IT WILL be a St Stephen’s Day like no other for Joe Ryan and Kilbrittain as they look ahead to a trip to Croke Park in the new year.

Ahead of the All-Ireland junior hurling semi-final, Kilbrittain boss Ryan quipped that he wanted to see his team training over the Christmas period. That wish has now come true.

Kilbrittain’s biggest-ever game in GAA HQ, an All-Ireland final against Sligo kingpins Easkey on January 10th, is something the entire parish can now look forward to.

‘It’s not just a game where you’re going, “Right lads, you need to be there an hour and a half beforehand,”’ Ryan told The Southern Star.

‘You’d probably be preparing for 24 or 48 hours beforehand and 24 after. There will be a lot of logistics going into it, but it’s great.

‘We’ll be back training on St Stephen’s morning. The lads, I’m told, can’t wait to get back training, so I may as well strike while the iron is hot.’

Like every other club in West Cork, Christmas also marks Poc Fada season – a chance to gather the community together. While it will be about getting back to business after their exploits, Ryan is keen to strike the right balance.

Eilish, Saoirse and Jennifer O'Donovan in Clonmel cheering on Kilbrittain. (Photo: Paddy Feen)

‘We’ll just meet up, have a puck around, review the Davidstown game and then make a plan for the following few weeks,’ he explained.

‘We’re lucky in that it’s Croke Park. It means our search for pitches doesn’t have to be as extensive as it was, because you’re not really going to replicate the surface of Croke Park bar something like a 4G. We’ll train before the Poc Fada and then take it from there.’

So, what does the festive schedule look like?

‘The fact that it’s the Christmas period, with holidays and bank holidays, allows us to train during the day,’ Ryan said.

‘We might do that on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day, which takes the pressure off trying to get a pitch with floodlights. We’ll still try to go twice a week and maybe a day at the weekend.

‘We’ll get Stephen Feeney back in to help us out and Mark Eaton will do a session with them. The run-in to the match will be Tuesday and Thursday – the normal set-up.

‘We still have to do our homework on Easkey. To put up 4-23 (against Burt) in December is incredible scoring, albeit the conditions looked much better for their game than our game against Davidstown.

‘We’ll try to keep it as normal and regular as possible for the lads. Obviously, they’ll have plans with themselves and their families, but the fact we have days off allows us to train a bit easier.’

It’s a dream scenario for Kilbrittain – enjoying family time over Christmas before a road trip to support their club in the biggest stadium in the country.

It feels a long way from Ahamilla and Newcestown, where Kilbrittain played their club championship games back in August.

‘Do you dream about it? You probably want to play in Croke Park when you’re young,’ Ryan reflected.

‘There are boys and girls, I’m sure, who dream of playing in Croke Park, usually with their inter-county teams. I would have done the same, growing up in the back garden of my grandparents’ house.

‘As you get older, when it comes to club, it’s the county that’s really on your mind. This is completely new territory – kind of dreamland stuff. I wouldn’t have dreamt of this. Maybe I’m on my own there. It’s incredible for the whole community.’

This run is not only significant for Kilbrittain, but also for the Carbery division. The belief their All-Ireland journey can give to clubs across West Cork is something Ryan readily acknowledges.

‘I think what came after the semi-final was just elation – realising you’ve made Croke Park and how happy that makes people feel,’ he said.

‘The texts I’m getting from different clubs give you an idea of it. It’s hard to realise that at the moment.

‘You’re not going to find a bigger advocate for West Cork hurling than me. I’m all for it. I’d be of the firm opinion that if Kilbrittain can win a county, then there’s no reason why the majority of West Cork clubs who treat hurling with respect cannot be successful,’ the Kilbrittain manager concluded.