The Courtwood GAA community are probably still pinching themselves.
For the first time in the club’s history, they have a senior county final to look forward to and will march behind the band in O’Moore Park on Sunday week, aiming for another giant-killing when they face up to a Portarlington side in search of a fifth title in six years.
But having knocked Portlaoise and St Joseph’s out in the quarter-final and semi-final respectively, they have nothing to fear.
“It’s special and when you haven’t been in one before, it’s extra special,” said manager Mark Bates after Sunday’s thrilling win over St Joseph’s, speaking to Clubber.
“I think we’re starting to see maturity in the group. It’s a young group. They’ve worked extremely hard. They’ve worked so hard. To get their just rewards today, you get what you deserve.
“We have 31 training there at the moment. It’s not an individual here. It’s all about the full group of 31 players. Management team, club team, secretaries, chairpersons are supporting you.
“I said this after the Portlaoise game – it was no surprise to us. We prepared for that game to win it. We wanted to play them well, but we also came off that game going, we left a lot behind and we need to improve.
“And we’ll need to improve the next day against Portarlington. There’s no doubt about that. Performances have to rise with the occasion each time you play.”
“It’s unbelievable,” added the long-serving Niall Donoher, who made his adult debut for the club as a 16-year-old way back in 2002.
“But, like, I’m not surprised being honest. I believed in this group of players for a number of years now.
“I think we weren’t ready when O’Dempsey’s bet us (in 2022, the last time they were in a semi-final). We just weren’t ready for that semi-final. But this is a young team now and the boys are all at an age where they’ve all grown up and they know what it takes.”
Donoher and Robert Flynn, who turned 40 this year, as well as Mark O’Halloran, who has appeared in most games, are still playing very central roles and are looking to complete a Grand Slam of county medals having won Junior ‘A’ in 2014 and Intermediate in 2018.
“I suppose since we’ve come back up senior, we’ve been in a relegation final, we’ve been in a relegation semi, it hasn’t been all plain sailing.
“So, like, that all stands to you. You have to learn, like, some years we were absolutely just, we weren’t putting anything into it.
“But this year it’s been complete buy-in. I think the boys are getting their just rewards. There’s savage talent there.
“It’ll have to go up another level the next day. But tonight it’s unbelievable. It’s just an unbelievable feeling.”
Though Bates was keen to stress the importance of the team in general, goalkeeper Matthew Byron, who scored 0-8 on Sunday, did come in for special focus.
“Matthew doesn’t need me to blow his head off ,” he laughed, “but he’s put in some effort this year, like they all have.
“From the new rules point of view, like, Matthew’s come into his own with two-point frees, but his movement running up the pitch … he just gives you that bit extra.”
“We’ve won nearly everything in the underage coming up, we’re very fortunate,” added Alan Kinsella.
“As you said, the age profile of this team is very young, apart from Niall and Robbie, but without them lads as well … we all look up to them lads.”
They all enjoyed well-earned celebration on Sunday night but focus now is switching to Sunday week’s county final.
Courtwood v Portarlington in the Laois senior football final.
Though they’ve been building a nice team over the past decade, this is a different level altogether.
And they’ve nothing to fear.
