Gaelic Games All-Ireland club football final:  Last week Colm Parkinson travelled to Dublin twice.  All part and parcel of being the succesful captian of Portlaoise.

Naturally, some clarity was sought regarding his imminent departure to Australia. Even Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh - MC at the provincial club player of the year awards, where Parkinson picked up the Leinster prize - suggested he might reconsider, as the championship would be better off with him.

It seems likely, though, that Thursday - when Portlaoise take on Ballina in the All-Ireland club football final - will be the last occasion Croke Park sees one of his mazy runs for some time. The only reason Parkinson's still in Ireland is because of loyalty to the place that first put a ball in his hands. That being the priority, he refused to let his future dictate the club's week. "I don't want any talk about that before the match". In other words: find another story.

Okay, the rise and rise of Portlaoise will have to suffice. In two days, the panel travel to Dublin searching for a first All-Ireland title since 1983.

They arrive with the county united behind them. Strange, considering the tradition of quarrelling that once hindered Laois football's progress.

The new generation have managed to gel long enough to ensure the wealth of underage riches delivered silverware at senior level. A direct knock-on effect has been the emergence of Portlaoise. Laois folk can claim a piece of this success.

"In the local championship in Laois we kill each other altogether, but it's always a tradition that, whoever wins it, there is no begrudgery as regards how they get on outside of Laois," said Parkinson.

"The support from Laois people hasn't come as a huge surprise to us. The amount of them going to the matches has been great. All the players comment on it, and it means an awful lot to us."

Throughout the campaign Parkinson excelled until, by his own admission, the All-Ireland semi-final against Crossmaglen Rangers denied the scope required to exert a significant influence. Something Ballina will endeavour to repeat.

"I was personally disappointed after the (Crossmaglen) game, but the fact that we won it makes it an awful lot easier. To win that game the way we did improves our team an awful lot. We hadn't been seriously tested all year; we just scraped through."

Last year, the bookies never noticed that so many rising (and a few fallen) stars were growing into a formidable team. At one stage they were as far out as 66 to 1 to win the All-Ireland club championship, while many got a piece of them at 10 to 1 for the Leinster championship.

"From the All-Ireland minor (Laois) teams in 1996 and 1997 and the one that won it in 2003, I think maybe 12 of our team would have been involved.

"All bar one or two have either won All-Irelands or lost in the (minor) final in 1998.

"So, it has always been coming. On all minor teams that have done well, there have been four or five from Portlaoise, so we are always expected to do well. After the minor team did well last year we got four or five really good young fellas."

Cahir Healy, Craig Rogers and the ever-improving Peter McNulty have stepped up with ease to the highest level of senior club football. Also, the iconic figure of Martin Delaney returning from Chicago gave the club a lift, he being the minor captain in Laois' breakthrough year of 1996.

Stage fright will not be an excuse for failure either as, besides Brian Mulligan, every one of the starting 15 have played at Croke Park. This familiarity, though, is matched by the deep well of experience Ballina will bring to the table.

"I thought before the semi-final, even with the live TV and all, it wouldn't affect us, but maybe it did because we didn't play well that day. I don't know how playing there before (helps), as it's all about what happens on the day.

"Brian Mulligan could be our best player, you know what I mean? The first game I ever played in Croke Park was probably the best game I have ever played there. You don't know how it's going to work."

If Parkinson produces one of his influential performances then everything can fall into place.

Maybe, just maybe, that will whet the appetite for him to stick around and captain Laois through the summer.