Bouncebackability in short supply in hurling since change in championship system

This is the fifth year since the Cork county championships underwent a substantial – and likely permanent – change.

While the mid-2000s advent of a second chance for first-round losers (and even a third chance for a few years) introduced the idea that a team could regroup after an early defeat and bounce back, the change to a group stage was still a significant one.

Hand in hand with that went the reduction in size of each grade – three groups of four teams meant 12-team sections, with five strata now under the remit of Cork County Board where previously it had been three (senior, premier intermediate and intermediate).

The smaller grades have led to very close championships on the one hand – witness the fact that four different clubs have won the four editions of the Co-op SuperStores Premier SHC since its inception for 2020 – and the leaps between the two are more manageable than might have been the case in the past.

Since the end of 2020 and up to the end of 2023, there have been 15 promotions and 15 relegations into and out of the top five grades. The fortunes of those 30 clubs are perhaps an indication of the power of good or bad momentum on teams going up and down respectively.

Historically, the jump from intermediate, and later premier intermediate, to senior was a tough one to make, though the lack of automatic relegation up to two decades ago – re-grading was a voluntary approach – meant that clubs were able to avail of a bedding-in period if they so wanted it.

In 2011, Ballinhassig were relegated from senior but bounced straight back up as they won the 2012 Premier SHC; however, 2013 saw them unluckily relegated once more; Blarney had a slightly longer stay of execution after they won the 2008 PIHC but they were relegated at the end of 2010, denied by a late goal that saved Blackrock from the drop.

The change in system meant that a few members of the old SHC were repositioned in the new senior A grade and three of them – Charleville, Kanturk and Newcestown – have managed to earn promotion again, with Fr O’Neills the only ‘new’ top-tier club in that time.

However, while Charleville and Kanturk have had to take part in relegation play-offs, they and O’Neills have stayed afloat, with Ballyhea, Carrigtwohill, Na Piarsaigh and Glen Rovers relegated.

Obviously, none of that first trio have bounced back, though the Glen are strong favourites to do just that this year. If they were to regain premier senior status at the first attempt, they would be the first example of a hurling club doing so under the new system.

Equally, while there have been examples of clubs being involved in a relegation play-off in their first year up at a higher grade, nobody has had the disappointment of dropping back down after just one season.

More often, it has been the opposite – clubs imbued with upward motion have carried that on in their new surroundings. Castlemartyr won the Lower IHC (now Premier JHC) for 2020, the final played in the summer of 2021, and then added the IAHC a few months later. They almost managed a threepeat, only losing the 2022 Premier IHC final to Inniscarra after a replay.

Blarney did not have an immediate impact on the senior A after their 2020 PIHC win but they are certainly among the top contenders now, while their successors as PIHC winners, Courcey Rovers, reached the SAHC decider at the first time of asking.

The Premier JHC grade has provided the best example of how teams are not able to just survive when coming up from the competition below, but to thrive. Since Castlemartyr’s win, the three subsequent champions – Lisgoold, Ballygiblin and Erin’s Own – were all the county junior A winners of the year before.

Nemo Rangers are the club looking to make that four in a row. It may perhaps be a tall order, given the fact that the Trabeg outfit have premier senior football to deal with too, but Nemo have always enjoyed trying to meet a challenge.