U16 county final appearance proof of Urhan's strong underage work
The Urhan U16 team that reached the Rebel Óg U16 Division 3 football championship county final only to lose by a point, 2-6 to 0-11, to St Colmcille’s on Páirc Uí Chaoimh’s 4G pitch.
BEARA club Urhan GAA’s emerging talent has benefited from playing regular county championship fixtures during 2023.
Competing in the knockout stages of the recent Rebel Óg U16 Division 3 football championship, Urhan began their campaign by edging West Cork’s Ilen Rovers 6-7 to 3-7 at the start of November.
Continuing in the 13-a-side competition, a merited 4-9 to 3-0 defeat of Dromtarriffe set up a Division 3 final meeting with St Colmcille’s. Páirc Uí Chaoimh’s 4G pitch was the venue for a tight encounter in which the concession of two first-half goals saw the Beara side trail 2-2 to 0-6 at the break. An even tighter second period went St Colmcille’s way, despite a brave effort, and Urhan lost 2-6 to 0-11.
Having recently been elected to the position of Urhan GAA Secretary at the club’s AGM held in Eyeries, Séamus Sullivan was also part of the club’s U16 management team that came within a whisker of county glory.
Yet, the importance of a club from the most rural of areas reaching a U16 county final was not lost on the team's mentor.
“It was absolutely brilliant to reach a county final and, in fairness, the lads deserved to be there,” Séamus Sullivan commented.
“Unfortunately, I think nerves played a small part on the day. We were very unlucky though. We had chances, especially one near the end, but nothing came of it. Look, that’s sport, you just have to keep going.
“This Division 3 competition was a county competition as opposed to the other U16 County League we won the month before. We beat Kilmacabea 5-7 to 1-5 in that league final which was played in Skibbereen.
“So, we were going for a ‘double’ even though it didn’t work out for us in the end. Still, the lads put in a fantastic effort all year. You couldn’t fault them.”
2023 has certainly been a progressive year for the Beara club’s adult men’s and underage teams.
Urhan’s U17s finished runners-up in the U17 County Championship Shield final to Canovee and lost out to Castletownbere in the Beara U15 football final. Eight of the club’s U14s were part of a Beara team that claimed a Cork LGFA county title in October. Urhan’s U12 boys team lifted a South West Cork trophy at the expense of Ilen Rovers after extra time in the same month.
As with Urhan’s adults, being able to play regular, competitive county championship fixtures is benefitting the club’s emerging talent.
“It is vital,” Séamus Sullivan agreed. “Granted, there were times during the year when we might have struggled for numbers in some league and championship matches but Urhan always managed to field a team.
“Some of our players also gained valuable experience by playing Premier 1 minor football with Beara against the likes of Nemo Rangers (who we lost to by a point), Mallow, Valley Rovers and Ballincollig.
“I was also involved in a Beara Premier 2 U16 team this past year. So it has been a very busy twelve months for Urhan football and, hopefully, it will be as busy again next year.”
Darragh O’Sullivan, Sean O’Neill, Ronan Elphick, Ciarán Duggan, Kieran Shea, Jack Sheehan, Niall Shea, Ronan McCarthy, James Sullivan, Ciarán Leary, Frank O’Sullivan, Jacob Heese, Sean Daulton, Joe O’Sullivan, Killian Lynch, Conor Crowley, Rory Mulcahy, Paddy Crowley, Joseph O’Donovan and Darragh Hartnett. Managers: Séamus Sullivan, Finbarr Dwyer, Peter Elphick, Danny Harrington and Clare Shea.
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