CARRIGTWOHILL GAA has a proud history of producing famous players who have gone on to wear the Cork jersey with great distinction.

Whilst the club hope that trend will continue, the impact of three club stalwarts is now about to be seen from the sidelines. Furlong’s appointment as Cork minor manager was on the radar for the past year, but the arrival of his close friend Niall McCarthy alongside him has given the East Cork club an even greater interest on how the county’s best young hurlers perform in the coming season. 

Furthermore, Gary Sheehan has been confirmed as an inter-county minor football selector in the management team headed up by Michael O’Brien.

Furlong and McCarthy have been tied at the hurling hip since their earliest years. They were leading lights in a glorious era for the local national school in Sciath na Scol competition before winning the big prizes on the field of play. 

They both won premier minor honours in 1998 and senior medals 13 years later. 

McCarthy also played a major role when Carrig beat Watergrasshill in the 2007 premier intermediate final, at a time when Furlong was based in the US and Australia.

However, following their trojan efforts in that sensational 2011 county senior win together, the duo have both followed a very successful pathway off the field. 

Most recently they were together as Russell Rovers went all the way to the All-Ireland junior final last January and were again working side by side as coach and support coach with UCC’s Fitzgibbon Cup win last February. 

The new Cork manager also coached Fr O’Neill’s to win the county intermediate title in 2016, with McCarthy following exactly in his footsteps as Aghada coach when they triumphed in 2017.

Noel was a dual county minor in 1999. Niall won two celtic crosses and was voted Man of the Match in the 2004 final, a year he was also recognised by the All-Star selectors.

FOOTBALL

Former Na Piarsaigh football stalwart Gary Sheehan has been a Carrigtwohill resident for over 10 years and has been involved with Rebel Og squads for a number of years. 

He was coach and selector with Carrig’s junior team which reached the divisional final in 2020, before losing out to Midleton. 

A massive presence as a player in the black and amber of the Fairhill club, many will recall some of his great individual performances in big county championship days, including the shock win over All-Ireland champions Nemo in 2003. 

Gary was the man who netted the dramatic late goal that preserved his club’s senior status in 2010 with a win over Naomh Abán.