Ten talking points from the weekend's Cork hurling action
ROCKIES THREAT: Blackrock's Ciarán Cormack grabs his goal despite the efforts of Fr O'Neills' keeper Paudie O'Sullivan in their Co-Op Superstores Premier SHC match in Carrigtwohill. Pic: Dan Linehan
After their win over Glen Rovers 12 months ago sent the Blackpool men into the Cork Premier SHC relegation play-off they would ultimately lose, Bishopstown received a taste of their own medicine when Sunday’s loss to Sarsfields sent them into the do-or-die clash with Charleville.
With a score difference of minus 49 points, their “qualification” for the dreaded game as per the current competition regulations was more considerable than Charleville whose negative total points tally was minus 17. Along with Newcestown (-12), both teams failed to muster a point, which would have otherwise separated the teams.
Was it fair on Bishopstown to be judged in such a way? Granted, their score difference read -34 before Sunday’s defeat to Sarsfields whose own automatic qualification for the semi-finals came via score difference as they claimed their full complement of points won along with Blackrock. Twelve appears to be the optimal number for the amount of teams at premier senior level and the draw was of course seeded but is there a fairer way of deciding the relegation play-off? Might a round-robin play-off stage between the three bottom-placed teams be a more equitable means of establishing who goes down? That might mean on occasions one of the three games would be unnecessary but there would be fewer complaints. It’s just the score difference of five points between Charleville and Newcestown this year and seven points between Charleville and Bishopstown in 2021 that also counted against the border club seems too fine a margin in deciding a team's fate at the highest level of hurling in Cork.
John Fogarty
GER Cunningham’s Monday morning relief didn’t last long following the victory that kept them clear of the dreaded relegation play-off. Barrs folk who suggested to our John Fogarty that the Cork legend was stepping down as the club’s senior hurling manager were either mischevious or just plain wrong. And nobody checked with the man himself after their 3-17 to 0-20 win over Newcestown in Cloughduv. Applause rippling from the relieved dressing room was wrongly interpreted as Cunningham saying his farewells. Not so. It was a bualadh bos to players who may not be part of the senior dressing room in 2025. The circle in Cloughduv would be their last dance together.
Of course, that won’t stop the speculation about what Cunningham will do next season. The commitment is all-consuming, not to mind draining and largely thankless, and he has the added complication of a couple of sons, Ben and Sam, vieing for selection.
That said, being the competitor he is, Cunningham may fancy trying to whip up another blue storm next season. With Adrian O’Brien as trainer, and a proven squad, the Barrs will still be short-priced to bounce back.
Eaten bread is soon forgotten and the 2022 county title seems a distant memory around Togher after a tough 2024 campaign that featured a one-point loss to Blackrock and a damaging defeat to Fr O’Neill’s. Cunningham doesn’t do media but his management weren’t one-eyed in identifying the losses, at various stages, of Billy Hennessy, Cian Walsh Eoin Finn, Conor Cahalane and (up to yesterday), Ethan Twomey, from their championship set-up this summer. The loss of Ben O’Connor after 2022 to rugby is easily forgotten but massive nonetheless.
Only when a relegation play-off is in the offing are clubs happy for a season to finish prematurely, but that won’t halt plenty of fevered debate around the Barrs over the next couple of months on the future of one of their greats.
Adrian Russell.
Blackrock boss Jamie Harrington has spoken all year about the need to time their run into the knockout stages.
They haven’t approached their peak performance so far but the Rockies have shown plenty of encouraging signs with nine goals across three games.
Alan Connolly was involved in all three majors against Fr O’Neills. Each time they found the net, or even when they conceded one, the city side arrowed over the next point to augment or limit the damage.
They could’ve added another three goals too but for a series of Paudie O’Sullivan saves although Harrington added a caveat. They could’ve leaked another three themselves but for John Cashman and Gavin Connolly’s interventions.
Their shot conversion rate, which hovered around 50% in their first two outings, climbed to 64%. Another boost was the news that Tadhg Deasy is 100% fit after his intermediate tune-ups.
The question now is whether they can kick on again.
“We are looking to improve step by step,” said Harrington. “How we get our forwards on the ball and where we put them on the ball is important to us. When we get the ball wide, how do we deliver it to the full-forwards? There are a few things we’re looking to get exact.
“It’s one of those works in progress whereby you’re trying to chip away every game and improve one or two small things. That’s the thing that needs the most attention. We’re getting there.”
Stephen Barry.
While Conor Lehane, deservedly, took the plaudits after his fourteen-point haul helped Midleton to the top of Group 3 of the Premier SHC, the defining moment of the game involved his Cork colleague, Brion Saunderson.
Erin’s Own were in the ascendency and had drawn level after trailing by four points at the break, a peach of a pull from Mossy Carroll beat Saunderson after half time. He was not to be beaten again.
In the 43rd minute, Robbie O’Flynn fetched the ball and played Cormac McDonnell through on goal. If McDonnell had stuck it, the money would have been on Erin’s Own to go the distance. However, Saunderson produced a stunning save low to his right to keep the momentum with his side. Erin’s Own did take the lead afterwards, but only by a point, and that allowed Lehane to do what he does best down the stretch.
Micheál Keohane is fully aware of Saunderson’s capabilities. “I always say to the lads, anyone who hasn’t trained with him to try and hit the ball past him from 25-30 yards. It’s impossible! He’s so agile and is one of the fastest players on the team. He has this incredible explosivity off the mark, so he’s just an amazing shot stopper.”
John Coleman
When the club landscape was changed in Cork five years ago by switching to five grades of twelve teams, part of the thinking was that after a few years, all clubs would find their level and that the competitions would be ultra-competitive.
The Premier Intermediate competition has reached that level. Going into the weekend, all twelve teams had a chance of qualifying for the knockout stages. When it was all over, all the twelve teams had recorded at least one victory.
