Cork club football talking points: Big teams relegated while weather raises serious issues
Splash... Ilen Rovers' Donal Collins is tackled by Fermoy's Jack Collins during the Bon Secours SAFC relegation playoff at Ahiohill. Picture: Eddie O'Hare
Ilen Rovers and Na Piarsaigh both tasted bitter defeat in relegation deciders on Sunday, Ilen moving to Premier Intermediate with the city side exiting that tier. Going down is tough for a club to take but even more so when you've competed at elite level in the recent past.
Ilen had a fairytale run across the noughties where they progressed from junior to elite level and gave Nemo a serious rattle in the 2007 county final. A big parish with a small pick, they don't have footballers of the calibre of Fachtna Collins and Kevin O'Sullivan anymore though. They've gone from Premier Senior to Premier Intermediate in three years.
Na Piarsaigh held their own at the top before but endured some difficult campaigns lately. It's been a poor season for northside teams overall, with Glen Rovers' demotion generating huge headlines. Apart from the Mayfield hurlers who are through to the IAHC semi-final.
A ray of light for Piarsaighs is their U15s, Premier 1 county champions, but it will take some time before that crop matures and star forward Luke Hurley is also a gifted underage soccer star.
The sunshine eventually emerged on Sunday afternoon but given the deluge across the weekend, there was a strong case for calling off the majority of the fixtures. The pitches were just about playable, only Ballinora-Glenville in a relegation playoff getting called off.
With the dual demands on Leeside and a full slate of hurling semi-finals next weekend, there wasn't much room for manoeuvre. Clon and Nemo both hurl at junior level but their teams are still involved in the divisional JAHC.
It's a huge downside of the new round-robin system because you can't rely on the weather to hold up across a whole campaign in Rebel county.
Another St Finbarr's versus Castlehaven showdown in the semi-final is eagerly awaited but the presence of those two clubs and champions Nemo in the semi-finals means the Premier Senior business end has a very familiar look. Collig and Clon failed to upset the odds and under the new format, the big three have made the last four every campaign apart from 2021 when Nemo were caught in the group section.
Newcestown had keeper Christopher White to thank for their penalty shootout victory after his two saves against Kanturk on Sunday. The small club from West Cork are through to the Senior A semi-finals in both codes. It's savage going considering their tight pick.
Though Damien Cahalane and his brothers Conor and Jack hurl for the Barrs, they'll face their teammates in the Castlehaven colours next month. All three have been motoring well lately but especially Damien, now 32, who is performing better than ever for both clubs.
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