John Horgan on hurling: Tracton's honesty and experience drove them to county success

A dark and extremely miserable Saturday night at the tail end of November on the Boreenmanna Road with two small rural clubs battling it out for the honour and glory of the little village.

It was the county junior hurling decider at Páirc Uí Rinn between Tracton from Minane Bridge and Kilavullen making their first-ever appearance in a final at this level.

The Junior Hurling Championship has always carried a uniqueness about it, despite it being reduced somewhat in status in recent times because it's now split into two levels, Premier Junior and the lower grade.

However, for the clubs participating in it its importance is as great as any of the more elevated competitions in Cork hurling and down through the ages it has often been the gateway to bigger and better things.

In the roll call of honour over the past 100 years you will find many of the county's current leading senior clubs plying their trade at that level before graduating up along the line to secure the ultimate prize of being crowned senior champions.

Many an illustrious career began on that junior stage.

Many of the participants in the competition now are the second and third teams of senior clubs but in the main it is still all about the village club who must prove themselves firstly in their division and thereafter at a higher level as they embark on the county trail.

Walking down the road into Pairc Ui Rinn last Saturday night the heavens were opening and you wondered how a game of hurling could be possible in those very trying conditions.

But that's what county junior hurling is all about, the latter stages being played in the depths of Winter when the weather gods are not smiling at you.

It's a test of endurance and abundant character, a survival of the fittest and those that want it the most.

On some occasions, a club must take a step backward to go forward again, a time to reset and try to ensure that if you fall off the horse you must try to get back up as quickly as possible.

There are no guarantees, of course, and the longer you don't succeed the more difficult it becomes.

Twelve months ago, Tracton were relegated from the premier grade of the junior championship and found themselves back competing in their own division of Carrigdhoun.

For a club that once competed at senior level in the county, it was a significant setback but the task of reinventing themselves began very quickly.

Given the presence of some very experienced campaigners in the starting 15 they were one of the more fancied sides in the Carrigdhoun title race and they duly obliged.

Tracton is a club that has continuously produced good hurlers down the years and the return to the management fold of former Cork boss, Kieran Kingston energised matters considerably alongside fellow members Patrick Murphy, Frank Walsh and Cathal Murphy.

The Kingston family have contributed enormously to the well-being of Tracton down the years and having a former Cork manager on the line was a considerable boost as it would be for any club.

Kilavullen were appearing in their first final and their homestead was near deserted last Saturday night. When Tracton blazed their way to a 1-4 to 0-1 advantage in the early stages the portants did not look good for the North Cork side.

HIGHLIGHT

That Tracton goal, superbly executed by one of their greatest servants Michael O'Sullivan, was a game highlight and another of Tracton's finest, Ronan Walsh was almost unerring from the placed ball. But Kilavullen did not wilt easily and a penalty just before the break, sublimely drilled home by their best player, Jamie Magnier had them right back in the chase.

However, thereafter Tracton always had the capacity to keep their opponents chasing the game and they were worthy winners at the last whistle. It wasn't a classic, it could not have been given the prevailing conditions but it was compelling at the same time.

What it was most of all was good, honest hurling, the type of hurling that is so synonmous with this grade at this juncture in the season.

Their greater experience and their overall better balance made it possible for Tracton to ensure that their stay in the lower grade of junior hurling was a very short one.

And any team that can reinvent itself so quickly deserve a lot of credit and this was very much a case of the older players leading by example.

In the hurling homes of Minane Bridge, Robertscove and so on it will be a winter of content, the pride in the old club has been restored and the great work that is taking place in their fine complex will ensure that the upward trajectory can continue.

For Kilavullen, a positive year might have ended in disappointment but a solid foundation has been laid.

SUPER SATURDAY

In many ways, it was a Super Saturday for Cork rural clubs with Shanagarry-based Russell Rovers winning a second Munster junior club championship.

It was just a short few years ago that they were lifting the Cork title for the first time and their progress has been quite remarkable since.

They were, by far, the better team against Killrossanty in Saturday's Munster final and now their thoughts immediately turn to getting back into Croke Park again on All-Ireland final day.

Two of the best club forwards at this level, Bud Hartnett and Josh Beausang delivered again as they have been doing for some time now and full credit too to the excellent work of Donal Og Cusack and Dave Dorgan who had them perfectly tuned for this latest very signifivant milestone in their history.

And what about Watergrasshill? Fifty years ago this year they lifted the Cork County JHC at the expense of Charleville.

The late, great Eamon Ryan was at the helm on that historic day all those years ago and now the club are celebrating another hugely significant achievement, being crowned Munster intermediate champions last Saturday night at the Gaelic Grounds after defeating Cashel King-Cormacs.

At this level of hurling that is some going after coming out on top in a massively competitive championship in Cork.

It was a huge team effort but the scoring exploits of Adam Murphy deserves extra special mention, a haul of 1-12 in a Munster final takes some doing.

The Hill will be worthy Cork representatives on the All-Ireland stage.

So there you have it, a November Saturday that is now going to be written into the pages of history for three small Cork rural clubs.

Tracton, Russell Rovers and the 'Hill have made it a Winter Wonderland in those places.