Garda Estates soccer finals prompt great memories of Timmie O'Donovan

What do soccer greats Liam Miller, Adam Idah, Colin Healy and Tyriek Wright have in common with hundreds of other Cork natives?

The answer is they have all played in the annual Under-12 Garda Estate Summer Leagues in Ballincollig, which on Sunday afternoon held its 2026 final.

The annual leagues were founded by gardaí and members of the local community in 1998 and it has gone from strength to strength in that time.

Ballincollig community garda Anthony McSweeney said more than 100 people had attended Sunday’s finals in Innishmore soccer field.

“We had nine teams enter this year, all primary school children, under the age of 12, and the whole idea of this is to divert children away from crime, with the assistance of the local community and gardaí,” Garda McSweeney said.

“It’s about getting to know local community gardaí and most of all making friends and having fun while playing soccer.

“One man who kept this competition going for the last 20-odd years was local man Timmie O’Donovan, who passed away from an illness during the year, and we now have a new cup in Timmie’s memory for future winners.” 

Linda Murphy, Timmie O’Donovan’s daughter, said the summer leagues had meant an awful lot to her father.

“Every year he organised this and gave up his time, but he absolutely loved it. It meant so much to him that all the lads could have a kick-around and it didn’t matter where you were from and you didn’t have to try out,” she said.

“We have so many lovely memories of him here, and lovely videos from last year, it meant a lot to him.”

The nine teams that took part in this year’s league were: Classes Lake, Muskerry, Fionn Laoí, Old Quarter, Coolroe Meadows, Heathfield, Grange Manor, The Cloisters, and Innishmore.

Garda McSweeney said the leagues could not take place without the players and their coaches and parents, and he thanked his fellow sub-committee members Senan Power, Willie Murphy, Jim Martin, and Alan O’Mahony, as well as locals Rory, Joe, Jerry and Jim.

Sponsors included Mark O’Keeffe, councillor Joe Lynch, Ballincollig Business Association, Bulk Buy and parents, while Cork Trophy Centre and Chris provided a brand-new cup in Timmie O’Donovan’s name, and a Shield trophy, along with medals for all finalists.

Winners of Timmie O’Donovan Cup were Old Quarter who beat Coolroe Meadows in the final.

The Old Quarter captain was Zack O’Donovan, who is a grandson of Timmie.

Winners of the Shield final were Innishmore, beating Fionn Laoi. Captain of Innismore was Nicodem Zerebiec.

The leagues will return next summer.