Last year, Kilworth fell short by just two points in the decider against Castlelyons. While Castlelyons have now made it to the later stages of the SAHC, Kilworth are facing into a relegation battle with Aghabullogue. Castlemartyr were in the final four last season, and the final the year before that, but their season is over after finishing third in their group while their neighbours, Dungourney, are in the quarter-finals two seasons after winning the IAHC.
Kilworth, Valley Rovers and Ballymartle all made the knockout stages last year, none of them did this time around and two of them finished bottom of their groups.
Only Ballincollig and Carrigaline remain from last year, and the Carrigdhoun side only made it by the skin of their teeth.
There’s plenty more drama to come too.
JC.
A look at the scoring charts reflects plenty of impressive performers across the various hurling championship group stages.
Intermediate A hotshots Lisgoold have been by far the highest scoring with a remarkable 11 green and 72 white flags for a 105-point total; an average of 35 points per game.
For those players who also lined out with Imokilly, their team has yielded an eye-watering 22 goals in five championship games.
At Premier Senior, reigning champions Sarsfields have both the best attacking (3-79) and defensive (3-40) returns. In the same group, Newtownshandrum’s green flag record is also notable. They’ve raised 10 and permitted just one in reply.
On the other hand, Bishopstown are the lowest scorers across all grades with a paltry 0-31. Cloyne’s 1-35 return would equally make them Senior A relegation favourites.
Bride Rovers have the best defensive record (1-34) of any team and may be best placed to shackle Glen Rovers’ attack which has functioned well without Patrick Horgan, scoring 8-68.
There are a couple of anomalies. Just one team went through the group stage without conceding a goal – St Finbarr’s second team – and they were promptly eliminated.
The next highest-scoring Intermediate A side behind Lisgoold were Cloughduv, who are bracing for a relegation play-off.
Stephen Barry.
Killeagh is a tight-knit community where family ties form the backbone of their Cork senior A hurling selection - Leahys, Walshs, McCarthys, Longs - the list goes on.
A few months ago their world was turned upside down when MTU Engineering student Rory Motherway was involved in a serious car accident that left him with life-changing injuries.
This is not the first time the community has had to face adversity.
The Killeagh GAA GoFundMe Page for their talented player, who comes from a highly-respected sporting family, has raised €185,187 of its €250,000 target.
An emotional Killeagh manager Bryan McCarthy summed up how much a message from Rory meant to the team prior to their crunch match with Inniscarra.
“There has been a bit of tragedy over the last few years,” he said. “And one of our team-mates, brother, cousin, friend, Rory Motherway had an accident at the start of the summer. We had a lovely message from Rory during the week wishing us the best of luck and that really encouraged the lads to help him. The community are really behind Rory, we are really behind Rory, and it is great he will get his wish to see the team compete against Blarney in two weeks’ time in the quarter-final.”
Therese O’Callaghan.
Before Newtownshandrum defeated Douglas 2-17 to 0-19 in the Premier SHC to qualify for a knockout place against Midleton, we watched the coin toss with added interest. With the strong wind blowing down the field in Mourne Abbey, Newtown skipper Tim O’Mahony won the right to choose and indicated they would play against the wind in the first half. It’s a perennial debate for players and management whether to take first use of the elements or play into them. Underdogs often opt to play with the wind, so we took this as a show of their intent.
At the interval, the teams were on level terms 0-12 to 2-6, with Newtownshandrum’s first goal netted after just 16 seconds. Against the wind, the Avondhu side controlled proceedings. Newtownshandrum selector Alan O’Brien said the first half mission was accomplished.
“We were reasonably happy at half time because we felt the wind was surely worth five or six points. We regrouped at half time and we asked our lads not to start shooting aimlessly from bad positions.”
Therese O’Callaghan.
We are not sure Fr O’Neills had someone in Pairc Ui Rinn a week ago for Imokilly’s evisceration of Muskerry in the Divisional/Colleges final. Either way, the Ladysbridge/Ballymacoda club know all too well the scale of what awaits them in the last eight of the Premier SHC. And in case, they didn’t, here’s a peek into our stats from the night in question.
- midfield duo, Bill Cooper and Shane Hegarty cried off injured.
- subs Brendan Lehane, Will Leahy and Liam O’Shea scored.
- defenders Timmy Wilk, Dáire O’Leary, Ciarán Joyce and John Cronin scored.
- years since their last title (2017-2019). Five is also the number of championship titles overall.
– the seeded team they would face in the knockouts – Fr O’Neills.
- the number of players involved last week that featured in the 2019 final - Shane Hegarty, Michael Russell, John Cronin, Bill Cooper, Brian Lawton, Séamus Harnedy, Will Leahy and Joe Stack.
- number of clubs represented on the panel.
- total number of scorers.
- panel members, including extended panel of 11.
- final scoreline against Muskerry, 6-25 from play, 5-13 in the second half.
- scored by All-Ireland minor and U20 medalists Jack Leahy.
Therese O’Callaghan.
The subject of refereeing is never far from the surface when it comes to Cork hurling. The point is often made that the difference between the interpretation of the rules at club and county level is something that hinders Cork when it comes to the big games. This season, the games seem to be flowing that bit more.
In Dungourney on Saturday night, Brian Sweeney only blew for four frees in the first half. They all came from the nineteenth minute on. The result was a game played at an incredible pace. There were 45 shots on the target in the first period, 41 one of which came off play. Incredibly, the four placed balls, including an Ashley Walsh penalty for Cloyne, were missed. That meant there were 27 scores from play.
The pace suited Castlelyons as they retired to the dressing room with a 0-19 to 0-8 lead. The pace couldn’t possibly last, but it was a breathless 30 minutes.
JC
