Fr O'Neill's incredible journey from East Cork outsiders to hurling's top tier 

WHAT a season Fr O'Neill's enjoyed. 

Although we still have over two months before the New Year bell rings, unusually for the Aghavine club they can put the hurleys to one side for a well-deserved extended winter break. The last few years have been very different.

In 2019 the early months of winter brought the pursuit of Munster and All-Ireland titles; that marathon journey ended in bitter heartbreak with an agonising defeat in Croke Park to Tullaroan. The last two Covid-dominated seasons, saw Fr O'Neill's reach the Senior A final but lose out to Charleville and then Kanturk. 

Now as the rustic red and orange leaves fall to the ground, the job is done. The club has reached the promised land completing a remarkable journey to the top table of Cork hurling that began in 1996.

It was then, after many years of 'Mayo-esque' hard luck stories, they claimed the Jamesy Kelleher Cup in East Cork and since then they've hardly had time to look back over their shoulder. There have been several landmarks along the way. Following a number of junior wins in the division, county glory in 2005 saw them add an All-Ireland in early 2006. 

Within another year the rapidly progressing rural club had been crowned Intermediate winners. Four years later in 2011 a new generation of players were coming on stream with the Premier 2 Minor County another milestone. 

BUMPS

Similar success followed two years later. There were bumps along the road over the next few years, with promotion and briefly relegation also featuring.

After the 2016 Intermediate victory, the subsequent Premier U21 title in 2018 suggested that something very special was happening as a gifted group of hurlers matured together. Many of them played key roles as the Premier Intermediate title was won with a decisive triumph over Kilworth in the autumn of 2019. That led to more Munster silverware.

However, from there on it had been a series of close encounters and tales of what might have been. Now after the recent win over Courcey Rovers, such disappointments have been blown away by the autumn winds of 2022. Fr O'Neill's are where they have craved to be. The highest level in Cork hurling.

Running parallel to the team's exploits on the field has been the work behind the scenes of the club committee. They oversaw the development of a pitch at Aghavine. Work advanced at a rapid rate. Games have already taken place this summer and in the last few weeks, auxiliary works have continued with the erection of perimeter fencing giving a real complete look to the pitch.

Seamus Joyce, club PRO, says it has been quite a year.

"Being honest there is a great sense of relief for the lads and the entire club. It was a final that we had to win. I feel it would be very hard to come back again if we had lost three finals on the bounce. Everybody savoured the days after the success and we were joined by people from neighbouring clubs to share in the celebrations."

These celebrations look set to continue with the pre-Christmas Victory Dinner where the 2022 heroes will be toasted. However, some of the team have already been back on the football field as O'Neill's emphatically won last Saturday's JBFC final against St Catherine's. They now play Lismire in the county quarter-final in Blarney on Saturday.

Back home, Joyce says the work will continue.

"Planning permission has been submitted for new dressing rooms and the ducting has now been put in place for the electricity supply which will be connected over the next few weeks. 

The new pitch, which has the exact same dimensions as Croke Park was used by the victorious hurlers in all their preparatory work. 

"Our coach Niall O'Halloran was working on the principle of getting to Páirc Uí Chaoimh, so the new facility was ideal. Looking ahead we will need to maintain our fundraising drive with the County Board draw, our own local development draw and the Golf Classic being key events."