Their manager, Tommy Buggy, hadn't seen such joy among a group of hurlers in his whole life. When he pointed out they were one of only six teams remaining in the championship, the delight multiplied ever more.

"They hadn't realised there were so few left, " he says. "I listed out the other remaining counties: Antrim, Galway, Tipperary, Cork, Kilkenny.

And there we were, Carlow, among the big names of hurling. It was a great feeling for us all."

To the cold observer, the victory over Offaly in last Saturday's Leinster semi-final may have come as a lightening rod, but to those who have been observing the climb of underage hurling in Carlow, today's provincial final is merely the first palpable evidence of the progress.

Buggy took over in 2004 and helped Carlow capture two All Ireland B titles in an impressive four-in-a-row run.

They capped it by adding an under-16 B All Ireland to the mantle. The minors fell at the first hurdle last year when they went down to Laois by a point, but they had the look of a team prepared to knock at the door until somebody answered.

Still, momentum is a difficult thing to build in a county where football is the reigning monarch. During his first year in charge, Buggy scoured the seven hurling clubs of Carlow and tried to coax players onto his panel.

Even though two All Ireland B titles had been claimed by then, he only managed to scrape together a squad of 22 players.

This year, things were a little different. For the first time since he took charge he had to cull numbers. In all, a total of 19 hurlers missed out as the group was shortened to 30 for the championship and Buggy credits Club Ceatharlach with providing the right base from which to propel the county minors.

Established three years ago, the initiative provides intense coaching to underage players throughout the county and at least a third of Buggy's current squad have come through the scheme.

Then, with a strong panel of players secured, the manager began to set his sights on the A championship. "We had a really good minor team last year and if we had been hurling at the top grade we felt we might have done better, " he says. "So we had to go for it this season."

Slowly, the traditional obstacles have been navigated. Having lost by a point to Offaly in the round-robin opener, they won their remaining group games and ensured a home Leinster quarter-final against Wexford. Carlow had never beaten their neighbours at this level but came away with a seven-point victory. Their stock was rising.

They went into last Saturday's game expecting another tight encounter with Offaly and displayed enough mental strength to come through unscathed. It's no wonder. To add a touch of inner steel, Buggy has acquired the services of self-improvement coach John Carey who also works with the Cork senior hurlers.

"This is one gutsy team, " says Buggy. "Offaly took the lead just as the board was being flashed for three minutes of time added on. I knew we wouldn't panic. All we had to do was get one ball into the full-forward line and I knew we'd win it." In front of their loud and colourful following, Carlow managed 2-2 before the final whistle sounded to set up this first ever Leinster final. And if last week saw the biggest Carlow crowd to travel to a minor hurling game, today promises more of the same.

With Kilkenny looking to secure their 49th provincial title at minor level, the gap isn't lost on anybody, least of all Buggy, a Kilkenny man still involved with his club, Erin's Own from Castlecomer. "I know the talent and depth that's in Kilkenny. I see it every day. Sure, one of our own lads from Erin's Own will be playing for Kilkenny."

Three years ago, when Buggy signed on for the Carlow role, a Leinster final date with his home county was far from his mind. "It goes to show how far we've come, but we won't be satisfied until these lads have something tangible to show for their effort. They want a Leinster medal."

They'll savour this day with the soil of Croke Park beneath their boots and though Carlow face their aristocratic neighbours, they're intent on laying the foundations of a future tradition.

LEINSTER MHC FINAL CARLOW v KILKENNY Croke Park, 12.30 Referee J Owens (Wexford)