Revealed: Reardens Cork Club Football All-Star 15

RECENTLY crowned champions for the first time in a decade Castlehaven and runners-up Nemo Rangers, as expected, dominate the 2023 Reardens All-Star Football team.

The West Cork giants supply over half of the 15 with Nemo Rangers contributing a further four. Semi-finalists St Finbarr’s and Duhallow have a player apiece on this year's line-up. Ballincollig got knocked out of the championship by Castlehaven at the quarter-final stage, but they gained recognition with one player making the All-Star team.

It’s no surprise that Castlehaven have the largest representation with eight, defenders Rory Maguire, Ronan Walsh, Damien Cahalane and Mark Collins, Conor Cahalane is in the middle of the park while Michael Hurley, Jack Cahalane and Brian Hurley are in attack. Nemo Rangers have four, goalkeeper Micheál Aodh Martin, defenders Briain Murphy and Kevin O’Donovan and midfielder Barry Cripps. 

The Trabeg side have no one represented in the forward department, in a season where they didn’t fire. 

St Finbarr’s, who lost to Castlehaven in the last four, have Steven Sherlock in the dream team. The Cork footballer averaged 10 points in three championship outings, having missed one match through injury, and the sharpshooter ended up as top scorer with 2-24. 

After failing to reach the championship proper in 2022, Duhallow, in Ger O’Sullivan’s first season at the helm, made it all the way to the semi-final, where Nemo eventually proved too strong. The team in orange and black have Luke Murphy in the 2023 All-Star team with the former Cork minor footballer very prominent for his division this season. 

The forward kicked 2-11 in seven matches, but it wasn’t just his scoring, his overall play was excellent which made him an easy pick.

Sharpshooter Cian Dorgan flies the Ballincollig flag. Ever since making his first team debut for the village back in 2013 against Douglas in the opening round, Dorgan has been ultra consistent and 2023 was no different. Dorgan was instrumental for the Muskerry side as they reached the knockout stages where they were defeated by the eventual winners Castlehaven by three points in the quarter-final. 

In the four championship matches, Dorgan chipped in with 1-20, an average of nearly six points a game. Even though he is Ballincollig’s free-taker, 1-11 came from play.

As always with these things, they cause a debate and there are always people who would point to several other players with just as strong credentials to have made the starting 15 as those who did get the nod. 

The judging panel of Éamonn Murphy, Jack McKay, Denis Hurley and this scribe had a robust debate over a period of time and ultimately we settled on the 15 selected.

Darragh Cahalane won the number 1 jersey ahead of Anthony Seymour down in Castlehaven this season and the netminder has been solid which is impressive given he’s not a natural goalkeeper. Clonakilty’s Mark White, Éire Óg’s Chris Kelly and St Finbarr’s Darragh Newman were other keepers that caught the eye, but it’s hard to quibble with Martin’s selection.

There were some impressive performers on a number of teams in the defence in this championship campaign. Clonakilty have some excellent markers with the likes of Liam O’Donovan and Dan Peet in the full-back line. Billy Hennessy was consistent for St Finbarr’s, solid defensively while also raiding forward when it was on. Nemo Rangers’ Steven Cronin was solid and there are more yet the defence that was picked will brook no argument among those in the know.

POWERFUL

The midfield selection of Castlehaven’s Conor Cahalane and Nemo Rangers' Barry Cripps is a formidable one. Both were right in the thick of it for their clubs with Cahalane after one of his most impressive seasons to date in a blue and white jersey. Cripps was arguably one of Nemo’s best players in 2023.

The forward department practically picked itself. The two Hurleys, Brian and Michael, after everything they have been through with their injury problems to perform the way they performed to drag Castlehaven over the line was inspirational stuff. Michael’s point from nearly the corner flag against Ballincollig in the quarter-final when the need was greatest and his display against St Finbarr’s in the semi-final where he kicked 0-7 (0-1 mark) will live long in the memory.

Jack Cahalane has really kicked on this year. His creativity, work rate and not to mention his scoring ability made him an easy choice. Luke Murphy’s displays for Duhallow have put him in the spotlight and Steven Sherlock was Steven Sherlock, he always delivers.

Reardens All-Star Football Team:

Micheál Aodh Martin (Nemo Rangers);

Briain Murphy (Nemo Rangers), Rory Maguire (Castlehaven), Ronan Walsh (Castlehaven);

Kevin O’Donovan (Nemo Ranges), Damien Cahalane (Castlehaven), Mark Collins (Castlehaven);

Barry Cripps (Nemo Rangers), Conor Cahalane (Castlehaven);

Michael Hurley (Castlehaven), Jack Cahalane (Castlehaven), Luke Murphy (Duhallow);

Steven Sherlock (St Finbarr’s), Brian Hurley (Castlehaven), Cian Dorgan (Ballincollig).