One of the definitive works on rural decline and the ravages of emigration, Nineteen Acres, published in 1970, is based on the area around Charlestown in Co Mayo. There is accordingly an upbeat symbolism about the town's club contesting tomorrow's Connacht football final against Galway's Annaghdown.

The author of the book was the late John Healy, formerly of this newspaper, who in his early days was a well-regarded football reporter under the nom-de-plume Kipper. A further and more direct connection with the weekend's big match in Tuam is Charlestown's player-manager, a nephew of the writer.

"He was my godfather," says Stephen Healy. "When I did a bit of writing, he saw articles I wrote and gave me advice." Healy is a busy man these days combining the functions of manager and chairman of the club, a post to which he was elected a year ago next month.

In the space of 11 months Charlestown have travelled light years. This year was ninth anniversary of the club's last win in a championship fixture.

"We hadn't won a single championship match since the semi-final in 1992," according to Healy, "so we were bowing out early year in year out. Last year we were very poor against Ballina and morale was at an all-time low; we were being laughed out the gate." Having taken over the club's administrative affairs, the new chairman saw his responsibilities expand.

"The talk was that we should bring in someone from the outside," he says, "but we wouldn't have the necessary financial clout. Someone asked me and I decided I'd give it a shot in mid to late January and review it on an ongoing basis. If I felt I was getting a response I'd continue.

"There has been a lot of underage success but nothing at the blue riband level. The talent's there, it was never a question of that. Commitment and attitude left something to be desired but we've stepped up on that." In the past Connacht clubs, in particular, have suffered from the effects of migration but the Mayo champions aren't suffering from that traditional malaise.

"The current panel are mostly settled locally. If fellas aren't working within a 20 or 30-mile radius, they're in second or third year at college. No one's gone to America."

One of the stories of the team centres on the goalkeeping position. Playing there is John Casey, a player who has suffered many reversals of fortune in his career despite being well short of 30. A traumatically unfulfilled shot at All-Ireland success with Mayo was followed by dreadful injury problems. His luck changed a little when his predecessor in goal, Neil O'Connor innocently made vacation plans in the spring.

"That happened earlier in the year," recalls Healy. "He booked the holiday in March and obviously didn't envisage us getting to the county semi-final." In an interview with Mike Finerty in The Mayo News, O'Connor explained; "When I was booking a holiday back in March we hadn't a manager. I wasn't thinking about a county final or a Connacht final. I don't know what I was thinking to be honest. But that's just the way things work." As O'Connor, a garda in Blackrock, Co Dublin, took the sun in Gran Canaria, Casey was pressed into service in his place. And that's the way it has remained.

"John had little experience playing in goal," according to his manager. "He's a natural footballer and his versatility is an asset. He also has good hands, a lot of big-game experience, mobility and a good kickout. But he still has a lot of problems.

"If the injury was to his kicking foot, he wouldn't even be able to go between the goals. Most of what he does is ball work but he wouldn't be able for the hard graft. He's a big addition, though, since moving between the sticks, very cool."

As he juggles with administrative and coaching duties, something has had to give and Healy's position in the Charlestown attack has taken the strain. "I got a niggling injury, pulled a thigh muscle," he explains. "The team had two championship matches under its belt by the time I was ready and the boys have kept up that level of performance so I haven't got back but I might get on as a sub this weekend."

The club has avoided the traditional pitfalls of newly-crowned champions who frequently celebrate their breakthrough in the county at the expense of the provincial championships. Healy says that whereas they didn't consciously target the Connacht title, the club's programme of matches kept everyone sharp.

"In a way we've been lucky enough. Our league form was inconsistent and we ended up in a relegation play-off against Castlebar. We didn't want to become the first county champions to be relegated and won that narrowly. Next we had Roscommon Gaels in Charlestown and we didn't want to do badly here in front of our own supporters or to let the county down with Crossmolina having won the All-Ireland last year." Rather than the defeat of All-Ireland champions Crossmolina, the next match stands out for Healy as a watershed for his team.

"The win over Castlebar in the second round when we were playing poorly. It was a game we would have lost in the past. A big victory for us. Once we got over that we felt that we could give it a pop."