Bobbie O'Dwyer looking forward to Aghinagh challenge

FORMER Cork minor and U20 football manager Bobbie O’Dwyer has been appointed boss of Muskerry side Aghinagh ahead of the new season.

It’s a major coup for the Rusheen based side who won the Ross Oil Mid-Cork JAFC back in 2021 for the first time in their history and will be one of the fancied sides in the division this year.

The Urhan native has been involved with many clubs including Macroom, O’Donovan Rossa and Killarney Legion. O’Dwyer managed the Cork minors from 2018 to 2020 guiding the Rebels to All-Ireland glory in 2019. The experienced boss joined Ronan McCarthy’s Cork senior management team for the 2021 campaign and was in charge of the Cork U20s for two seasons, 2022 and 2023.

“It’s a very exciting challenge and I am really happy to be the new Aghinagh manager,” says O’Dwyer.

“When I finished up with the Cork U20 footballers last summer I hadn’t planned on getting involved with any team in 2024, but I was approached by a few clubs and then Aghinagh came calling and being a small rural club no more than where I came from myself down in Beara really appealed to me. I would know a lot of people in Aghinagh and I see a lot of the work that's being done at all levels in the club, it’s amazing. It’s just a perfect fit because I didn’t want to be in a scenario where I would be coming up against my own club Urhan at premier junior level.

“It was an easy decision in the end, Aghinagh is only over the road from Macroom and for personal reasons it makes sense for me. When I first met with the club officials and asked them what their ambitions were it really got me excited. It’s a small population but there's a lot of work being done on and off the field. The club are currently building a new gym and other bits. They are really committed to improving the club. Hopefully over the next few years they will reap the benefits of that.” 

After making the big breakthrough in 2021, Aghinagh would have been disappointed with the last two seasons. The team in blue and white never fired in the 2022 Mid-Cork final against Kilmurry and were well beaten in the quarter-final last year by the eventual winners Canovee. O’Dwyer though is happy with what he has at his disposal.

“I am literally only getting to know them at this stage and over the next few weeks I’ll get a better understanding, but I have seen a lot of Aghinagh in recent years and they are a very good team. They have a nice mix of youth and experience. We haven’t done a whole pile of work but I am pleased with the attitude and the commitment. It’s all about finding that balance and what works for the players.” 

The new manager was at the Castle Grounds in Macroom in 2021 when Aghinagh won their first ever Mid-Cork crown after beating Ballincollig’s second team in the final and the scenes after the game said it all. There's only one aim this season for Aghinagh which is to win a second title, but it’s never easily won in Muskerry.

“It was a fantastic achievement by Aghinagh in 2021 and great recognition for them. It’s a small area and they really enjoyed that success and let's see if we can build on that now. Aghinagh’s neighbours Kilmurry and Canovee have both won the junior A county over the last two seasons which just shows the strength of the clubs in Muskerry. It's a very competitive championship, but hopefully we can maximise the return that's in the parish of Aghinagh. The Mid-Cork championship will be wide open in this campaign. Every club has an opportunity of winning it and that’s the way football should be played.

“The purpose of playing is to win and as a manager you're judged on results nowadays and our job is to put our best foot forward and see where it will bring the team, but of course we want to win the Muskerry title.”