Since I packed in competitive football the most regular question that I have been asked is:
“Which was better? – Winning the All-Ireland with your club? Or with your county?”
Both are special, however making the trip to Croke Park with men that you have played with since you were knee high to a grass-hopper is a very, very, special thing and one that you hold closer to your heart in many ways than the bonds that are there at inter-county level.
If you look at Portumna this weekend, you have lots of brothers, cousins, close families, and a whole community of hurling people and their supporters heading off up the road to represent their place on a national stage.
The obvious names are the Cannings, the Hayes, the Smiths, and big name players invariably get most of the headlines, however there are numerous other families, business people, committee members, club officers in the background doing trojan work to keep the show on the road.
It is hard to believe that Portumna only won their first Intermediate Galway county title in 1992 after the heartbreak of losing two finals, one a replay at that grade, and their first Galway senior title ever did not arrive until 2003.
And yet here they are, six years later now on the cusp of winning their third All-Ireland senior title in four years. That is rapid progression and proves that with the right application, work-rate, and commitment, clubs can make serious advancement.
It is hard to look past the Galway men in the hurling final against De La Salle of Waterford and after their filleting of Ballyhale Shamrocks and their tally of 5-11 they are completely unbackable and are already in the winners enclosure in most people’s eyes.
It is impossible to see how the De La Salle rearguard will be able to close out the stupendous talent and scoring potential that is in the Portumna attack. Damien Hayes, Joe Canning, Kevin Hayes, and all the other forwards are dangerous.
With such an omnipotent attack and with a powerful half-back line of Gareth Heagney, Micheal Ryan, and Aidan O’ Donnell providing plenty of supply, Portumna are odds on favourites to become the third Galway club to record back-to-back All Ireland victories.
In the football, it is difficult not to look past the All-Ireland final specialists Crossmaglen even though I think that Kilmacud Crokes will put it up to the Armagh men.
