Ballinhassig finalise hurling management for coming season

Ballinhassig have opted for local experience with the finalisation of the management of their premier intermediate hurling team for the coming season.

Peter Brennan - a Kilbrittain native but long-time Ballinhassig resident - came on board during the 2023 campaign and remains part of the set-up. He will have the role of manager, while John O'Sullivan is coach and Brian O'Sullivan, Stevie McCarthy and Kevin Cullinane will act as selectors.

Both John O’Sullivan – father of current Cork U20 hurlers Darragh and Adam – and his brother Brian have previously been Ballinhassig managers, with Brian having been involved with Ballyhooly last year.

Stevie McCarthy was in charge of the Ballinhassig junior team last year while Cullinane was last part of the management of the club’s first team in 2011.

In last year’s RedFM Hurling League, Ballinhassig finished top of Division 4 with nine wins from nine games before beating neighbours Valley Rovers by two points in the final.

Then, in the Co-op SuperStores Premier IHC, they beat Castlemartyr and drew with Watergrasshill before losing their last group match to Kilworth. That left them level on three points in a share of second place with the North Cork side but Kilworth advanced to the knockout stage on the head-to-head tie-breaker.

For 2024, they once again have Kilworth for company in the group stage of the Premier IHC along with Ballymartle and Dungourney. Their first outing in Division 3 of the league is at home to Newcestown on Sunday week, March 10.

Seán Guiheen, who coached Ballinhassig last year, is back with another Carrigdhoun side, Courcey Rovers, whom he led to the 2021 Premier IHC and the final of the senior A championship the following year.

The Ballinspittle/Ballinadee club will have Blarney, Carrigtwohill and Guiheen’s home club Na Piarsaigh for company in the senior A competition this year. Their first competitive outing of 2024 is a Division 2 league match away to Erin’s Own on Saturday, March 9.

Elsewhere, two Ballinhassig natives have taken up coaching roles with new clubs – Martin Coleman Jr is in charge of Douglas senior hurlers while Niall O’Halloran, who has enjoyed county championship wins with Bandon, Éire Óg and Fr O’Neills, is with Lisgoold.

Succeeding O’Halloran as Fr O’Neills coach is Kieran Hammersley, who will work alongside joint-managers Dave Colbert and Bryan Sweeney. The Tipperary native previously served as Erin’s Own coach under Martin Bowen.

The Ballymacoda/Ladysbridge side have been drawn with the county champions of 2020 and 2022 in Blackrock and St Finbarr’s respectively as well as their successors senior A winners Newcestown, whom they met in the second-tier championship in 2021.

The East Cork outfit’s first league match of 2024 will be a Division 1 encounter away to Charleville, a renewal of acquaintances after the sides drew in the championship last summer.