City slickers against country cousins.
It’s the classic GAA set up this weekend as Ballyboden St Enda’s of Dublin face Clonmel Commercials of Tipperary in the last four of the AIB All-Ireland club football championship.
It’s the first time in modern history both teams have got this far, with the Munster champions looking to cause a major upset against the team who defeated St Vincent’s in their county final.
Ballyboden are widely regarded as one of the biggest GAA clubs, not only in Dublin, but in Ireland. They run in the region of 70 teams from underage to senior in hurling and football, and have enjoyed success in both over the last number of years.
However corner-forward Andrew Kerin hates the idea that Ballyboden’s history of success means supporters are not as excited as their Tipperary counterparts ahead of this weekend.
“You talk to some people and they talk about Ballyboden, some people don’t see it as a real GAA club. The support we’ve got over the year, the whole club is buzzing, the whole area.
“Even driving in this morning, there were flags everywhere, all the local pubs have stuff up so it’s just as relevant for the area is it is for a small town down the country.”
Ballyboden almost didn’t make it to this stage, as Portlaoise missed a chance to send the Leinster final to extra-time when Paul Cahillane kicked his 21-metre free wide at the death.
Kerin, who was named AIB Leinster club footballer of the year last week, admitted there was only one thought going through his mind looking at the Laois man eyeing up the posts.
“I was disgusted myself because I just missed a goal chance about five minutes before that and I was thinking to myself that we were going to have to settle for extra-time.
“I wasn’t really paying attention to the free and I heard someone shouting that he’d missed it and obviously the umpires waved it wide and I couldn’t believe it.”
Kerin never made it with Dublin, despite being involved in some trial games under Pat Gilroy, but Ballyboden do have inter-county experience to call on in the form of Michael Darragh Macauley, Stephen Hiney and Conal Keaney for Saturday’s game in Portlaoise (4.30pm).
From Doha to Tullamore! Ballyboden will be delighted to have @durpapa back between the sticks today. #TheToughest pic.twitter.com/c63mnFXknK
— AIB_GAA (@AIB_GAA) December 6, 2015
As well as that, former Donegal netminder Paul Durcan, now living in Qatar, is expected to be flown back for Saturday’s game.
“For someone coming in, he’s really bought into it. I know he’s living abroad now but he’s completely involved in the Whatsapp conversations.
“Even there at Christmas, we had a Christmas night out and he was coming home for Christmas and he arrived into the pub with his two bags straight from the airport and was there for the night. I think he got the bags home.”
“I think people have this view that he just comes in, plays the games and goes home but he really has bought into it. It’s brilliant. He’s a big talker and we’ve got a lot from him. It’s great to have.”
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