Éire Óg's rapid rise from junior football to the top level in Cork

IN 2008, Éire Óg won the Cork Junior A Football Championship title after defeating Ballygarvan in the decider.

Since then, it’s safe to say the Ovens-based club has been on quite the journey, in football and hurling.

Over the last decade or so, as far as football is concerned, Éire Óg have gone about their business impressively and, step by step, they have climbed the Cork club football championship ladder.

In 2014 Éire Óg won the intermediate football championship title beating Rockchapel 0-14 to 0-6 in the final.

The premier intermediate football crown followed in 2019 after a victory over St Michael’s, 0-14 to 0-12.

The match report on summed up the exciting times which Éire Óg were experiencing as a club.

“Éire Óg lifted the premier intermediate football championship title by edging out St Michael’s in a gritty decider at Páirc Uí Rinn .

“For Éire Óg this is a golden era, having secured junior, intermediate, and now premier titles in the modern era, along with a Premier 1 minor football crown in 2017.”

If that wasn’t enough, there was even further joy to come.

As a result of the Coronavirus outbreak, the 2020 Senior A Football Championship final wasn’t played until June 2021 when Éire Óg beat Mallow 2-13 to 1-7

in the final in Páirc Uí Chaoimh .

As ever, Daniel Goulding was an influential figure for his side, scoring 0-4.

A consequence of this result was that last year Éire Óg played at premier senior level for the first time and gave

an excellent account of themselves.

Their journey took them to the quarter-finals where they faced St Finbarr’s, a side that would go on to win Cork and Munster Club titles.

Éire Óg more than played their part in what was a gripping encounter.

The Ovens side made a fine start. Players such as Jack Murphy, Dylan Foley, and Colm O’Callaghan were impressive, while Rian O’Flynn and Kevin Hallissey hit some fine points and Goulding was spot on from placed balls, as Éire Óg led 0-7 to 0-2 after 16 minutes.

The Barrs though, showed the response of the champions they would become and ultimately came out on top.

But Éire Óg can take a number of positives from their PSFC run, putting it up to the likes of Castlehaven and the Barrs.

As debut seasons go at the top table in Cork club football, Éire Óg had a pretty good one.

There have been a number of outstanding servants who have been right there for the rise of the club from junior to senior football.

Goulding and Ciaran Sheehan are familiar names to those with an interest in Cork football over the years.

JOURNEY

When this reporter interviewed Goulding for this paper recently, he described the sensational journey which the club has been on.

“When I started playing with Éire Óg, it was a dream to win a county.

“We won the junior, then it was a dream to win the intermediate. It is a really special feeling to know you’ve jumped the grades and into senior football.

“To do it with your close friends and fellas you have trained with all of your life, it is really special.”

There also has been a talented crop of younger players who have broken into the adult ranks in Éire Óg.

Colm O’Callaghan is one example of the football talent which has been produced in recent years by the underage set-up in Éire Óg.

There have also been exciting times in recent years for the club’s hurlers, while off

the pitch, the facilities in Ovens are as good as anything that you will see in Cork.