All Laois eyes are on the ball

"It's for the history books, really. Too much was made of it from your own comrades in the press. They hyped it up completely. Then comments by people who weren't even there saw it spiral out of control."

Seán Dempsey was there. So were the TG4 cameras. July 31st, 2004 was the date the Laois minors drew with Cork in a game forever tarnished by the violence after the full-time whistle.

A prolonged melee eventually resulted in 124 weeks of suspensions being handed down by the old GAA disciplinary arm, the GAC.

Two of Cork's expected starters for Saturday's under-21 All-Ireland football final in Thurles, Michael Shields and captain Andrew O'Sullivan, were amongst the suspended, along with current senior Laois midfielder Brendan Quigley and then goalkeeper Eoin Culliton. Cork selector Keith Ricken received 48 weeks.

At yesterday's media day for the Cadbury's under-21 final, Dempsey was keen to stress a substantial amount of water had passed under that bridge since. The teams have met on four occasions. "Sure, they are on first-name terms now," he smiles.

"There is no problem with the Cork players. They all get on well with each other. Some of them toured Australia together with the under-17s. They're all here for one thing - to win the match."

Dempsey has guided this group since the beginning. Now a senior selector under Liam Kearns, the prison officer began to mould this talented group at under-14. He was also at the helm when Laois last captured a minor All-Ireland in 2003.

"This crew have only been beaten in one championship match and that was an All-Ireland semi-final (against Kerry in 2004). They are used to winning so we are hoping they carry it on.

"It's great to see them coming through and, hopefully, we have helped their development in some way. They are really a sound bunch of young fellas. I know them fairly well at this stage."

If anyone is well placed to explain the magnificent Laois underage harvest of the past 10 years, it is Dempsey.

"I honestly think the national league success in '86 (started it). Ten years later we won an All-Ireland minor so that probably had a positive effect on young fellas. Then, of course, the '96 and '97 minor wins. No doubt. And then 2003.

"I was speaking to Paul Caffrey last week and I was saying how do you pick a county under-14 team in Dublin? We've a small player pool in Laois. We get to know the players well early on and keep them together.

"From Kilcavan to Graiguecullen is 40 miles. From Ballybrittas to Ballyronan is 15 miles and that's our area. That's just a peninsula down in Cork. They have it very hard. We have that advantage."

The old adage of success breeding success appears accurate here. Laois will be led out at Semple Stadium by Cahir Healy. Currently on DCU work placement in Croke Park, Healy remembers the thrill of the minor homecomings of 1996 and 1997. He has a clearer memory of ransacking the Dubs at Dr Cullen Park in 2003. Probably because he was on the field.

"We just try and keep the momentum going. We have won a few Leinsters, but this team hasn't won an All-Ireland so that has to be the goal for us this Saturday."

The only problem is history. Cork also arrive at this juncture ravenous to complete the next step in their evolution. They have lost the previous two All-Ireland finals at this grade, to Galway in 2005 and then, agonisingly, Mayo had their number in Ennis last year.

Like Laois, they arrive armed with a wealth of attacking options. Fintan Goold and Daniel Goulding are inter-county-standard forwards to cancel out Donie Brennan and Michael Tierney.

It will most likely come down to who can generate fluent supply-lines. Quigley looks the best bet to dominate the high fielding duels - he did spurn a career with the Brisbane Lions to return to Gaelic football - but not even his presence will guarantee possession.

But could ill-discipline sneak back into their mentality? Dempsey feels such talk has become nonsensical at this stage.

"I don't know if the indiscipline thing is as bad as it's made out to be. We seem to do the fighting at the wrong time. That was the sin. We were fighting with the opposition when we should have been channelling our energy into winning.

"But sure every county has that sort of stuff. Sometimes these fellas that are involved in indiscipline are the lads who stand up in championship football."

It certainly won't be tame. The stage has certainly been set.