‘This is the one we have waited for'

BY TOM LYONS

AFTER a long wait, St James have finally found what they were looking for.

The club might be 127 years old but they won the Carbery Junior A football championship for the first time last Sunday after their 0-11 to 0-9 win against Ballinascarthy in the final.

Club secretary Liam Evans enjoyed every moment after the final whistle announced St James as the best junior A football team in Carbery this season. Making it extra special, he watched his son Mark kick two points.

‘We have worked for this day all our lives,’ said a beaming and emotional Evans. 

‘We dreamed about it but thought that it probably had passed us by, that this squad of players was just getting too old to win the title. But this year there was something special about them, there was an energy there, a belief and they never doubted themselves. All year long you could feel that something in the squad. 

‘During the game itself, they never panicked, kept at it, kicked some vital points in the second half. The point-taking was superb and we just couldn’t ask any more of them on the day. Brilliant.’

Club chairman Niall O’Sullivan, another official who has given his all to the club and has witnessed far more sad days than joyful, was thrilled with the victory too. He intended to enjoy every minute of this triumph because he knows these days don’t come around too often for a small club like St James.

‘From a parish point of view after 127 years of history, we finally have our name on the cup,’ said a happy and satisfied O’Sullivan. 

‘This is the one we have always been looking for. This has been an amazing week in our parish as we have won two cups and two shield trophies this week, amazing. To see all the young lads here today supporting the juniors, there’s a great link between the juniors and the underage. Some of the juniors help us out at underage training and we’d like to thank them for that. 

‘We have all generations here today, even people flying in from America to be here on this special day for the club. It’s wonderful to see this. 

‘We were never going to lose this final, even the farmers in the parish took in the corn this week in case we’d burn it.’