From 35-year gap to Croke Park: How Easkey's hurlers took Sligo by storm

A small village in Sligo, Easkey has shown through their hurling what a committed group of players can do when a community is behind them.

After defeat in 2023, they are in another All-Ireland junior hurling final when they face Kilbrittain of Cork in Croke Park on Saturday.

In a season full of late comebacks and dramatic victories, a key part of the team is Finnian Cawley.

The Easkey forward has paid tribute to the support they have been given over the years from the community.

"It's a real kind of family, community feel, and we're so, we're so lucky in a small community to have those people because they're not, you know, they're not coming down on trees all the time.

"We are very resilient people. There are some amazing people in our communities that we've probably learned from; they've been through a lot now. Everybody kind of has their own crosses to carry; we are probably just a resilient bunch, and we enjoy playing together.

"There's not a lot of them around. So we're just very lucky to have them all involved with us. Every training, there's food made afterwards, and they're looking after us. Anything you ask, there's nothing too big or too small to do whatever they can for you."

With hurling discontinued from the club for 35 years, it returned to the small Sligo village in 2018.

Within three years, they were county champions, and have never looked back since.

To find the origins of the club's success, it can be found in the school, Coláiste Iascaigh, where, as friends, Finnian and his teammates realised they could be on to something special.

"We're very, very good friends, kind of like a brotherhood, in a way. They were like, well, if you're playing together in school, why can't you do the same for hurling?

"The