In just about 24 hours' time, Ballygunner will line out in Croke Park for the senior club hurling All-Ireland final.
68 years after the club was formed, they are now on the precipice of claiming the biggest honour in club hurling - the only thing that stands in their way is the most successful team in the history of the competition. Former Gunners manager and staunch club man Fergal Hartley is one of the players who was there in the early days of the club when they didn't have a pitch to play on and depended on farmers allowing them use their fields for training.
"Huge excitement, huge anticipation. I mean, huge crowd everyone you talk to who's directly involved or marginally involved, people who have a passing environment, everyone is going to the match. I mean, look it's what you dream of in every club. Jesus, I remember growing up in Ballygunner when we had no pitch. We played in a farmer's field - that's not that long ago."
Founded in 1954 the Gunners have steadily built their structures and risen to the peak of hurling in Waterford. The 2021 county champions have been unbeaten in eight consecutive county finals with their underage structures also producing the goods each year.
A former teammate of Hartley's Stephen Frampton tells the story of watching his club play intermediate hurling, "When I was growing up as a kid I spoke about aspiring to be one of the senior players. I watched a Ballygunner senior team playing intermediate. The year before I started senior hurling our senior team won the intermediate championship in 1984. It's not a long time ago".
Hartley, who often provides commentary for WLR on match days ruled himself out for this weekend so that he could be in the stand with friends and family to see Ballygunner fight for top honours, but he knows that the road hasn't been easy. It's been a combined effort of players, coaches, families, and all the others who contribute each week.
"That day - the All-Ireland Club hurling final - was way beyond your reach and we're there now. It's the culmination of 65 years of work since we were founded in 1954. It's been huge contributions from people in every facet of the club, not just those directly involved in the team. So it's a huge, huge day, not just for the lads themselves in the team but a huge, huge day for the club."
If they are to go on and make history, they're going to have to do it the hard way. It doesn't get much tougher than Ballyhale Shamrocks. The clubs might be in different provinces, but only twenty miles separate the two kingpins of club hurling.
Ballyhale are aiming to make it three titles in row and come to the game off the back of one of the greatest last-minute wins you're ever likely to see. TJ Reid's driving shot to the back of St. Thomas's net in the dying seconds of their semi-final booked their place in the decider. It might well be just one more game, but Hartley points out that it's going to be the toughest game that they've faced to date.
"It's one step, but it's one big step because we're up against the most successful club in the history of the game and a club going for three in a row making their own history."
"Look at all the teams that started the club championships at the start of the year and we're down to the last two in the country and there's a great pride to be taken from that. There's a great pride to be going off to Croke Park to support your club on an All-Ireland final day - but you know, they're there to be won. They're not there to be taken part in, we're not just going to take part. We're obviously wanting to go there to win. But, it's easier said than done when you're up against a team of the caliber of Ballyhale Shamrocks."
WLR will bring you the game live, thanks to George Corbett Skoda with build-up and analysis live from Croke Park from 2 o clock on Saturday. You can catch all the coverage on radio, online through WLRFM.com, through the WLR app, and on your Smart Speaker.
