Blackrock v St Finbarr's: Shane O'Keeffe enjoying second stint as Rockies skipper

SHANE O’Keeffe is joint-captain of the Blackrock team that will look to win a second Co-op SuperStores Cork Premier SHC title in three years when they face St Finbarr’s at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday.

The 29-year-old shares the skipper duties with John Cashman and it’s his second stint as captain, having first been given the honour nine years ago. While a 20-year-old having such a role seems strange, they were unusual times for Blackrock.

“They had had a very successful team, winning in 1999, 2001 and 2002,” he says. “A lot of those fellas all went at once and there was a gap then. We had no guys in their mid-20s, late 20s and there were a lot of guys around my age who came on to the scene at once.

“It was difficult - we had won the minor in 2010 and we won few city U21s in a row and a couple of U21 counties but it took a good few years before those players got to a level where they could compete.”

What had become an 18-year drought came to an end when Blackrock beat Glen Rovers after extra time in the 2020 final. O’Keeffe, an anaesthesiologist in UCC, worried that he might not end up as part of a successful Rockies team.

“Definitely, there were big doubts,” he says. “In 2017, we got to the final but we probably rode our luck a bit, we got a good draw. We were beaten in a close match by a very good Imokilly side and then we went into the wilderness again for two years.

“There were obviously doubts as to whether we’d get back to a final. Then, 2020 was a strange year with Covid and all of that but we got a bit of momentum and went on a run.

“Winning the county obviously gave us a lot of confidence. Last year, we were beaten by a Midleton side who deserved the victory on the day, but it’s good to be back this year again.”

For that 2020 win, Fergal Ryan was in charge and he and his backroom team brought their five-year stint to an end at the end of 2021, having also enjoyed success at minor and U21 levels.

That left a vacuum, into which came Clare native Louis Mulqueen, assisted by Jamie Murphy, John Cormack, Aidan O’Leary, Conor Hurley and Tony O’Sullivan.

“The lads brought us to the top, basically,” says O’Keeffe, whose brothers Mark and Ian and cousin Kevin are also in the squad.

From being an average side, they built us up, really. They had done a great job and that was a major fear that we had in December and January.

“We were well aware that things could quite easily have fallen apart and we were aware that you only have so many years in a team where you can compete at the top.

“We really wanted to find someone who could fit in and continue us on the journey and keep us at the competitive stage of the championship.

“I think Louis – and the rest of the lads have done a great job of that.”

Of course, the only setback that Blackrock have experienced in the championship was the group-stage loss to St Finbarr’s in Páirc Uí Rinn in August, made that all the stranger was the Rockies’ blistering start. O’Keeffe is keen to ensure a different outcome on Sunday.

“There were huge questions asked as to what happened to us that night,” he says.

“We started really well for 10 or 15 minutes and then just went to sleep – or you could say that the Barrs took over the match for about 40 minutes.

“Really, the scoreline flattered us because we clawed back 1-1 or 1-2 at the end. It did put doubts in our minds, especially facing into a big game against Charleville, when our only objective was to get out of the group.

“That Barrs team have gone on since then to show that they are good – they beat Sars and then had convincing wins in the quarter-final and semi-final.

I think both teams will have changed and progressed significantly in the two months since that group match.

“Both teams will have massive motivation. It’s not often when a team beats you that you get a chance to redeem yourself so soon. We’re certainly looking forward to the re-match.”