Davitts 'Croker' bound - South Mayo parish creates Mayo GAA history by becoming the first to reach All-Ireland intermediate club championship final

Tuesday, 24 January 2012 15:52

Davitts stars Johnno Clarke and Ronan McNamara win the aerial ball against James Leonard of Eire Og during Sunday's All-Ireland intermediate club semi-final in Tullamore. Also pictured is Davitt's Paul Carey (no. 9), awaiting the breaking ball. Photo Joe ByrneMAYO intermediate Gaelic football champions Davitts booked their place in the All-Ireland club final following their massive victory over Wicklow and Leinster champions, Éire Óg, Greystones, in Tullamore on Sunday.

This magnificent feat by Davitts means they will be the first ever Mayo club to contest an intermediate club and the first south Mayo club to play a final in Croke Park.

When Pete Warren took over as Davitts manager 12 months ago no one in their wildest dreams could have foretold the unbelievable journey the intermediate side was to take. Now for a club who waited for 30 years to regain the Mayo title find themselves just 60 minutes of football away from achieving the ultimate prize.

But standing in their way will be the Kerry champions, Milltown-Castlemaine who defeated Derry side, Craigbane, in their semi-final by a point on Sunday also.

The final has been changed from Saturday, February 11, to Sunday, February 12, as Mayo are playing Dublin in their first home game in the national league on the Saturday evening in McHale Park.

The All-Ireland junior final will be played in Croke Park the same day where Connaught will also be represented as Clonbur qualified for the decider on Sunday last.

It’s ironic that both Davitts and Clonbur will contest All-Ireland finals on the same day as not alone are they just 20 miles apart but are managed by two people who were part of the Galway management team which won two All-Ireland senior titles. Davitts manager Pete Warren and Clonbur manager Stephen Joyce were John O’Mahony’s selectors when he guided the tribesmen to two titles.

According to Davitts PRO Joe Reapy the club and the entire local community is finding it very hard to realise that they have qualified for the All-Ireland final and that they will be playing in Croke Park.

He said: “Everybody in Ballindine and Irishtown are still finding it hard to realise this is not a dream. At the beginning of last year our hope was to win the county title. Now we find ourselves getting ready to play in an All-Ireland final. While it hasn’t sunk in yet I can tell you preparations are already underway for what will be the biggest weekend in the history of Davitts GAA Club.

“As you saw there were very few people left in the Ballindine and Irishtown on Sunday. They were all in Tullamore. Even the 12 o’clock Mass in Ballindine on Sunday was cancelled. But I can tell you it will be nothing to the crowd that will be in Croke Park for the final as Davitts people from all over the world are already booking tickets to fly home for the final.

“While there will be a lot of hype on the lead up to the final amongst the supporters we hope to keep the team away from all this and let Pete (Warren) get on  with making the final preparations.

“As for the final it is going to be tough as we will be up against a Kerry side. While we know they will be good we certainly won’t be afraid of them. If we can play like we did in the Connaught final and again last Sunday, we will take beating. These two wins were achieved by five-star team performances as every player played their part in the two fantastic victories.

“For now we are just looking forward to the final and the great occasion it will be for Davitts GAA Club.

“While it still all a dream for us it might not be for team captain Michael Conroy as just 12 months ago last week he phoned me to say Pete Warren had appointed him captain. After congratulating him on his appointment he said he would lift three cups, the county, Connaught and All-Ireland. I replied by saying when he was having a dream he was having a big one. Now he is just one win away from fulfilling that dream. But for the moment we will just cherish this latest chapter in this remarkable year for the club and cherish every minute.”