Cork SH Final/Cloyne v Na Piarsaigh: Keith Duggan visits the village club closely associated with Cork legend Christy Ring.

Bunty Cahill can recall a period when Cloyne struggled to field a hurling team. Although the pretty village was synonymous with the name of Christy Ring from the 1930s, Cloyne faced the same difficulties as many other rural clubs - particularly in the 1950s and 1960s - when the population dipped to around 700.

Located within convenient reach of Cork city, Cloyne has become a desirable living place for commuters and the population of the town is thriving.

Should the senior club win their first county senior title tomorrow, many newcomers will lead the way in what will be an unprecedented celebration. But this historic appearance is based on the work of the same families.

"The Motherways, the O'Sheas, the O'Briens and the Cusacks and the Dalys and the Ahernes and the Rings," Cahill says.

"Through the years the same families put such effort in. And I would say the success of this present bunch is due mainly to the work of Michael O'Brien, who has been with them since they were in Cloyne NS."

Cahill played with Cloyne when they won the Cork junior title in 1960. Although Ring was at the height of his fame then, he had long hurled with Glen Rovers at club level and so his home village were unable to call upon his illustrious gifts.

"Nobody ever minded that," Cahill says, "because there was no way Christy could have played here at that time, because hurling was very low. But he would turn up in the field every Saturday to play and fellas would get stuck in as well.

"And he was always fiercely interested in the club - he would take training and soon let you know if you were not up to scratch. He always cared and his being in the dressing-room before games gave fellas a lift."

In the same way, the presence of Donal Óg Cusack and Diarmuid O'Sullivan, both All-Ireland winners with Cork in September, in the Cloyne dressing-room this Sunday, is of inestimable importance to the team. Although they were unable to train with Cloyne for much of the summer because of Cork's championship run, their loyalty to their home club has been ceaseless.

"I don't think there is any doubt that the two lads have helped to bring us on," says Paddy O'Sullivan, the chairman of the club and an uncle of Diarmuid.

"They would be almost always attending training anyway. I don't know where Donal Óg finds the time, but he gives so much to this club. He really is a tremendous young fella. I suppose when Diarmuid and Donal got on the Cork team, it gave the others hurlers in Cloyne a real sense of worth.

"Then winning the All-Ireland in 1999 at such a young age hammered home the possibilities and the club has been going from strength to strength since.

"And after this September, we have kids asking at training every night when the two boys are going to bring the Liam McCarthy Cup to Cloyne. It would be nice now that whenever it does arrive we have another to go with it."

Cloyne have always had stand-out hurlers: Bunty's son Philip Cahill hurled at all levels for Cork, but came to prominence at a time when the county's fortunes were not hectic.

Cahill plays on Sunday along with the established senior stars of the present era and the emerging underage prospect Mike Naughton, and Colm O'Sullivan, who contributed 1-4 to Cloyne's victory over reigning All-Ireland club champions Newtownshandrum in the semi-final.

In a way, the glory run experienced by Newtownshandrum, a tiny club led by the O'Connor twins, was highly instructive for Cloyne.

O'Sullivan remembers the present generation of players having great, twisting encounters with Newtownshandrum from under-12 grade on.

In 1997, Cloyne beat Newtownshandrum in the intermediate final after a replay. But last year, when Cloyne narrowly lost to Blackrock in the senior semi-final, Newtownshandrum managed to liberate themselves from Cork and then they did not stop.

"They set the standard," says O'Sullivan. "They took it to a new level and I suppose any team would have to be inspired by what they have done really."

That Cloyne's first senior final appearance coincides with the 25th anniversary of the death of Christy Ring adds to the occasion. Bunty Cahill played in front of long-time Cloyne goalkeeper Paddy Joe Ring for many seasons. Paddy Joe, he says, would have loved to have been in Páirc Uí Chaoimh tomorrow. His brother, Willie John Ring - who immersed himself in Cloyne hurling all his life - is president of the club this year.

"Willie John is excited, we all are," Paddy O'Sullivan says. "It has been a fantastic season. And I suppose we all want to enjoy the fact of being in the final because there are a lot of people who gave a lot to Cloyne hurling down the years that contributed to this as well who unfortunately did not live long enough to see the day."

It has been a slow journey for Cloyne. The club was founded in 1898. Now, with a new pitch in place, an ambitious project featuring a new community hall and bar has been undertaken at a cost of well over almost 2 million.

"We would hope to have it finished in two years," says Cahill, "but like everyone else in the country we are waiting to see what we will get from lottery funding."

It is a dramatic change from the state of things in the 1950s, when no team member had a car and would travel courtesy of three local taxis, eight or nine to a car, for which the fare might, or might not, get paid. Hurleys were in constant shortage.

One story is often told of the time when a local man, for the purpose of carving a new set, donated an ash tree. Despite the best efforts of the Cloyne men, the tree refused to be felled until a storm finished the job.

Paddy Cusack was able to make around 30 hurls as a result, around 15 of which were promptly broken during the first game in which they were tested.

Whether it was the quality of the ash or the intensity of the game depended on your perspective. Grandsons of Cusack will play in Páirc Uí Chaoimh tomorrow.

The game marks an attractive close to the Cork senior hurling season. Na Piarsaigh's appearance in the final has led to the on-field reunion of the Ó hAilpín brothers.

Setanta is on furlough from his apprenticeship with the Australian football side Carlton, Seán Óg is continuing on a wave of form that leaves him as a strong Hurler of the Year candidate and Aisake has been cleaning up in the local headlines with his showing for the club.

Throw in the classy John Gardiner and Mark Prendergast, man of the match in their semi-final win over Blackrock, and the opposition looks formidable.

"Sure look, they are a very strong team, that's the thing, like," says O'Sullivan.

"They wouldn't be here if that weren't the case. People around are saying it will be a close run thing. We would have the height of respect for them here in Cloyne.

"But we will be going in to Cork with great belief."