Ó Cofaigh Byrne credits 'rural' Dalkey carrying Cuala

It has been a history-making season for Cuala and Peadar Ó Cofaigh Byrne, with possibly more to come on Sunday in the AIB All-Ireland Club Football Championship final.

Cuala won the Dublin and Leinster football titles for the first time this year and will be looking to become only the second club to win All-Ireland finals in both codes. The club won back-to-back hurling titles in 2017 and 2018, a time that Ó Cofaigh Byrne remembers fondly.

"I remember when the hurlers were involved, and got into those games, and being on the DART, and going out to them, and it was crazy, it was chaotic, but it was a savage craic," the midfielder told RTÉ Sport.

The effect of such an occasion on the community and club is not lost on the 25-year-old, but he explains they are trying to keep their heads while absorbing the positive impact the well-wishes can have.

"Now, being able to bring that to anyone in the club, because everyone experienced it differently, it's just absolutely massive... there's certain memories I have of when the hurlers were involved that I'll never forget with certain people... if you can replicate that for anyone, it's something that you feel honoured to do, and absolutely privileged, and it really is great.

"The buzz that you're getting from people in the club that you've never met, who are just absolutely delighted for you, pure, honest enjoyment, and pure pride in the club, it's just, it's just brilliant to witness," Ó Cofaigh Byrne added.

Cuala might be a big Dublin club but Peadar Ó Cofaigh Byrne thinks it has a rural 'feel' in terms of support

Con O'Callaghan is the only one of his team-mates who was part of the squad that inspired the community back in 2017, and whom Ó Cofaigh Byrne credits with having an influence on him personally.

"They're very open to anyone if you want to come up to them and need any advice or help, and they'll let you know as well, or they'll even come up to you if they have questions. That's something that 100% has shaped me as a person and a footballer,

"Just being around them, trying to get anything out of them that I could, and thankfully and luckily, I still am, and they're in my club, and I'm eternally grateful for that."

If Cuala can get it over the line on Sunday, O'Callaghan will become one of an elite group of dual code title winners in an era where doing both is undoubtedly more difficult.

Con O'Callaghan is the only player that remains from the club's 2017 All-Ireland Club Hurling Championship winning team

Ó Cofaigh Byrne is in the lengthy process of training to be a solicitor and lives in town. It wasn't until making the trip a few miles south for Christmas that he realised the community were behind them.

The massive support for club sides is typically associated with more rural locations, where competition with other sports for talent is less stiff and community spirit is assumed to be diluted closer to cities, but Ó Cofaigh Byrne states it's still 'great for the parish'.

"Going home, and going to training, and seeing all the flags, like, it really was the moment, for me that hit home, and this is huge for the club, for the area, for the parish

"We have quite a big area, it's probably diluted by the different sports that are there, there's quite a large rugby and soccer cohort, amongst other sports, which is natural.

"But to see those flags... there's young families on my road, that I didn't even know were Cuala, and they're so supportive, they're absolutely buzzing after the games, for an area that's probably quite large, it does really feel really tight-knit.

"It's something that I probably didn't appreciate, probably, until we've been on this run, and you see how many people it affects, and see how many people get so much joy out of it," admits Ó Cofaigh Byrne.

After a few failed attempts to progress in the club championship for Cuala despite a talented squad, the 25-year-old credits their less known players as the reason for their success this time around.

"We've always had good players, but in the last three years having that belief as a squad, and having that ability as a squad, not just as individuals, has really kind of improved us,

"The competitiveness in the squad has been huge and that has probably been driven by a lot of the younger lads in the squad.

"There's so many that probably don't make any headlines or you probably have never heard of them... but there's a lot of lads really pushing on that has just genuinely made us better and better and better and for the weekends.

"If we were to win it'd be 100% down to the effort they've put in, not just the 15 who are starting," adds Ó Cofaigh Byrne.

The 'run' has been quite phenomenal for a club that not too many years ago were winning intermediate titles.

It's not until this late stage of the season that he appreciate how well it has gone, they couldn't have asked for much more.

"You're looking at this week thinking you only have a week left. You kind of don't want it to stop.

"It's been an absolutely savage journey. Playing with the lads, you don't realise how much enjoyment you're getting out of this until you finish up, then you're looking back, and it's just savage and the journey itself is all you could have asked for."

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