to tug on the heartstrings as it mobilises a community and unites people in their shared visions and ambitions. Ballina Stephenites, Kilmeena, Lahardane and Achill are the latest to sup from that special county final winning fountain and more power to them as they write their names into the history books and join an elite group of clubs in the process.