Ger Keohane’s speech at half time worked, it helped to spur us over the line

Star sports reporter SEÁN HOLLAND – and now history-making Barryroe footballer – relives a magical night for his club

THEY say every man dies twice – once when you pass and secondly, when your accomplishments are spoken for the last time. The accomplishments of this Barryroe team will undoubtedly be spoken about for generations to come.

Friday night was the pinnacle, as Barryroe won the club’s first-ever Carbery JAFC title, but the path was as unique as any.

Take your mind back to last year where this team was knocked out of the Carbery championship after only playing two games. This season we had unfinished business.

Barryroe's Seán Holland.

Only 26 years of age, I’m already one of the senior members of the panel, and, boy, have we seen some tough days. That is what made Friday night against Kilmacabea so special.

For the final itself, it was hard not to get taken up by all the build-up considering my new job in The Southern Star sports department. Robbie Kiely had us in a huddle at training last week and he spoke of how it was just another game and not to think about it. I joked with Robbie after, saying it’s literally my job and I have to think about it!

Even something like the parade before the game in Dunmanway, all this was totally new to us. Looking up at the crowd beforehand, it was immense. There was fantastic support from both sides which really added to the atmosphere, making the pitch a cauldron of noise. Once the ball was thrown in it was time to forget all the talk, all the noise and get down to business.

We went into the dressing-room at half time down by one, we’d played okay but we knew there was another gear or two. And we're about to find out about it. One of our selectors, Ger Keohane, had played in the final we lost in 2003. His team fell short that day and he didn’t want that to happen to us. We had gone into half-time in the semi-final against Balinascarthy behind and it was Ger who spoke to us, really driving us on. When we were in a huddle at half-time in the final Ger brought a small plastic case out of his pocket with a medal inside of it. I was saying to myself “what’s going on here?”

To his credit, he spoke passionately, saying he was in our position 20 years ago and look what he got after it: a second-place medal.

’You know what that medal is worth?’ he asked.

‘It’s worth f**k all’, and he smashed the case off the ground in front of us with major dramatic effect. Well, if that didn’t get you going nothing would. We came out fired up for the second half and as we know now, eventually got over that line after extra time.

The final whistle was a blur. Jumping and celebrating with anyone dressed in blue. As the time progressed everything moved slower and we were able to process it more. The music in the dressing room after, the bonfires lit around the parish, the stream of cars going through Courtmacsherry, Butlerstown and Lislevane, and … the second-place medal.

As far as I know they don’t give out second place medals for West Cork finals. I asked Ger about it later in the pub (early Saturday morning at this stage).

‘Sure, that was only some junior D medal. I needed something to get ye going!’ Well, it worked.

Looking back, the whole weekend’s celebrations were incredibly enjoyable. Those days will live for a long time in the memory for both players and supporters alike, but the thing is after all that, we’re not done quite yet….