There absolutely couldn’t be a bigger occasion for Dalkey club Cuala as they enter GAA Head Quarters this Friday and become the first Dublin club to reach a Senior All Ireland Hurling Final.
And if that’s not enough, they could very well become the first in the county to win the title.
Clare and Munster Champions Ballyea stand in their way, and this is new found territory for the Clare outfit too. They’ve reached Friday’s Final after winning their first ever county and provincial championship.
But this occasion is huge for Dublin hurling. And Cuala Boss Mattie Kenny has issued a rallying call to all clubs in the county to gather in Croke Park this Friday and join the Cuala Roar for the day.
Cuala have been sensational right through the county and provincial campaign, winning their first ever Leinster title. From there they surpassed Derry outfit Slaughtneil in the All Ireland Semi Final to set up the dream date with Ballyea.
“We are highly conscious that we are representing the county and there is a lot of goodwill out there towards the team from hurling people within Dublin.” Kenny told Dublingaa.ie
“It has been great to have so much support on our run to the final and that support has come not just from Cuala people but also from hurling fans in the greater Dublin area.”
The summit of this competition is now in sight, and Cuala will face their ‘toughest’ challenge this Friday. Ballyea have seen off Thurles Sarsfields (Tipp), Glen Rovers (Cork) and St. Thomas (Galway) to reach the final. And the Cuala boss is in the knowledge that his side will need to once more raise their game if they are the be successful.
“We know that we are facing a huge challenge as they have been strong all year and they are impressive both individually and collectively.”
“I think it’s fair to say that Ballyea are a very impressive side and their results up to this point have been very good.”
That being said, Kenny is and will be forever grateful for the support his team have received from all corners of the county, and knows it will drive them to succeed this weekend.
“We as a group are very appreciative of that support and we hope that supporters not just come out and support us on St Patrick’s Day but also that they make their presence known and that we can hear them cheering us on.”