KILBRITTAIN won’t be fazed by the bright lights of Croke Park, insists boss Joe Ryan ahead of the club’s biggest-ever game.

This is uncharted territory: an All-Ireland club junior hurling championship final against Sligo kingpins Easkey at GAA HQ this Saturday (3.15pm). But Kilbrittain won’t be distracted by their surroundings.

From capturing their first county hurling title in 15 years to winning their first-ever Munster crown, this has been a season to remember. And the greatest day could still lie ahead.

Playing in Croke Park can present its challenges, but Kilbrittain are ready.

‘There has to be a Croke Park factor, and you have to address it – but you frame it positively rather than negatively,’ Kilbrittain boss Joe Ryan told The Southern Star.

‘From speaking to dad (Jerry) and a few who have experienced playing in Croke Park, playing into the Davin End in an empty stadium, sometimes you can overhit the ball because your perception of the stadium to the pitch is different. It’s things like that. After the walk-through, you park it and get on with the game.

‘We’ll know within ten minutes whether it’s a thing or not for them.’

Kilbrittain face an Easkey team that has played on the biggest stage before. On that occasion, the Connacht champions fell short to another Cork club, Ballygiblin, in 2023, losing 1-16 to 0-11.

Added to that, the Sligo men have regular inter-county players with experience of playing lower-tier hurling finals in Croke Park. They have also won four Connacht titles in a row, emphasising the test that awaits the West Cork club.

‘It’s a massive challenge. Andy Kilcullen looks like a very good player and has had a strong inter-county career as well. When I look at their team, they have a few sets of brothers, including the Cawleys. Finian looks like a very good player at centre-forward. If you have that on a team, there is going to be a good bond,’ Ryan explained.

‘They lost to Ballygiblin in 2023 and that was a disappointing performance from them. They then lost by a point in the semi-final against St Catherine’s (in 2023/24), and the reports at the time were that they should have won that game. They lost to a Kilkenny team last year in St Lachtain’s, and they won it. They have a good pedigree and play good hurling.’

But Kilbrittain have faced stiff opposition before and come through it this season. Going into the All-Ireland semi-final against Davidstown-Courtnacuddy, there was significant background work done to quell the Wexford side’s goalscoring threat. Similar work will be required again to overcome another big obstacle.

‘If you look back at Davidstown’s games, they would have scored around 14 or 15 points but were tagging on two or three goals. It was a big effort from our defence to try and limit their chances. I think they had only one goal chance in the first half,’ Ryan noted.

‘We knew that if we could shut them out, and with the threats that we have, there would be opportunities. From a team point of view, I was delighted that we shut them out.’

So, as the Black and Amber face into one of the most historic days in the club’s history, they do so with confidence and belief that they can make it an occasion to remember.

Only one more hurdle to jump and, hopefully, an All-Ireland title will be heading west this weekend.