Eoghan Lehane becomes the first Muskerry football captain to lift silverware in 54 years

It was a proud moment for Canovee’s Eoghan Lehane last Friday evening in Macroom as Muskerry claimed the Tadhg Crowley Cup.

Lehane became the first Muskerry captain to lift silverware since Séamus McCarthy back in 1970 when the division won the Cork SFC title that year. This latest achievement wasn’t on the same scale as that, but it’s still an outstanding achievement as the Mid-Cork side defeated Duhallow, 3-13 to 2-15, in the McCarthy Insurance Group Premier SFC divisions/colleges final. The trophy and a place in the quarter-finals of the championship proper has been achieved for Muskerry.

“It’s my first season involved with Muskerry and it’s an honour to be captain as well,” Lehane said to The Echo post-match.

“To win the trophy in memory of Tadhg Crowley, one of the first Cork football heroes, is an honour. This win should give every young fella in Muskerry savage interest for the years to come. It’s massive for the division. There was a massive crowd here in Macroom this evening. No club action this weekend probably helped, but it was great to see such a big crowd.

“It's 10 years since Muskerry were last in the quarter-final. I was there that day in Cloughduv when Muskerry played Ballincollig. A local derby, a packed crowd. I can remember watching Noel O’Leary playing. He was outstanding that day. It’s the only memory I have to be honest of watching Muskerry growing up. It’s up to us to inspire the next generation. It’s a division that has been historically hard to get things together, but we can change that.” 

Duhallow were the holders of this particular section coming into the contest, but by the break, it looked like there would most certainly be new winners lifting the Tadhg Crowley Cup as Muskerry led by eight points at half-time. The Mid-Cork team did get over the line, just about.

“We went into each game believing we could turn over the opposition, whether that was Avondhu, Carbery or Duhallow this evening,” the defender says.

“We got off to a flyer of a start today which was key. Having home advantage as well was huge. We are very familiar with the pitch here in Macroom. We were probably playing into the scoring goal as people call it around here in the first half, playing down into the dressing rooms. 

“We knew Duhallow were going to come back at us. They have a few stalwarts. Any momentum we could get, be it a turnover or a break around the middle, we just had to hang in there and take our scores when we needed to. We will work on the things that didn’t go our way for the quarter-final in a few weeks’ time.” 

Who would Lehane like to face in the quarter-final?

“We won’t fear any team. There have been a few shocks in the group stages this season so you never know. You're looking at the Muskerry teams, the likes of Ballincollig or Éire Óg. They are playing each other in the last group game as you know well. It would be great to face one of them. That would be some occasion. We will keep an eye on that one.”