Fermoy return to the top table after a 54-year gap

FERMOY are a senior football club again after a 54-year absence from a competition that they were once the kingpins of.

There were joyous scenes at the end of yesterday’s Cork County PIFC final after the North Cork club had denied St Michael’s and elevated themselves to the top table of Cork football again.

In an era long gone, Fermoy was a renowned footballing stronghold and, in fact, in the roll call of honour in the Cork senior championship, they lie in seventh place with seven titles won, the last one being in 1945.

The team was led yesterday by outstanding captain Darragh O’Carroll and he was thrilled to have been a part of what he described as a great club.

“We have had a fair share of disappointment in recent times, losing hurling and football finals so a lot of lads had a good few miles on the clock.

“This year we said we’d go again, we hadn’t long left and we were going to do everything to get the club up to senior.

“We have a phenomenal underage structure in Fermoy and we felt that if we could get up there we won’t struggle.

“You can see what this means, all the support we had today, it’s some club, it’s some town, this is unreal." 

Fermoy’s last involvement in senior ranks was back in 1964 but now they are back where they feel they belong and they will eagerly look forward to the draw at county convention in December.

However, their phenomenal year is not done yet and they will be proud Cork representatives in the Munster Club Championship, playing Galbally or Rathkeale from Limerick in the opening round in two weeks time.

Meanwhile, Charleville and Courcey Rovers must try again to resolve their differences in the PIHC final after failing to do so yesterday.

In a final that never lived up to pre-match expectations, the sides were deadlocked at the end, Charleville 1-9 to Courcey Rovers 0-12.

In the SFC, St Finbarr’s finally discovered their county final opponents on Saturday night after Duhallow overcame Castlehaven at the third attempt.

Next Sunday they will now bid to regain the crown that they last wore back in 1991.

The Barrs must go back to 1985 since their last triumph.

There was joy too for small East Cork club, Russell Rovers from Shanagarry who overcame Kilbree to reach their first ever Cork County JAHC final.

They will play Cloughduv in the final next Saturday night.