Colin Spain savouring the prospect of lining out in All-Ireland Final

COLIN Spain was overage for last year's minor side which reached the All-Ireland Final but as he savoured the atmosphere at Nowlan Park last July, he longed to be on the field with the players he lined out with at club and schools level.

Next Sunday the Kilcormac/Killoughey player will get the chance to take the field in front of a packed house at Semple Stadium when he lines out with the Offaly in the under 20 All-Ireland Final against Cork and he was eager to emphasise that Offaly are not just going for the day out. “ We're not here just to take part, we're not going to Semple Stadium for a day out, we're obviously coming to win as well, so we'll see how it goes on the day,” he said,

“Obviously I was looking at the minors last year and you are looking at all these people packing out Nowlan Park and you're just wishing I was out there playing with those lads. Thankfully we came in this year and got the same job done again and hopefully we'll have the same feeling in Semple Stadium on Sunday,” he said.

He has been happy with the way preparations have gone for the big day. “We had a tough week training last week. Hughie (Hannon) had us going up to ninety last week but we'll settle down this week and prepare for the big day,” he said.

It has already been a successful year for Colin at schools level. He was a member of the Offaly Schools team which won the Leinster Schools 'A' title and then with Colaiste Naomh Cormac they went on and won the All-Ireland Schools 'B' title.

“The Offaly Schools at the start of the year, I know there were people who were not happy with Offaly Schools being combined together, but I think it was a great thing for Offaly, especially winning it and beating St Kieran's down in Nowlan Park,” he said.

“We gained so much momentum off that and we carried it into the camp and we gained a few extra lads, the 19 and 20 year olds, and we pushed on. As the campaign went on we got momentum and went to Dr Cullen Park against Wexford and thankfully did the job. We look forward to Cork now in the All-Ireland final.”

The midfielder believes that Offaly have improved as the campaign has progressed. “At the start against Westmeath, maybe we didn't play our best hurling but as it went on, every day we went out the panel of 24 has changed, so every day we went out we kept improving and kept getting better and thankfully we put on a good performance against Wexford and we are playing well so far so hopefully we will keep that momentum up.”

Heading into the knock out stages of the Leinster Championship, there probably wasn't too much expectation of Offaly progressing too far, particularly as they had to face Galway who won the All-Ireland Minor title three years ago.

“We came out of a group labelled Tier 2 with Westmeath, Meath and Antrim and the rest but coming out and playing Galway, who at this age group were All-Ireland minor champions, I don't think people gave us much of a chance and thankfully we went in and did a job against them in O'Connor Park.

“Then our next game was a home fixture as well against Dublin and I think people realised that maybe there is something special with this team and we brought a huge crowd to O'Connor Park, which is good to see, and we got the job done against them. Then we went to Dr Cullen Park and people said they are special and that's sport.”

“Offaly hurling brings huge support. In fairness when we get going there is no stopping us. When you look after the match the last day, there are lads going around with yellow flares and green flares, they have a never say die attitude and no matter what happens, they will come out and support us. Even the footballers, Offaly love supporting their team, they give everything to Offaly and it's great to see. When you are packing out Dr Cullen Park and bringing 25,000 to Thurles it is a serious atmosphere,” he added.

Colin said he has watched Cork on television. “They are a big physical team and play a good brand of hurling. They are a very good hurling side, otherwise they wouldn't be in an All-Ireland final. We feel we can match them as well. We're not here just to take part, we're not going to Semple Stadium for a day out, we're obviously coming to win as well, so we'll see how it goes on the day.”

Offaly haven't come up against Munster teams much at championship level. “On my last year in minor we played Kilkenny in the Leinster semi-final and the year before played Kilkenny in the Leinster Final, which was delayed by Covid, but we haven't met a Munster team. We have played challenge games early in the year, against Waterford and Limerick, we played Clare once or twice and Clare competed with Cork in the Munster final. I know there is a lot of talk with people saying Munster is way more competitive than Leinster and all this, but I don't see it at all. I don't think that's true.”

Colin is joined by a lot of his Kilcormac/Killoughey and school colleagues on the Offaly panel and he said that certainly helps. “Our school, Colaiste Naomh Cormac, we have six lads on the under 20 panel and obviously you have Ter Guinan and a few more that are gone on to College. It helps a lot when we are all gelling together. We are together nearly every day of the week, so it does help a lot when you are coming to training but even in training, I think we all gell together. There is a great atmosphere at training and we are all enjoying it at the moment,” he added.

Of course, there is another important event coming up for Colin and his school colleagues the week after the All-Ireland final when they sit the Leaving Cert.

“Leaving Cert is three days after but we'll put the head down for two weeks and after the match we'll see how that goes,” he said..

Colin is enjoying his involvement with the team. “It's great to be representing your county. Coming into this place (The Faithful Fields) every week and you have four pitches, at some stages of the year you have four different teams on four different pitches. You have the gym, recovery room and it's state of the art. We are so lucky to have it and I think if we didn't have this place Offaly mightn't be where they are at the moment but thankfully everyone is giving everything they have to Offaly at the moment and it's working out.”

Offaly have reacted well to adversity throughout this campaign, having to play without Adam Screeney and Brecon Kavanagh in the Leinster semi-final and when they returned for the final, Shane Rigney and Ben Miller missed out through injury but he feels they have a strong panel and that helps them do that.

“I think anyone could start on any given day and anyone could make the 24. As I said the 24 has been different every day we went out. I know Adam is exceptional and Brecon and they are all exceptional players but I think everyone has a good chance and everyone gives everything they have. The important thing about us is work rate. We give everything every day we go out. People might have thought losing Adam and Brecon we would struggle, but we went out and proved that we can do it without them. We can hurl without anyone. It doesn't matter who we have, we'll give everything,” he stated.

That was seen again in the Leinster Final when they lost a man after Charlie Mitchell was sent off. “We went down to 14 men in the Leinster Final but we knew we had to lift it another gear. We gave it everything and thankfully came out in the right way,” Colin said.

The huge support following the Offaly team is also a great bonus and spurs the team on. “When I was growing up I didn't see a lot of that. You look at past videos of thousands of people on the pitch in Croke Park after winning All-Irelands and that's what we want. We want to bring Offaly back and hopefully we can do that,” he said.

Although Offaly lost the Joe McDonagh Cup Final last Saturday and will compete at that level again next year, Colin feels Offaly do need to get back to the Leinster Championship. “For Offaly to progress we need to be getting up to the Leinster Championship. Westmeath had a big win the other week and anything can happen. I feel Offaly need to be getting up there, hopefully in a few years time when we are going on towards the Offaly senior team that we will be going into Leinster hurling. We have to be competing as a whole county. Offaly are Division 1 of the National League next year and I think we can beat anyone. I do think we could go out and compete.”

The seniors and under 20s have soldiered side by side through the season. “After the Leinster final the seniors came on and congratulated us and after every game we would go out and congratulate the seniors and I think we were nearly bouncing off each other. It was the rhythm and is good for Offaly hurling. It's exciting to see and it's exciting for Offaly. It's great to see all the flags outside houses and driving through the county, everyone has flags out and thankfully Offaly is back in these big days again,” Colin added.