Ó Cofaigh Byrne aiming to bring All-Ireland football success to Cuala

Michael Bolton

As Dublin champions Cuala prepare for the All-Ireland Senior Football Final, one player who has been key to their success is Peadar Ó Cofaigh Byrne.

Ó Cofaigh Byrne has been a driving force for Cuala in midfield, helping them defy the odds to defeat Kilmacud Crokes and go on to win their first Leinster title.

Now, with their first All-Ireland final awaiting them this weekend, the occasion brings back memories for Byrne of the club’s hurling success when they were crowned All-Ireland champions.

“It is brilliant. I remember when the hurlers were involved, going to the games, being on the DART—it was crazy and chaotic, but it was savage craic.

“Now being able to bring that to everyone in the club is absolutely massive. There are certain memories I have from when the hurlers were involved that I will never forget. If you can replicate that for anyone, it’s something you feel honoured to do.

“I was saying to someone, the buzz you’re getting from people in the club you’ve never met, who are absolutely delighted for you—it’s pure honest enjoyment and pride in the club. It’s just brilliant to witness.”

For seasoned players like Con O’Callaghan and Michael Fitzsimons, preparing for an All-Ireland final is nothing new, having been pivotal to Dublin’s success over the years.

However, for the team as a whole, preparing for the biggest day in club football is uncharted territory.

For Ó Cofaigh Byrne, leaning on this experience is crucial as the team approaches the final.

“Michael has been on the road for a while. There are plenty of others too—Luke Keating, James Power, Conor O’Brien—they were all involved when Cuala won the intermediate title years ago, longer than I can remember.

“The wealth of experience we have is massive. You get so much from Con and Michael when it comes to days like this, with the experience they have.

“What’s great is we have so many characters around the place who’ve been through different days with colleges, Dublin, and even Cuala. They want to give as much as they can to each other.”

Cuala stand on the brink of history as they aim to become only the second club ever to win All-Ireland football and hurling titles, with Errigal Ciarán standing in their way.

As excitement builds in the Dublin town, Ó Cofaigh Byrne reflects on what it would mean to the community to become All-Ireland champions.

“For us as players, it’s absolutely great, but for some of the people in the club, it means so much to them. There are a lot of people in the football section and the club overall who have been slogging away, trying to do the best they could for the club for years.

“After winning the Dublin final, they were completely filled with joy. You felt a great sense of pride for what you could bring to them, which probably drove us on even more in the next few games.

“That’s why you do it. It’s great for yourself, but it’s for all those people it affects that really drives us on.

“Around Christmas time, going to training and seeing all the flags, it really hit home for me—this is huge for the club, for the area, for the parish.

“There are young families on my road that I didn’t even know were Cuala families, and they’re so supportive and absolutely buzzing after the games when you see them.

“For an area that’s quite large, it does really feel quite tight-knit, and it’s something I probably didn’t appreciate until we’ve been on this run and seen how many people it affects, how much joy it brings them.

“It has that little bit of a rural feel to it. It’s just been great.”