By John Harrington

Competition sponsors, John West, couldn’t have asked for a better Féile na nGael Ambassador than Limerick hurling star Cian Lynch on this week of all weeks.

The 50th anniversary celebrations of Féile coincide with Sunday's Limerick Senior Hurling Club Final when Lynch will be in action for Patrickswell against Kilmallock.

And when Lynch looks around the dressing-room before the match it’ll be easy to be reminded of his memorable Féile days when he and many of his current team-mates were brothers in arms on an U-14 Patrickswell team that made it all the way to a Féile Final.

“Diarmuid Byrnes, Jack Kelleher, Kevin O'Brien, James Carrig and Aaron (Gillane)…nearly the majority of them would have been on that Féile team,” says Lynch when you ask him how many of his current senior team-mates he also played with in Féile.

“Growing up we would have all been in primary school together and played then and then together up through the club and it's special to have those memories.

“We stayed with the Kilcormac-Killoughey club for Féile, and an experience like that bonds lads together, especially at such a young age. When you're 12, 13, 14 years of age and you're left to your own devices when you go away on a Féile weekend like that, you really rely on each other

“It's your first time away from your home comforts, your parents. You're relying on each other and on your management and it does create a bond. We look back on those memories and we had great laughs. The messing we did and the craic we had, they're great memories. The Kilcormac club were great as well, it was a lovely experience.

“We were beaten in the end by James Stephens, but still brilliant memories.

“Now that it's resumed, it's great that children are getting the opportunity again to play in the John West Féile. It's being played at U-15s this year too which gave last year's group the opportunity to get out and play in a Féile.

“I've unreal memories from it and I'm sure these youngsters are also going to remember it for the rest of their lives. To get the chance to get to Croke Park or Semple Stadium, it's massive at that age.”

County Final day also brings back some very special memories for Lynch. He’s won two as a player, and one of his earliest sporting memories of all is the day he was team mascot when Patrickswell defeated Adare in the 2003 County Final.

That day he marched alongside his late uncle Paul around the pitch with the rest of the team.

“My uncle Paul, God rest him, was captain the same year,” says Lynch. “A lovely memory to have and, look, when you're growing up in an area like this you look up to your uncle and local heroes in the club like Gary Kirby and Ciaran and Paul, the whole lot of them.

“And me togged out in my own little jersey and togs and socks and walking around with Paul was special and it is a memory that I'll cherish. I suppose when look back on it and look back on the photos it shows you it's the cycle of life.”

His uncle Paul was tragically killed this time last year in a road traffic collision in Dubai, and will be very much in his whole family’s thoughts this weekend because he was such a Patrickswell stalwart for so many years.

“Yeah, it's coming up to the year anniversary now very soon,” says Lynch. “Yeah, massive. You're still trying to come to terms with it, the whole family, but we just have to support each other and keep going.”

Perhaps it’s because he’s dealt with grief himself that Lynch is such a powerful advocate for encouraging anyone who’s struggling with any emotional health to speak up and seek out some help.

“Obviously it is hugely important,” said Lynch. “We all go through periods in our life where we're not feeling the greatest, or we have days where we get up in the morning and we're just not feeling right or we're not feeling like today is going to be a good day.

“It's just important to bounce those feelings off people. For ourselves as males, we're reluctant at times to express our emotions and express our feelings. It's important to surround yourselves with people that you can bounce these things off, and just be that support.

“If there's any bit of advice I can give to anyone, everyone struggles. Everyone has tiny periods in their life where things aren't going well, they might be feeling down in the dumps. But it's never a problem to ask for help. I think that has to be a main message. It needs to be a reiterated to people.

“Reach out. If there's anything I can do for anyone, I'd happily pick up the phone and be that rock for someone. There's so much in life and there's so much light at the end of the tunnel. Just to stay positive.”