LEAP was the party capital of West Cork earlier this week, Donie O’Donovan laughs.

Chatting to The Southern Star on Tuesday morning, the Kilmacabea boss compared his home village to Electric Picnic as celebrations of their county junior A football championship triumph gathered pace.

This is certainly a success worth celebrating as the Carbery kingpins – who had won their own divisional junior A title five times in nine years – finally got the breakthrough county win they had craved.

Beating Donoughmore by 1-14 to 1-7 at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday will rank as the greatest moment in the club’s history. It means a lot to everyone in the parish.

‘You hear it when other clubs make the breakthrough that there would be grown men crying, and my dad said he couldn’t believe the outpouring of emotion at the final whistle. In Páirc Uí Chaoimh, you’re a bit away from the crowd and looking up into the stands, but to see the emotion that was there was incredible to experience,’ said O’Donovan, who was a player when Kilmacabea won their first West Cork in 2017 and is now the manager who has led his home club to the title they wanted.

Kilmacabea fans celebrate at the Leap Inn. (Photo: Martin Walsh)

There were tough moments on this journey – such as losing the 2018 county final and last season’s county semi-final – so the pressure was on to get across the finishing line. They did, and with seven points to spare could enjoy those final few minutes.

‘It was the feeling of achievement, that we’ve done it,’ O’Donovan remarked on how he felt at the final whistle.

‘There was a bit of relief as well because we also knew this was a last-chance saloon – we would have found it very hard to come again. The timing was just right this time, and the sense of achievement was the greatest feeling.

‘It was lovely to know in those last few minutes that we were there, that we had it. Keith Whelton put in a fierce shift this year, he played really well all year and got better and better. We took him off in injury time and brought on Cillian Whelton, who had earned his time on the pitch at the end. When Keith came off, he threw up his hands and gave a big cheer, and he deserved a moment like that. To come off in a county final, in those final few minutes, knowing you have it won, that’s a great feeling.’

There were heroes all over the pitch, and off it. Too many to mention. Take Martin Collins, who made his debut for Kilmacabea in 2013 and has started every championship game since. Incredible service, so this county win is a reward for stalwarts like him.

‘The only time Martin came off was when he was injured after getting a shoulder from Alan O’Connor of St Colum’s in 2014. He has started every game and never taken off. He is our lynchpin,’ said the Kilmacabea boss, who felt his side threw off the shackles in the second half against Donoughmore and produced a performance for the big occasion. The celebrations started at the final whistle and haven’t stopped.

‘We were in Leap on Monday night, you could have been at Electric Picnic, fellas had the night of their lives!’ O’Donovan quips.

Before Day Two kicked off, the players brought the cup to the local national schools – Maulatrahane, Glandore and Leap – and that will inspire the next generation. And the wheel keeps on turning.