Plucky Ardfert - a team that never knows when they are beaten - came back from the dead time and time again to claim the All-Ireland junior club football championship crown. Hogan Stand met up with generous club sponsor Justin Horgan in the Abbey Tavern to reflect on this most astonishing victory and the unbelievable outpouring of emotion that followed. Ardfert's victory in the 2006 All-Ireland junior club football championship final completed a remarkable journey for the Kerry champions. On more occasions than they might care to remember, the very fibre of the team was tested in the most demanding situations imaginable but, each time their backs were to the wall, the players came up with the right answers. It took a dramatic late point to see off Loughrea in the final at Croke Park on Sunday February 19. This was typical of Ardfert's glorious voyage to national prominence, an odyssey that'll never be forgotten by former player and loyal team sponsor Justin Horgan of the Abbey Tavern. Casting his mind back over the Croke Park national decider victory as well as the thrilling events experienced en route (and afterwards!), the public face of the Abbey Tavern enthuses: "I am absolutely delighted. It's hard to believe that out of all the junior clubs in Ireland, a team from a small little parish of about 1,000 people has taken the cup. It's an incredible victory for the people of Ardfert and I think it'll be a long time before it sinks in fully." It's been like a dream script ever since Ardfert pipped Cordal by 3-11 to 3-7 in a high-scoring 2005 Kerry JFC final at Austin Stack Park on Sunday October 23. Prior to then, they had sent Castlegregory, Skellig Rangers and Ballyduff packing in the county championship. The north Kerry club played Erin's Own from Cork in the Munster final in December. Substitute Brian Moloney scored the goal and goalkeeper Dermott Dineen saved a late penalty as the Kerry representatives somehow secured a 1-8 to 0-10 victory. The All-Ireland semi-final defeat of Monaghan Harps at Portlaoise was one of the most extraordinary games of gaelic football played anywhere in Ireland in the last decade: at times, Ardfert seemed to be dead and buried but they never gave up and John Egan's goal two minutes into stoppage time at the end of extra time meant an unbelievable 5-6 to 1-17 victory. Clearly, Ardfert were a team on a mission. Again, in the All-Ireland final at HQ, the champions-elect were asked to do it the hard way. In front of 7,000 spectators, Pat O'Driscoll's charges came from behind to snatch history success via top scorer Stephen Wallace's late free. Thus, Ardfert joined another Kerry outfit, Finuge, as the only winners of the junior club football championship to date. The success is all the more unlikely considering that, traditionally, Ardfert is predominantly a hurling parish. "Football only really started here in the '70s," Justin notes. "As well as winning the All-Ireland and moving up to intermediate, they have also gained promotion from Division Five to Division Two in the space of three seasons. They're a brilliant bunch of lads and all credit is due to them." The manner in which Ardfert dug deep throughout their campaign is surely the hallmark of true champions. Justin agrees: "They had to prove their character in nearly every game. - from Dermott's penalty save in the Munster final to the rousing finish against Monaghan Harps and John Egan's brilliant goal in stoppage time. They also finished strongly in the All-Ireland final, when it mattered most." As official team sponsor, Justin was at every game Ardfert played on the way to county, provincial and national glory. He lined out for the club himself in the 'eighties and was only too happy to come on board as sponsor when approached at the start of the greatest season in Ardfert's history. Indeed, the proprietor of the Abbey Tavern proved to be the man with the Midas touch - he also sponsored the local golf team that claimed the Guinness county title! "If it's local, then it's a good cause and I was delighted to be part of it," he says. "The sponsorship was money very well spent as far as I'm concerned. There were celebrations held here for a week after the All-Ireland final. We had a good long week and they made sure to come back and support me, which I really appreciate." The Abbey Tavern is a landmark watering hole right in the middle of Ardfert village, and Justin has been proprietor for seven years now. One of the drawbacks of winning an All-Ireland club title is that the team in question doesn't get a close-season break. However, the upside is that Ardfert have gone into the '06 campaign with a real spring in their step. Looking to the challenges of 2006, the proud club sponsor explains: "They have been drawn away to Sneem in the opening round of the intermediate championship, which is a tough assignment. It's a fair step up, but I'm confident the lads can do it. They're a good young team and they have a winning habit. "A lot of them are dual players. We haven't won a county hurling championship since 1990, but perhaps the success in the football will also spur them to improved fortunes on the hurling field. As sponsor for the next three years, Justin is hoping for more good days for Ardfert. Are they eying another All-Ireland final run perhaps? "It'll be very hard to get out of Kerry again. That'll definitely be the hardest part. "It's fantastic to think that a small club like ourselves can have a big day in Croke Park. Our players will never forget the experience. Fair play to Croke Park! They get a lot of stick but this competition has been a fantastic move, as it looks after the grassroots. "I've been in Croke Park a lot of times over the years but I don't think anything will ever recreate the atmosphere of going up with the local club. It was a great feeling just to stand on the pitch and be part of it all. It's something I'll always cherish." Ardfert, 2006 All-Ireland junior club football champions: D Dineen; M Moloney, C Flaherty, J Stack; S Flaherty, E Corridan, B Moloney; J Best, M Ferris; J Egan, E Ferris, J Dowling; S Griffin, S Wallace (1-6, 0-6 frees), B O'Flaherty (0-1). Sub: F Wallace for S Griffin. Tweet

Most Read Stories