Throwback Thursday: Golden era for Na Piarsaigh hurling 

IT'S 28 years ago this week, that Na Piarsaigh qualified for their fourth Cork Senior Hurling Championship final in nine seasons by defeating St Finbarr’s 1-15 to 2-5 at Páirc Uí Rinn.

The Barrs were managed by Charlie McCarthy and he declared after the full-time whistle that: “Na Piarsaigh must be in with a great chance now of winning their second county title.”

He added: “Na Piarsaigh are a very well-balanced side and have a tremendous midfield in Michael Mullins and Tony O’Sullivan. To my way of thinking it’s going to be extremely difficult to stop them.”

That’s exactly what happened as the club from Farranree went on to beat Ballyhea 1-12 to 3-1 in the final with a panel featuring some of the greatest players ever to wear the famous black and amber jersey.

That group brought together two eras of Cork hurling; veterans from the 1990 All-Ireland success and a collection of rising stars like Seán Óg Ó hAilpín, who won the Harty Cup and Dr Croke Cup with the North Mon in 1994.

Na Piarsaigh was always in the mix for a county title during a decade that started with their defeat to Midleton in the 1987 final.

Three years later, Farranree was officially declared as the best parish in Cork for hurling when Na Piarsaigh beat the Barrs in the county final. 

In 1992 they fell short against Erin’s Own in an upset.

By 1995, this group was hardened and had experienced both sides of county finals. 

There were the highs of 1990, and the agony of seeing one goal send the cup to Glounthaune just two years later. Yet in 1995, it didn’t look like this group was going to progress in the Cork championship as the Barrs took an early lead, with right-half forward Michael Ryan scoring twice from play.

The reports say that Na Piarsaigh ‘were struggling’ to keep up with their southside rivals, who looked a lot sharper in possession.

The Cork Examiner report described Na Piarsaigh as ‘transforming themselves from a very mediocre combination into a high-powered unit’ against the Barrs.

The man who turned things around was Tony O’Sullivan. His work in the middle of the park turned into four well-worked scores, with three coming from long-range frees.

O’Sullivan also converted a 65 which put Na Piarsaigh into the lead for the first time.

TIMELESS

This wasn’t the start of something, but it was just another marker in a game that was an out-and-out battle between two clubs that were embodying the eternal northside-southside rivalry for a day at Páirc Uí Rinn.

Na Piarsaigh got their first score from play in the 27th minute through centre-forward Mark Mullins, followed by a point from the hurler who once lined out with Carlow.

James O’Connor made it three white flags in a row and that was the moment when Na Piarsaigh took a foothold in the game.

The Barrs pegged them back with Brian Cunningham putting over a free and Paul Forde hitting the target in injury time. It gave Na Piarsaigh a two-point lead at the break, but St Finbarr’s would have the wind in the second half.

After the restart, Michael Mullins put the ball over the bar. The coaching team also changed things up, a decision made because of an injury to John Anthony Moran. Mark O’Sullivan came on and Gearoid Daly went into right full-forward, adding width to their play.

That helped them go six points clear, and the Barrs got back into the game with a goal from Forde in the 38th minute.

The Na Piarsaigh response came from the O’Sullivan brothers, Tony and Mark. They worked together to set up James O’Connor and he hit the back of the net and restored their six-point cushion.

They went on to raise four more white flags during that burst, to give them a 10-point lead with just a few minutes left. Eoin Griffen did poach a consolation goal five minutes from time, and that was just their second score of the second half.

The northsiders were through to the county final; Ballyhea beat Imokilly on the other side of the draw.

Na Piarsaigh were one game away from the highest honour in Cork hurling, and they had just under a month to prepare for their day out at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, and in September, Na Piarsaigh beat Ballyhea by five points in the final.

Na Piarsagh starting XV in the victory over St Finbarr’s in the 1995 semi-final: L Connery; S Óg Ó hAilpín, C Coughlan, C Connery; S Guiheen, L Forde, P O’Connor; Michael Mullins, T O’Sullivan; C Lynch, Mark Mullins, P O’Flynn; J O’Connor, G Daly, JA Moran.