Cork GAA: John Horgan on the magic of winning a county hurling title
Celebration time for Ballygiblin after their win against Dromtarriffe in the Co-Op Superstores JAHC final. Picture: Larry Cummins
MIDLETON, quite rightly, were the main headline makers in the aftermath of last weekend’s six Cork County hurling finals.
But the achievements of the other five winners are equally worthy of praise, Kanturk in the Senior A championship, Castlemartyr in the IAHC, Lisgoold in the LIHC, Ballygiblin in the junior A championship and Belgooly in the junior B championship. It was certainly a hurling festival weekend, one when rural Ireland came out to play.
Last Saturday, in particular, was such an occasion.
Take Lisgoold first. Just 10 or 12 years ago they were a struggling junior B club in East Cork. It took a few years, a lot of heartbreak to make it to the A grade and it was only last year that they won that title for the very first time.
What has followed subsequently has been something beyond their wildest dreams, two county titles at junior level and now at LIHC level. All done and dusted in the space of three months; extraordinary stuff.
This was a side with a fine mix of youth and experience from one of the club’s greatest servants, Ciaran Cronin in goal to young Liam O’Shea in attack. John Cronin was team captain, one of Imokilly’s most consistent operators in their three senior county title wins of recent times. A leader in every sense of the word.
They had a management team of their own, Liam Walsh and Moss O’Connell embellished by the presence of Aghada duo, Ritchie Lewis and Trevor ‘Trigger’ O’Keeffe who were widely praised for their roles.
Off the field, the club boasts of some excellent facilities which includes a magnificent clubhouse and gym. This year they had youngster Diarmuid Healy playing a starring role for Cork minors in the All-Ireland victory.
The old adage, you reap what you sow comes very much into play with this very vibrant club.
My own club, Castlemartyr have had a few wonderful years too, winning junior, lower intermediate and the higher grade. The latter two were delivered over the past three months, similar to Lisgoold, a quite magnificent achievement.
Again the story is very similar, putting the right structures in place and reaping the rewards.
Brian Lawton was winning his sixth county medal last weekend, three with Imokilly, two intermediates and a junior. That is some going by any standards. His brother Barry, Adrian Bowens, Barra O’Tuama are the more experienced operators on the team with a host of younger players learning from the example that they have set, players like Ciaran Joyce, Darragh Moran, Mike Kelly, Joe Stack, James Lawton among many others.
The club will now rightfully take their place at Premier Intermediate, something that might not have been envisaged not that long ago. But they are there now and with a solid foundation now firmly laid there’s no reason why the upward trajectory cannot continue and their Centenary Year in 2024 can be eagerly looked forward to.
Now to Ballygiblin, the smallest of all the parishes that triumphed last weekend.
They were underdogs against Dromtariffe in the junior A final but the club founded in 1955 rose to trojan heights to claim the victory. Darragh Flynn was a star player in Cork’s All-Ireland under-20 victories and on the other end, you had Diarmuid Lynch winning his county medal 18 years after winning an All-Ireland intermediate medal with Cork.
One of their brace of goals last weekend came from the stick of Mark Keane, Cork’s hero against Kerry on that drama-filled day in the Páirc.
Similar to so many other clubs, Ballygiblin might not be of the size of others but its heart beats just as strong and isn’t that what the GAA is all about and what makes days like last Saturday in Pairc Ui Rinn so extra special.
Now to Belgooly, a first county title last Saturday in their 49-year existence, a victory that meant just as much to the community down there as the senior title meant to Midleton. Barry and Rory Dwyer are vastly experienced hurlers and their combined contribution of 1-14 made so much difference as they held off the challenge of Newtownshandrum.
The stories from all those winning clubs are very similar and that is what makes those county final winning days so special. There is simply nothing to compare with winning a county title with the mates you looked up to and those who are now your best friends.
That is what makes the GAA great.
Last but certainly not least was the achievement of Kanturk on their graduation day to the top table of Cork club hurling. They had the extra bit of energy in the final quarter against Fr O’Neill’s and the experience of John and Lorcán McLoughlin, Aidan Walsh, Darren Browne, Liam O’Keeffe among others was a telling factor.
Their achievement is all the more meritorious given the fact that so many of the team are footballers too bidding for the double next Sunday week against Newmarket.
Some of the tales from last weekend Hans Christin Andersen would have found difficult to pen. In the long winter nights ahead they will all be able to reflect on a job very well done.
Finally, praise for County Board PRO Joe Blake who did an immense job last weekend in the production of the county final programme.
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