Who would have thought that when Con O’Callaghan put in Peadar Ó Cofaigh Byrne for Cuala’s third goal in the 25th minute of this AIB All-Ireland club football final to put them 14 points (3-6 to 0-1 clear) that they would be so nervously sweating it out down the home straight, waiting for referee Paddy Neilan’s whistle to come.
By then Darragh Canavan was off the field and gone for the rest of the game after sustaining a knock to the head in a collision with his pursuer Danny Conroy in a chase for possession three minutes earlier. Errigal looked bereft.
Cuala had been imperious in those opening 25 minutes, slicing the opposition defence open at will with precision moves built from the back. Each of their three goals had an air of menace about them. And there could have been more.
Errigal did stem the flow near the end of the half but still went in at the break 13 points down, 3-9 to 0-5, with a mountain to climb, steeper even without their talisman and captain.
But they were led superbly up that ascent by their most experienced player Peter Harte who dug in and sparked a recovery that was so out of sync with their first half performance.
Harte scored 1-2, the goal a wonderful effort on 39 minutes to cut the deficit to seven points, but his hand was in everything and even a late red card shouldn’t overshadow one of the great All-Ireland club football final performances.
But ultimately Cuala had enough done in those early stages when they were powered by their impressive midfield pairing, Ó Cofaigh Byrne and Peter Duffy. James McCarthy and Brian Fenton have retired but these two will surely give Dublin some options in the months ahead.
Cuala now join St Finbarr’s as the only club to win All-Ireland hurling and football titles.
As the only Cuala player to have been involved in those back-to-back All-Ireland hurling title wins in 2017 and 2018 Con O’Callaghan joins an elite group to now have won medals in both codes at senior level.
Jimmy Barry Murphy and 10 of his St Finbarr’s colleagues, Donal O’Grady, John Allen Christy Ryan, John Cremin, Denis Burns, Eamonn Fitzpatrick, Bertie O’Brien, Niall Kennefick, Christy Myres and Jerry McCarthy – have both from five titles won between 1975 and 1987, as has Galway’s Alan Kerins, who won them with different clubs, Salthill Knocknacarra in football in 2006 and Clarinbridge in hurling in 2011.
O’Callaghan’s prints were all over this win and his late block, followed by a darting run to set up the insurance score for substitute Conor Groarke, were typical interventions for a player so well accustomed to these pressure points on this very stage.
But influence permeated through every line. Mick Fitzsimons, evergreen and playing as well as he has ever done, has had an outstanding club campaign and was composed and imperious here, even in their most troubling moments. Charlie McMorrow and O’Dowd brought pace and energy to the half-back line.
Before an attendance of 31,267, the highest since the switch from the old St Patrick’s Day date, Cuala made some decisive incisions with Fitzsimons putting in Cal Doran for a fifth minute goal, an early impetus.
They were already six points clear when O’Dowd ended a fine move with Ó Cofaigh Byrne providing the final assist for a second goal, 3-4 to 0-1 with just 13 minutes gone.
Little went right for Errigal through this period and even Darragh Canavan had no impact when he was on the field.
But they got motoring after the break and threw caution to the wind as Cuala, not for the first time in this campaign, showed vulnerability with a big lead. With Thomas Canavan nailing almost everything from frees, the pressure on Cuala grew and errors magnified as the crowd sensed panic.
But Errigal’s efforts to close the gap eventually caught up with them, allowing O’Callaghan and Cuala to make history of their own.
Scorers – Cuala: C O’Callaghan 0-5 (2fs, 1 45), P Ó Cofaigh Byrne, D O’Dowd 1-1 each, C Doran 1-0, L Keating 0-3 (2fs), N O’Callaghan 0-2, C Groarke, P Duffy 0-1 each.
Errigal Ciaran: T Canavan 0-6 (4fs), P Harte 1-2, R Canavan 0-3 (2fs), J Oguz, O Robinson, C McGinley, M Kavanagh, P McGirr 0-1 each
Cuala: R Scollard; D Conroy, M Fitzsimons, E O’Callaghan; D O’Dowd, C McMorrow, E Kennedy; P Ó Cofaigh Byrne, P Duffy; C Doran, C O’Brien, C Dunne; L Keating, N O’Callaghan, C O’Callaghan.
Subs: C Groarke for O’Brien (42), M Conroy for Dunne (49), C O Giolláin for D Conroy (55)
Errigal Ciaran: D McAnenly; Cormac Quinn, A McRory, Ciaran Quinn; P Og McCartan, N Kelly, T Colhoun; B McDonnell, J Oguz; C McGinley, P Harte, T Canavan; O Robinson, D Canavan, R Canavan.
Subs: M Kavanagh for D Canavan (22, temp), E Kelly for McGinley (48), P McGill for Robinson (52), R McRory for T Canavan (63)
Referee: P Neilan (Roscommon)