As good as it gets for Hayes

Ian O'Riordan talks to a player for whom Friday in Croke Park cannot come soon enough

Around this time every year we get the same old story about the All-Ireland club finals. Being in Croke Park on St Patrick's Day is a dream come true, as good as it gets, the proudest moment for every player, and so on.

But when a player like Damien Hayes starts saying that kind of thing you're inclined to believe him. The All Star forward is a living, breathing exemplar of what it really means to line out with your club on St Patrick's Day. And if Portumna do win on Friday, you sense it truly will be the high point of his career.

In fact it would be hard to find someone with more passion for the club championship. At 23 he's already enjoyed a great career with Galway, and chances are he'll someday help bring a senior All-Ireland to the county. But for now he's obsessed with Friday.

"Winning the club All-Ireland is the biggest reward in the game," says Hayes. "There are lots of reasons for this. This one starts at the very bottom, when you're seven or eight years of age. It's a 10- to 15-year goal, because I won a county under-12 medal back in 1992. Then 11 years later I won my first county senior medal. It takes a long time to get it right, so to me there's nothing better in hurling than winning the All-Ireland with your club.

"I mean literally grew up with this club. Most of this team have been hurling together since they were eight years old. And for the older lads too, who've been around for years, slogging in the mud and dirt - it's nice for them. That's why I just can't wait to get out in Croke Park now and play with the club."

It will be Portumna's first All-Ireland final and, with Cork's Newtownshandrum - the champions of 2004 - providing the opposition, success won't come easy. Yet Portumna have plenty of experience of their own, not least the semi-final loss to Antrim's Dunloy in 2004.

"Dunloy deserved to beat us that day," says Hayes. "They hurled very well , and I honestly believe Ulster clubs in hurling are not that far off the pace."

The lesson of that defeat two years ago has stood to them. When they faced the reigning champions, James Stephens, last month they made no mistake - winning by a massive 12 'points.

"We just went to Thurles that day with a job to do, to get a result. We did hurl very well on the day, but James Stephens were the All-Ireland champions. We had to give them huge respect, so we were very happy.

"But I was back at work on the Monday morning. Maybe some of the other boys won't. I think a couple of them were as sick as a double episode of ER. But we were all back down to earth fairly lively."

His last visit to Croke Park, with Galway last September, ended in defeat, but Hayes has his own motivations for winning on Friday. He grew up watching other Galway clubs bring back the club prize. There's also the memory of his brother Keith, who six years ago died in a car accident. Damien knows Keith would be on the team were he alive today.

The entire team is drawn from Portumna and neighbouring townlands like Gortanummera, where Hayes lives and works at the family business, Al Hayes Motors. They all share the same ambition: bringing the cup back home on Friday.

"It was always my ambition to get Portumna up to Croke Park. When I was younger I was up watching the likes of Birr, Sarsfields and then Athenry. I used even go to the homecomings in Birr . . . so I've experienced the homecomings over there. So it will be a very special day going to Croke Park.

"All I know is we'll have to put up a very big performance to win. Newtownshandrum have been there for the past few years now, and we all know they're an excellent team. To be honest, I really like the way they play. They've a lovely blend of hurling and some lovely hurlers. People say they mightn't have the same hunger as us, well, we'll find that out soon enough. In the end the hurling will do all the talking."