Joy for Aghabullogue in 2004 with landmark football county victory

2004 will be a year anyone associated with Aghabullogue GAA will never forget. 

It was no ordinary year 19 seasons ago. 

The Coachford-based side made the big breakthrough in football winning the Muskerry Junior A Football Championship and county title but won the latter before the divisional title in an unusual state of affairs.

Aghabullogue traditionally known as a hurling club, mainly down to being the first Cork club to win the All-Ireland in 1890, and only started playing football since 1979. 

Aghabullogue, backboned by many of the players that won Muskerry U-21 titles in 1997 and 2004, were a coming team. 

The Coachford side weren’t too far away prior to 2004. They lost to Grenagh in the 2002 semi-final and lost to Canovee after a replay in the second round in 2003, following a win over Kilmurry in the opening round.

Aghabullogue had never reached a Muskerry JAFC final prior to 2004. They started off the divisional championship with a win over Macroom’s second string, 1-21 to 0-2. 

It was a much tighter contest in the next round, with Aghabullogue recording a 1-9 to 0-6 win over Clondrohid. 

Next up was a last-four game against Béal Átha’n Ghaorthaidh, two Aghabullogue green flags were crucial in a 2-9 to 0-11 win for the team in green and white.

The momentum was with the Aghabullogue footballers, it was the intermediate hurlers' exit at the hands of Aghada that season, which helped focus minds on the big ball. 

In another hurling-related bonus, Grenagh star Tom Kenny’s involvement with the Cork hurlers resulted in the Muskerry championship being held up. 

Aghabullogue had already booked a place in the decider, while Grenagh had to navigate a tricky test against Ballincollig’s second team in the semi-final, once Tom Kenny and Cork were finished their season. 

In a very unusual situation, Aghabullogue were nominated for the county series. 

It was a tough assignment for the Mid-Cork team in the opening round of the county championship against Carbery winners Tadhg MacCarthaigh, but in a tight game of football in Enniskeane, Aghabullogue prevailed 0-8 to 0-5. 

A county semi-final against Imokilly champions Bride Rovers in Caherlag were next up for the Muskerry team, and they duly eliminated the team from Rathcormac/Bartlemy, 1-13 to 0-5. 

That set up a county final against Adrigole, with the Beara champions hoping the defeat against Kiskeam in the 2002 decider would stand to them on the big day. 

The game only came to life in the closing stages, when the men from the Beara peninsula instigated a late but ultimately fruitless rally. Aghabullogue led 1-9 to 0-5 with ten minutes remaining, before 1-2 from Adrigole late on made things nervy. 

HISTORIC

Aghabullogue held on for a historic win, 1-9 to 1-7 to spark unbridled joy for the Muskerry men.

Under the guidance of John Hogan, Aghabullogue achieved a first football county title, but celebrations were quickly put on the back burner, as they headed for Donoughmore the following weekend for one of the biggest Muskerry JAFC finals with everything on the line. 

Grenagh defeated Ballincollig’s second string in the semi-final to set up a mouth-watering final. 

The prize on offer was absolutely massive, even though Aghabullogue won the county, if Grenagh won the divisional title, they would be promoted to the intermediate grade for 2005.

Donoughmore was packed to the rafters, in what was a nervy and low-scoring game, the contest was heading for a draw until John Kelleher set up Declan Kiely and the latter landed a long-range effort in what was the last kick of the game, as Aghabullogue won 1-4 to 0-6 to spark wild celebrations from the winning side, as Aghabullogue supporters ran onto the pitch once the final whistle blew. 

The game can be viewed on Aghabullogue GAA TV on YouTube, the scenes after the game said it all, pure and utter raw emotion, it’s why we love the sport.

Aghabullogue reached the Munster final, but lost to Kerry side Finuge, 2-13 to 3-4, played in Fitzgerald Stadium, Killarney.

The Muskerry team have come close to gaining promotion from the lower intermediate grade over the past 10 years, but have lost three finals, Grenagh in 2013, Cill na Martra in 2018 and Kilshannig in 2022. 

With another young and exciting team at the moment, the current crop will be eager to write themselves into the history books, for one of Cork’s most historic clubs, you wouldn’t put it past them doing just that.