St Enda’s Peter Healy speaking ahead of the AIB GAA All-Ireland Intermediate Football Club Championship final
Peter Healy (22) St Enda's, Glengormley and Antrim
Peter is 22, plays senior for Antrim and is a final year actuary student in UCD with whom he won a Sigerson Cup medal last year.
Q: Is this season's success unexpected?
A: From the start of the year our manager Frank Fitzsimons (ex-Antrim boss) said 'lads we're going to win Ulster this year.'
Frank's some man. He said look at the calibre in the squad, we can make an All-Ireland final.
At the time we were thinking 'that's a long way away' but Frank has really believed in us and we were the first Antrim team to win the Ulster intermediate.
We've have had a lot of talent in the squad the last couple of years, Frank just brought the confidence and that bit of experience to push us on.
Q: You had a particularly challenging run in Ulster, having to beat the Monaghan, Tyrone and Cavan champions. What was the biggest test?
A: In the quarter-final against Doohamlet we were heavy underdogs, but we backed ourselves.
Then, in the semi-final against Tattyreagh (Tyrone), our character came out.
They scored a goal with six or seven minutes to go, to go a couple of points up but we kicked into gear.
I remember I could barely talk after it, I'd ran myself into the ground in the last 10 minutes.
We could have easily said 'ah it's not meant to be' when they scored that late goal but that showed a lot of character and was huge.
It was a surreal feeling to make an Ulster final.
Q: Your Ulster final against Mullahoran was also pretty unforgettable?
A: Yes. In the end, Ruairi Scott, who'd scored two points, actually ended up in goals.
Our goalkeeper Paddy Flood got a card at the end and we were panicking about who we were going to put in the nets for the last five minutes.
Then we figured the man who can kick the ball off the cone the best and that was Ruairi.
Q: And there was that phenomenal lobbed goal by Joe Maskey after he robbed their 'keeper?
A: Yeah, that's gone viral. He went to his phone after the game and had so many new followers on Instagram.
I'd guys coming all week after saying 'jeez I saw that goal, it was some finish.'
I think that's what Frank does for us.
He says 'go for it.' He's 'attack, attack, attack' and you're never going to be shouted at if you try things.
Q: How many of your team have played in Croke Park before?
A: I was there three years ago with the UCD Freshers team with Odhran Eastwood too.
It was the only time the Freshers final was ever played there. It was the year after (late UCD boss) Davy Billings died.
The competition was re-named after him and that year's final was in Croke Park.
I think Ger Crossey played a minor final there too, 10 years ago or so.
It's still unbelievable to think the group of lads I played with the whole way up, and the lads that I sit with in the changing rooms two and three times a week, are going to be sitting in the Croke Park changing rooms.
It took a while to sink in after the semi-final. It's wasn't until we were on the bus home or back in the clubhouse, that you really took that in.
It really is the Holy Grail and the surface is amazing so hopefully that will suit us.
Q: Memories of your All-Ireland semi-final victory and what do you know about Kilcummin?
A: Whenever we got to the Ulster quarter-final after winning the county championship it was unknown territory. You never know what level you're meeting in this, compared to your county championships.
We didn't know what to expect against An Spideal but we were really up for the occasion and got through from sheer hard work in the end.
For Kilcummin it's the same: we leave most of that to management and they come back to us with a few things but personally, I don't like to know too much about the opposition.
I know some guys do but I just don't.
Q: Your club has a very tragic history during The Troubles which has got a lot of media coverage recently. Does that affect or put extra pressure on you in the All-Ireland final?
A: Aye, we've had plenty of press but that's good for the club and we don't really think of it as pressure.
Personally, I didn't play until I was 12, around 2008.
The last murder was in 2001 or 2002. I remember hearing about it, but we have never experienced anyone of that.
It's only when someone tells you about it that it puts everything into perspective.
And you know when you go into our clubhouse that there's a history there but that's probably the same as any club in the country.
