Alan O'Donovan: Final pain fuelled Nemo's return to the top

Alan O'Donovan admitted relief was the overwhelming emotion as Nemo Rangers ended a barren spell in the Premier SFC with a hard-fought 1-19 to 2-12 victory over St Finbarr's at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday evening.

For a club that measures itself by county titles, the wait since 2022 had felt unusually long. Three county final defeats in the intervening period only added to the hurt, making Sunday's triumph all the sweeter for O'Donovan and his teammates.

He was instrumental throughout, producing a commanding display in the middle third, as Nemo finally got their hands back on the Andy Scannell Cup.

"Relieved as hell, just to get the win," O'Donovan admitted afterwards.

"That's what we wanted when we came here and we did it. I'm just delighted for everyone, the whole group, the whole club. There's such an effort that goes into it, so we're just delighted."

Nemo could scarcely have asked for a better start. Playing with the aid of the wind, they raced into an early lead and looked in complete control during the opening quarter.

Their dominance around kick-outs was a key factor as they established a cushion before the Barrs gradually worked their way back into the contest.

"We had the wind in the first half and we got on top of their kick-out for the first 15 or 20 minutes," O'Donovan said.

"I can't remember exactly what we were up by, but we were up. Then they kind of fought back before half-time and then we got the goal, which gave us another bit of a lift."

That goal arrived at a crucial stage. With the game delicately poised, Luke Horgan finished to the net after excellent work by Stephen Cronin, a score that gave Nemo vital breathing room heading into the dressing room.

"It just goes to show the advantage rule," O'Donovan explained.

"We had the advantage, there was a shot taken, and Stephen, in fairness to him, got on the end of it. The shot was skied and he got on the end of it. He showed great vision to look across and pop it across and Luke was there to tap it home. We were delighted with it."

If Nemo had controlled much of the first half, they knew there would be no easy ride after the restart. 

St Finbarr's, champions in 2025, repeatedly threatened to force their way back into the game and ensured the outcome remained in doubt until the closing stages.

"It was just a ding-dong battle," O'Donovan says.

"It was up and down the pitch. We'd go up and get a couple of points and they'd drag themselves back into it and get a goal.

"It's Nemo and the Barrs. We're going to push each other all the way and we did that today. I'm just so happy to get over the line for everyone."

What impressed most about Nemo's performance was their composure when momentum threatened to swing against them. Previous final defeats could easily have weighed heavily on their minds.

"We've been down this road before," he states. 

"We lost county finals the last few years and we felt we should have won them. We were in winning positions and could see the finishing line ahead of us but we didn't see it out.

"Today we just didn't panic. We kept working hard and kept trying to do the right thing with the ball. There are always mistakes but you just keep trying to do the right thing, keep working hard and keep believing."

The midfielder was typically modest when asked about his own contribution, preferring instead to focus on the collective effort that brought Nemo back to the summit of Cork football.

"It was just about putting the shoulder to the wheel. 

"There was nothing too fancy. It was just hard work. I'm just so happy for the whole group."