West Cork champions St James target county glory with Kilmurry next up

ST James footballers will be competing in the new Premier Junior grade next season after they recently captured the South West Junior A football championship.

St James defeated Argideen Rangers by five points in the Carbery divisional final which was played in Ahiohill recently. The champions are scheduled to play Kilmurry in the JAFC quarter-final tie this Saturday afternoon in Enniskeane.

They were captained to divisional championship glory by Conor Hayes who scored two points from play in the final. The talented forward who is only 22 years of age was thrilled to lead his beloved team to championship glory. 

"It was a massive honour to captain the St James junior footballers this year and I’m very proud of what we achieved this year. I think the secret to success for us this year was just the close bond that we all have as a team."

This recent success in the South West Junior A football championship ensures St James has won the divisional championship football title on two occasions following their first success in 2019. The victorious players received a huge welcome back to both Ardfield and Rathbarry after capturing the Mick McCarthy Cup.

All the players subsequently returned to their primary schools in the aftermath of their success to pass on encouragement to the next generation of Saints players which resonated hugely. 

“There were great celebrations after we won the championship title. The convoy home was the longest I’ve ever seen and the whole parish was out in force. The schools were delighted to see us arrive with the cup. It was great to give the kids a chance to see the cup and show them what they could achieve in the future." 

St James defeated Argideen Rangers on a final scoreline of 0-11 to 0-5. The incentive for the team who succeeded in winning this year’s divisional championship was huge with automatic promotion guaranteed to the Premier Junior grade. This was their ultimate ‘goal’ for the year. 

"Argideen were a very good team with some great young players, and they will be a serious outfit in years to come. 

At the start of the season, we had a meeting and the goal for the year was to win the West Cork title. I think it was the reminder of that which drive us on to championship success.” 

The captain firmly believes St James will be competitive in the Premier Junior grade next year which will contain the eight divisional winners as well as Ballydesmond, St Nick’s, Millstreet, and St Finbarr’s second-string. 

“It is fierce exciting to be promoted to the Premier Junior grade for next season. It is also massive for the club as it will push young lads to get involved. I fully believe we will be able to hold our own in the new grade next year. I am very excited to be there." 

Frank Hayes and Aaron Hayes both enjoyed brilliant individual seasons for St James. The two forwards were integral factors in helping the Saints to divisional glory. 

"Aaron and Frank have both been outstanding this year and their performances really drove the rest of the team on to perform better." 

TOUGH

He is anticipating a tough game against the Mid Cork champions Kilmurry this Saturday afternoon. 

"Kilmurry are a very good team. We are looking forward to meeting them now and hopefully, it will be a good game." 

St James were guided to divisional glory by their player-manager Alan O’Shea who has played a huge role in changing the fortunes of the club in recent years. 

"Alan O’Shea is a super asset for us, and we can’t thank him enough for all our success over the last few years. He is tough on us, but we know that it is just to get the best out of us." 

St James player-manager Alan O’Shea paid tribute to his players for their remarkable levels of consistency throughout the championship season. 

Our players deserve great credit. A lot of them played in the 2019 campaign. They have improved and gotten even better." 

Attention within the St James club has largely turned to hurling since their junior A football championship success as their junior hurlers also seek to enjoy a strong divisional championship season. Most of his team are dual players. 

"We haven’t trained much as a lot of lads are playing hurling. They have priority at the moment. We have five or six lads that don’t play hurling and we are just training away." 

The Kerry native is anticipating a tough game against Kilmurry this Saturday afternoon. 

"We are in no doubt that it will be a tough game. They are a good team, but we are also a good team." 

The player-manager is confident his charges will be well able to compete in the Premier Junior grade next season. 

"It is the next step up for us. It is exciting for the club and for the players. It has given the club a big lift. I have no doubt that our lads can compete at a higher grade. Once their attitude is right, they can be as good as anyone.

“Our numbers are good. We have great numbers coming through at the U11, U13, and U15 level. We can nearly field two teams at U11 and U13."