The inflow of silverware - be it Galway minor titles, a monotonous six-in-a-row at the last count, or county senior titles, which have been claimed every other year this decade - confirms the healthy state of Gaelic football in Corofin, bringing about a confidence factor that has often been quite alien to many other sides who have emerged from Connacht in the quest for the Andy Merrigan Cup.

Simple statistics confirm that no club from the province has ever won the AIB All-Ireland club football championship. The province's "Cinderella" tag has been earned the hard way. And Corofin, who face Dungiven of Derry in the competition's semi-final at Ballyshannon tomorrow, are no strangers to carrying the weight of expectation of an entire province on their shoulders. Twice already this decade, Corofin have tried and lost at this particular stage: to Kerry's Dr Croke's, in 1992, and Laune Rangers, in 1996.

Ironically, the belief in Corofin, and further afield, is that this particular team's best years lie ahead. A steady stream of young talent, nurtured from successful minor teams, has moved on to the senior side and the team that faces Dungiven tomorrow includes seven under-21s. But it could be the turn of the century or beyond before their rich promise is realised.

"This year has come a little bit early," admits Paul McGettigan, the team's joint-manager with Tony Murphy. "We thought it would be another year or two before we'd be in this position, and it's a tremendous adventure. However, most of these players are going to be around for the next 10 years."

The obvious exceptions are the Burke brothers, Ollie and Gerry, who can't be expected to go on forever. When Corofin won the county title back in 1977, they were on the team - and when, last year, Corofin won their fourth county title of the '90s, they were also on the team. They have all five medals that the club has won in that 20-year timespan. Gerry, a community Garda, is touching 40 but still exerts his considerable influence from the demanding midfield position (his duel with Brian McGilligan is much anticipated) and McGettigan calls him "an inspiration", adding: "It is only when you see the commitment and effort that he puts in that you can understand how he reproduces performance after performance of the highest quality."

McGettigan, who led Corofin to unprecedented minor glory this decade with six successive titles, moved up to coach the senior team this season. A Donegalman who played Railway Cup football with Ulster, McGettigan knows what it is like to reach an All-Ireland club final. He was on the St Grellan's, Ballinasloe, team which lost to St Finbarr's in the 1979 final.

He likes to cushion his young charges (nine of whom progressed from minor teams in his care) and, hailing from Letterkenny and knowing Ulster football as he does, McGettigan likes to stress the strength of the game in Derry, calling it "the highest standard in Ireland".

Corofin have experienced the Derry way at first hand. Last year, they were guests of Bellaghy and were actually in Derry the same weekend that Dungiven won the county title. They know at firsthand what football means there.

Two weeks ago, a match was organised against the Donegal county team on the Ballyshannon pitch so that Corofin could sample playing against an Ulster team. "We want to go out and do ourselves justice and give it our best shot," insists McGettigan. "But you would be amazed at the number of people who saw the display that Dungiven gave in their Ulster final against Errigal Ciaran and said we are only wasting our time. Obviously, we can't think that way and we just hope they will not be on song as much this time."

Corofin are not travelling to Ballyshannon just for the fun, however. McGettigan says they'll give Dungiven all the respect they deserve, but that there is no question of fear. "We're talking about a bunch of lads from the heart of north Galway, and they don't know the meaning of the word fear," says McGettigan.

With players of the calibre of Ray Silke, goalkeeper Martin McNamara and top scorer Michael Donnellan, Corofin won't be fed to the wolves. Also, McGettigan believes that the attitude of Connacht football has changed in recent years, emphasised by Mayo's All-Ireland campaigns.

"There is a lot of interest throughout Connacht in this game. We know we're the Cinderella province and everyone would love to see us make a breakthrough.

"The whole of Connacht has woken up to the fact that Gaelic football is now a professional game. It is something Ulster teams have recognised and something which the likes of Kerry, Dublin and Meath adopted years beforehand. I believe the improvement in Connacht football is because of this professional approach. The ability was always there, now it is being harnessed."

Much has changed since Corofin lost to Laune Rangers in 1996, their second All-Ireland semi-final defeat. New blood has been infused into the side. The question, though, is whether or not tomorrow comes too soon for them.

Corofin

Path to Connacht title: Semi-final - beat Knockmore (Mayo) 2-11 to 2-7. Final - beat Allen Gaels (Leitrim) 2-10 to 0-11.

Top Scorer - Michael Donnellan (2-7 in two games).

Current inter-county players: Martin McNamara, Ray Silke, Michael Donnellan.