Throwback Thursday: UCC’s 2011 county started a golden age in the Sigerson

ELEVEN years ago this week, UCC defeated Castlehaven 1-12 to 0-10 in the Cork Senior Football Championship final at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

It was the College’s tenth overall success, and their first since 1999 when two points saw them get the better of Nemo Rangers.

The trophy lift was also a reassertion of the power of UCC and what they are capable of. The victory made fresh the glories the College experienced during the 1960s and '70s, a time when they won five Cork championships and one Munster title. 

UCC also became the first side from Cork to reach the All-Ireland club football final in 1972, and they lost by a point to Derry champions Bellaghy. If the football titles weren’t enough, UCC won the Cork Senior Hurling Championship in 1963 and 1970.

As quickly as the success came, it went and between 1974 and 1998 the College only reached two finals. Both of those ended in defeat but they got the better of Nemo in 1999. 

They beat Doonbeg to the Munster final that December and they lost the All-Ireland semi-final to Crossmaglen.

The double helped ease a difficult spell for the College in the Sigerson Cup. After back-to-back titles between 1994 and 1995, UCC reached only two finals in the proceeding 15 years.

UCC gave no warning about what they were going to achieve in 2011. 

The previous season, they had lost in the divisional round to Duhallow. They did reach the Sigerson Cup final, and that journey ended in a four-point defeat to DCU.

In 2011, they beat University of Ulster by three points in the final at Belfield. That ended a 16-year Sigerson Cup drought, and the College went into the Cork championship on a high.

UCC opened up their campaign with a three-point extra-time victory over Carbery at Cloghduv. 

Next up was a meeting with St Nicholas' at Páirc Uí Rinn and the College ground out a two-point win.

The quarter-finals paired the College with Clonakilty and four points was the difference at Charlie Hurley Park. 

 That was the same distance that UCC kept between themselves and Avondhu in the semi-finals.

The College were into the final, their first since 1999, and Castlehaven stood in their way of a historic double.

UCC went into the game with a management team and panel stacked with talent. They were managed by Paul O’Keeffe, who would go on to lead St Finbarr’s to the All-Ireland Club semi-finals in 2021-22. John Corcoran was into his second year as a selector and he was fresh from winning the Carbery divisional side the 2004 championship. UCC’s forward line boasted Paul Geaney, who had just won a Munster championship with Kerry. Stephen O’Brien, a future All Ireland winner with the Kingdom, was also in the team.

Both teams were level three times during the opening twenty minutes. UCC took control of the game through an organised midfield consisting of wing forward JB Spillane, Johnny Buckley and Will Kennedy. The College ploughed ahead with three unanswered points and ended up with a 0-8 to 0-4 lead at half-time.

Castlehaven battled back and they made it 0-10 apiece with five minutes left in normal time.

GAME PLAN

UCC stuck to their game plan and they did not panic. This led to captain Seán Kiely kickstarting a move that ended with a foul on Paul Geaney. A penalty was given and Daithí Casey, who won the Kerry final the day before with Dr Croke’s, put this beyond the reach of goalkeeper Paudie Hurley.

The penalty meant that Daithí Casey tallied 1-4 in the final, and he was UCC’s top scorer.

Substitute Gavan O’Grady added to UCC’s tally late in the game and this ensured the trophy’s destination was the Mardyke.

The College had not only won a historic double, but they also ended 12 years of hurt. A new generation of football fans in Cork were seeing the infamous skull and cross bones as winners, with multiple pieces of silverware on show.

UCC were back in action on November 6th, against Limerick champions Monaleen in the quarter-finals of the Munster championship. The College won by one point and this set up a meeting with Moyle Rovers from Tipperary. UCC made light work of them at Clonmel Sportsground and a tally of 5-12 easily put them into the Munster final, where Dr Crokes awaited.

The College’s run came to an end against the Kerry champions, who beat them by seven points at Fitzgerald Stadium.

UCC were knocked out of the Cork championship the following season by Duhallow, and they failed to reach the Sigerson Cup final. It was a cruel end after 2011, but the people of Cork knew once again of the power of the skull and cross bones.