DENIS Hurley had a busier than normal Saturday. The well-known local GAA reporter covered his home club Kilbrittain in the All-Ireland club junior hurling final for The Echo – it’s a unique feeling to have a front-row season as your own people reach the Promised Land.
Working for the game helped his nerves, Denis quipped in the Croke Park pressbox. Given his brother James is full back on the Kilbrittain team and manager Joe Ryan is his brother-in-law – married to Denis’s sister Lorna – Denis was invested in this game more than any other.
The same rings true for the huge Kilbrittain support that made the trip from West Cork.
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Did anyone stay at home in Kilbrittain? Possibly not, as fans made that extra effort to cheer on their trailblazing hurlers in the club’s biggest-ever game. The black and amber colours made their presence felt at Croke Park, cheering their team to a famous 0-19 to 0-18 triumph.
It was time to party in the capital, and the celebrations continued at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Dublin Airport where, swapping his biro for a microphone, Denis Hurley was the MC on a night Kilbrittain will never forget, and some may never remember!
Little wonder too that Denis claimed the Crowne Plaza as part of Kilbrittain parish for the night, as 520 packed into the banquet hall for the All-Ireland final dinner. Incredible scenes on a magical day for a village and community brought even closer together by their local hurling team.
Up for the match were Máire, Sheila and Brian O'Connell. (Photo: Paddy Feen)
Supporting Kilbrittain in Croke Park were Lawrence Sexton, Michelle O'Callaghan, Gerald O'Callaghan and Mick Harrington. (Photo: Paddy Feen)
Bernie, David, Jim and Peter Brennan in Croke Park. (Photo: Paddy Feen)
Cheering on Kilbrittain were Sharon McSweeney and Mary Hunt. (Photo: Paddy Feen)
Daniel Cronin, Jimmy O'Mahony and Sean O'Mahony supporting Kilbrittain in Croke Park. (Photo: Paddy Feen)
Susan Nyhan made an extra effort to be decked out in black and amber. (Photo: Paddy Feen)
Cheering on Kilbrittain in Croke Park were Sinead Deane, Emily Deane, Deirdre Duggan, Yvonne Desmond and Susan Nyhan.(Photo: Paddy Feen)
The Nixon clan supporting Kilbrittain in Croke Park. (Photo: Paddy Feen)
