Premier JHC: James Kennefick on Donal Óg Cusack's impact as Russell Rovers look to take final step

It’s an all-East Cork affair on Sunday as Russell Rovers take on St Catherine’s in the Co-Op SuperStores Premier JHC final at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh (1.30pm).

Both sides were much fancied for the title at the start of the season, but for one team this weekend, baring a draw, it will be the heartbreak of losing at the last hurdle. Russell Rovers have really kicked on this season in Donal Óg Cusack’s first campaign as coach. They didn’t make it out of their group last year following a one-point defeat to St Catherine’s in the last group game. 

On the other hand, Denis Walsh’s outfit reached the final last season but were beaten by Erin’s Own’s second team. It’s all set up for a fascinating match down the Páirc with a place in the Intermediate A grade for 2025 on the line.

Russell Rovers defender James Kennefick, who was coached by Cusack when St Colman’s (underage amalgamation of Russell Rovers and Cloyne) won the Premier 2 MHC in 2015, is full of praise for the former Cork goalkeeper.

“After three seasons under Tommy Ryan, a fresh voice was no harm,” the 26-year-old says.

“Tommy is an excellent coach and you saw how well he did with Dungourney this year. We were lucky then to get Donal Óg on board. He would have been familiar with us anyway. He would have coached the core of the group at minor level nearly ten years ago. He is stone mad for hurling as everyone knows and he has increased the standards.

“The intensity at training is massive and the ideas he has brought to us, but it’s fairly player-driven. Donal Óg gives us the power to take it on ourselves. Look, he’s a top-class coach and we are lucky enough to have him. There’s a good management team with him too. We are getting the rewards from the hard work.

“Every year you hope to be at the business end of the championship so there’s no extra pressure on us this year. We were in the final in 2020 against Castlemartyr, but then covid came and the game got pushed out to 2021 and there was a change of management which didn’t help. We got to the semi-final then in 2022, so we haven’t been too far away.” 

Russell Rovers will be underdogs on Sunday, but that’s something that won’t bother them in the slightest. The team is captained by former Cork footballer and ex-Éire Óg star Ciarán Sheehan.

“We have taken it game by game and we have improved game by game,” Kennefick said.

“You have a short enough career in hindsight so it’s all about making the most of it. We have been lucky enough to have had serious management teams over the last number of years with Noel Furlong, Frank Flannery and Tommy Ryan involved and now Donal Óg. Everything has come together this year and we have been hurling well but we know that we have to stay grounded and focus on ourselves.

“The Premier Junior championship is very competitive and in recent years, it’s the teams who have come up from Junior A that have gone on to win it. At the start of the year, it’s like doing the lotto in terms of predicting the winner but we are still in it so hopefully we can finish the job.”