Donoughmore to meet Grenagh in Muskerry Division 1 FL decider 

The 2024 EPH Controls Muskerry Division 1 Football League Final is down for decision this weekend in what should be an interesting affair.

Donoughmore take on Grenagh in the decider this Saturday evening in Ballyanly with throw-in at 7pm. Championship has crept up on us very fast with it getting underway in three weeks’ time so both teams will see this intriguing battle as the ideal preparation for championship. Also, there is the small matter of silverware on the line.

It's interesting to note that the last two winners of the Division 1 football league in Mid-Cork have gone on to win the Muskerry and County titles, so no pressure then on whoever comes out on top on Saturday evening. Kilmurry won all around them in 2022 and it was the same for Canovee last year but it could be argued those teams were a step above the rest in their respective historic seasons and were clear favourites to win the league and divisional honours at least.

This year has a different feel to it with the expectation that the championship will be very close and the final league standings in the top-tier shows how even the teams were. The two finalists this weekend, Donoughmore and Grenagh, ended up on 10 points from seven games, the same as Inniscarra, so it came down to scoring difference to determine the top two.

Below that, Béal Átha’n Ghaorthaidh’s second team were in fourth place, but were only four points from the bottom placed team who were Éire Óg (second team).

While Grenagh were fancied to be in and around the top few positions, having reached the league final last season but were beaten by Canovee, the sight of Donoughmore in the upper reaches of the league standings might surprise many considering they haven’t delivered on their potential for many years. 

They actually finished joint bottom with Ballincollig’s reserves last year in the league having amassed just three points from seven games and lost their three championship group stage matches. Just one team goes down which would have been Ballincollig due to scoring difference, but when Canovee won the county, there was then no relegation in the league.

The poor campaign gave Donoughmore time to take stock and a lot of thinking to do and the appointment of Mossie Barrett in the close season has been a masterstroke so far. The experienced manager has injected new life into the team and has brought a buzz back around Lackabawn for the first time in quite a while.

Although teams are missing players and notwithstanding that league and championship are a totally different animal, Donoughmore do seem to be trending in the right direction again and will be eager to land a league title.

In the Ross Oil Muskerry JAFC group stage, Donoughmore will meet Clondrohid, Kilmichael and Éire Óg’s second team.

Grenagh would be considered one of the teams who are capable of winning the Ross Oil Muskerry JAFC this season and they have been reaching the business end of the championship in recent campaigns. There is still some hurt in the camp after their 1-10 to 0-12 quarter-final defeat to Aghinagh in 2023 and there is determination to put that right. Lifting league silverware this Saturday would be a good start.

In the championship group stage, Grenagh’s first game is against Aghinagh, no motivation required, in what should be a cracker of a match. Former Cork minor and U20 football boss Bobbie O’Dwyer is now at the helm in Rusheen and they would be one of the favourites for divisional honours this year.

Ballincollig’s second string now managed by former Collig and Cork star Paddy Kelly and Dripsey make up an interesting group. Grenagh could well have enough to finish in the top two. 

When Donoughmore and Grenagh met in the league over two months ago, it ended in a draw at 0-12 apiece. The expectation is that it will be tight once again this time around.