Cork GAA Jersey Wars: Charleville v Cill na Martra
Cork GAA Jersey Wars: Cill na Martra v Charleville
WE want to know what your favourite GAA geansaí is.
From here until the end of August, your votes will decide the best design in our Cork GAA Jersey Wars competition.
Our resident jersey expert Denis Hurley compiled a list of 32 clubs, based on those involved in the senior tiers and a selection of wild cards. We put them in alphabetical order and paired them up and we're now down to the last eight.
Full details of the competition are here.
Voting will run from 8am each day for 24 hours on the link below:
THE last decade has produced a hurling fairytale for Charleville, as they have progressed from the junior ranks to premier senior, claiming four county championships along the way.
Formed in 1888, Charleville, or Rathluirc, won the county middle hurling championship – what would later become known as intermediate – in 1914. At the time, there were players from Ballyhea, Newtownshandrum and others and, thanks to Charleville club member Jim O’Callaghan, we know that the colours worn were black and white, with the nickname of ‘the Magpies’ bestowed. The parish rule came in soon after that red and white were the colours chosen.
They club had regraded to junior by the 1930s and, after winning the North Cork junior championship for the first time in 1945, Charleville opted to seek admittance to the intermediate championship and it proved to be a shrewd decision as they won it at the first attempt and made it two in a row in 1947, moving to senior after the second victory.
While there were divisional titles in 1970, 1974 and 1986, county glory remained elusive and it wasn’t until the turn of the millennium that they became the major force in Avondhu, winning there in 2001, 2002, 2007 and 2008, falling to Courcey Rovers in the county final in the first of those years.
The breakthrough came in 2011. After winning North Cork, Charleville made it through to the final against Mayfield, resulting in a direct colour-clash. Following a coin-toss to determine colours, Charleville wore the white jerseys with red hoops favoured by the club’s football teams - such as the 2013 JBFC win - but, when that match was drawn, they were back in red for the replay, which they won.
With little need for acclimatisation at intermediate level, they reached the final in 2014, losing to Fermoy, but came roaring back the following year with a series of outstanding performances, culminating in an impressive win over Dripsey in the final. As the Mid-Cork club play in red as well, there was another instance of the white jerseys being used in a decider.
Premier intermediate victory followed in 2018 – avenging the 2001 junior loss to Courcey Rovers – but while Charleville were senior in 2019, they fell victim to the restructuring of the county championships and had to compete in senior A in 2020. They responded in the best possible way, however, with a win over Fr O’Neills in the final securing a place in the top flight once more.
As with neighbours Newtownshandrum, Charleville benefit from the shirt sponsorship of local Ford dealership Cavanaghs.
ACCORDING to Cill na Martra’s own history, the recorded victory of the club occurred in 1887, back when football was a 21-a-side game, as Ballinagree were beaten.
Initially, the jerseys worn were similar to Sarsfields, blue with a white hoop, and this was the kit used in Mid-Cork junior football final defeats in 1938, 1958 and 1964. However, with fellow Muskerry clubs Naomh Abán, Aghinagh, Clondrohid and Gleann na Laoi all having predominantly blue jerseys, it was decided in the late 1960s that Cill na Martra – generally styled as the anglicised ‘Kilnamartyra’ in newspaper reports at the time – would wear white jerseys with blue trim instead.
While the club did well in the GAA’s cultural competition Scór, on the field they were in the lower reaches in Muskerry but the late 1970s brought a resurgence with more success at underage levels feeding into a stronger junior team.
They reached the county on the latter occasion and, while they lost out to Carbery Rangers, restructuring of the intermediate grades meant that they were promoted, too.
With county minor C title wins in 1999 and 2004 providing strong players for adult level, Cill na Martra reached the IFC final in 2009 but were unlucky to lose out to Carbery. However, another minor win came in 2013 while there was a county U21B win in 2015, four years after defeat in the final.
The manager of that team, Caoimhín Ó Súilleabháin, had taken over the intermediate side and, at the outset of 2018, their record for the previous four years read semi-final, quarter-final replay, semi-final, semi-final. The pedigree was there, it was just a matter of taking the extra few steps to glory. Aiding them in terms of preparation was the fact victory in Division 2 of the county football league in 2017 had earned them a place in the top flight, with regular clashes against the top sides.
Ballinora, Glanworth (after a replay), Millstreet and Mitchelstown were all seen off as they reached the final, with Muskerry rivals Aghabullogue opposing them. While a bright Cill na Martra start was wiped out as they conceded a goal to fall 1-3 to 0-5 behind after 20 minutes, the response was strong as they reeled off 1-11 without reply, going on to triumph by 2-17 to 1-10.
Captain Graham Ó Mocháin delivered his entire speech as Gaeilge, while sponsors Cygnum were no doubt delighted with the exposure they received. The timber-frame construction firm still have their name emblazoned on the club’s jerseys.
While colour-clashes are rarer than when the shirt was mainly blue, they do occur, as against Bandon and Knocknagree in recent times. For such eventualities, there is a grey alternative jersey.
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