SURREAL times in Cork. After the result that many had believed impossible, the seven drummers of the Clonakilty samba band beat out a celebration rhythm and the crowd on the pitch cleared to allow one enthusiastic supporter perform a victory dance - his exotic movements, red-and-green painted face and bandana only slightly offset by a zipped-up padded anorak.
Such bizarre scenes were easily explained by Clonakilty's achievement in lifting their first county title since 1952. Only a year ago after the first-round exit that was more characteristic of recent championship efforts, the club's a.g.m. discussed a motion to regrade. After a lengthy debate that apparently included derisive suggestions that the regrading shouldn't stop at intermediate, it was decided to give senior level another go.
Hot favourites UCC will be stunned by the defeat. They looked likely winners for most of the match with their superior playing skills carving out plenty of chances, but there was something spiritless about their efforts as if they, like the public, had succumbed to the view that they had only to take the pitch to be sure of winning their first county title in 23 years.
At half-time, there was nothing to suggest that the public perception was inaccurate. UCC led by a point, 0-4 to 0-3, having faced the wind and looked the better team. But the one quality with which they were less well-supplied, desire to win, proved crucial in an entertaining and exciting second half.
Clonakilty's defence never gave up the chase battling bravely throughout, although at times it looked as if the UCC attack had only to find the right gear in order to zoom out of sight. Captain and left corner back Brian Murphy produced another solid display, out-playing Michael Cronin until the latter's substitution.
It was, however, in the half back line that Clonakilty's resolve showed most obviously. Six years to the day since he left for Australia as a member of Ireland's International Rules squad, former Limerick stalwart Paddy Barrett had a tenaciously effective match on John Buckley. On the left wing, Pat Griffin was composed and aggressive, making it up the field for two points as well as playing a major role in a confidently integrated defence who all slung the ball about in what looked at times like a suicidally short defensive game.
The college team could argue that the saturated playing surface and slippery ball were disproportionately inhibiting for their fast and agile forwards. They might also reflect that had Clare's All-Ireland hurler Frank Lohan entered the lists a bit earlier, his combative edge might have stabilised things in time but at the end of the day, Clonakilty were able to raise their game, make the decisive break and hold both their nerve and lead until running out narrow winners.
From an early stage, UCC's Kerry contingent were the most influential contributors to the team. Seamus Moynihan, hoping to finish his university career by captaining UCC to the title, pulled the strings at the back and emerged on top in his battle with Padraig Griffin.
Up front, his Glenflesk neighbour John Crowley posed the most dangerous threat to an upset in the tense closing stages.
The pivotal moment in the match came six minutes into the second half when a foul on Tom Mannix by Crowley ended up with Owen O'Mahony's free being tipped to the net by Terry Dillon. O'Mahony, who won a county medal with Nemo Rangers in 1988, had a fine second half where his contribution from general play and placed ball easily merited his three-point haul.
From the time they scored the goal to lead 1-4 to 0-5, Clonakilty resisted all UCC's efforts to mount a charge and lost their lead for only three minutes when UCC pulled level with five minutes to go. Then, with the match evenly balanced, it was as so often the greater hunger that made the difference with O'Mahony's free and Dillon's last-minute point defining that difference.
