Premier JHC: Erin's Own look to keep the good times going

In claiming victory in the Co-op SuperStores Cork Premier JHC final on Saturday evening, Erin’s Own followed a recent pattern and created a bit of history.

Since the formatting of the county championships for the 2020 season, two of the three winners of the fifth tier – originally known as the Lower IHC, now the Premier JHC – had won the junior A title the previous year.

Erin’s Own ticked that box, as Lisgoold and Ballygiblin had in the last two years, but they also ticked a new one. Since the streamlining of the competitions, no second team had been successful in tiers two to five – Sarsfields lost the 2021 IAHC final to Castlemartyr, while Midleton could come out on top in that grade against Aghabullogue this weekend.

Saturday’s win over fellow East Cork club St Catherine’s was no flash in the pan either as Erin’s Own had also claimed victory in Division 7 of the RedFM Hurling League. It speaks volumes about the strength in depth at the club and playing at a higher level again next year will provide a further challenge, which captain James McMahon is relishing.

“We’re under no illusions, going up to intermediate A is going to be another step,” he said.

“Being a second team you don’t even know who you’re going to have, particularly at the start of the year. But we do have 30, 40, 50 good solid hurlers up there. It’ll just be brilliant to be playing in Division 6 and intermediate next year. It’s unbelievable.”

For Clare native McMahon, who played with his home club O’Callaghan’s Mills and later St Joseph’s/OCB in Dublin, to lift two trophies within a year is incredible.

“It’s beyond anything I could have thought of when I joined the club,” he said.

“It was really just getting involved in the community and playing a bit of hurling, and they’ve a great bunch of lads here in Glounthaune and they accepted me in. We’ve gotten on a bit of a roll, personally, I’m absolutely delighted.

“The club, we’re in a really good place. To have your second team competing at that level in Páirc Uí Chaoimh is fantastic, it’s really important for the club.”

Helping Erin’s Own get to the pitch of the new grade straightaway was the fact that the East Cork junior A championship is such a test.

“Last year was a marathon,” McMahon said.

“To get out of the division and then win like that is just… You’re beating [St] Ita’s, you’re beating Cobh; it’s such a long year to win all your games where this is quicker. It didn’t feel as much of a step up.

“Now Glen Rovers caught us on the first day, but we re-grouped after that, came back, and got on a bit of a run.”

Against Catherine’s, Erin’s Own started and finished the first half well to lead by five points at half-time, 1-9 to 1-4. Helping them was the strong wind, with McMahon having opted to go against his usual instinct by playing with it, though not for that reason.

“The sun factored into it,” he said, “though it came against us at the finish!

“I was sweating when I got taken off. I thought the sun would have dropped down, but it hadn’t! But the thought was to play with the sun in their eyes in the first half.”

That looked to be a shrewd move as they moved into a solid lead early on, but a goal from Daniel Mangan – who would be forced off injured at half-time – got Catherine’s back into it and they actually drew level before Erin’s Own found another burst.

An unanswered 1-2 before half-time – former Cork City and Cobh Ramblers player John Kavanagh with the goal – gave them a cushion that was expanded in the second half before a Catherine’s fightback fell short.

“We’ve great confidence in ourselves,” McMahon said.

“Anybody in the team, from Brian Nolan at corner-back can come up and shoot a point, which is huge.

“When they came back level in the first half, we still had plenty of confidence in ourselves to drive on, which we did.”