Adrigole, Castletownbere and Urhan reach for big prizes again in 2025

Beara clubs Adrigole, Castletownbere and Urhan have been handed difficult McCarthy Insurance Group county football championship draws for 2025.

The Beara trio enjoyed productive campaigns over the last 12 months. Adrigole reached the last four of the Intermediate AFC and Urhan were beaten quarter-finalists in the Premier JFC.

MISSED

As for Castletownbere, any on-field successes were put into context following the unexpected passing of club stalwart Dave Fenton last August. Fenton was as important on the field as he was off it to his adopted Castletownbere and is sorely missed.

Whilst failing to emerge from a tough Premier IFC group containing county semi-finalists Kilshannig and quarter-finalists Rockchapel, the Beara side’s 0-10 to 0-8 win over Macroom proved crucial. A strong finish saw Fintan Fenner’s five-point contribution swing the result in Castletownbere’s favour in Aughaville.

A subsequent 0-10 to 0-10 draw with Rockchapel in their final group outing saw Fenner star once again. That outcome was enough to see the Duhallow club progress at the expense of the Beara club.

Next year, Castletownbere will begin their Premier IFC Group 3 fixtures with another clash against Macroom. Kiskeam and Uibh Laoire complete a formidable quartet in which Castletownbere will need to be at their best to emerge from.

Adrigole enjoyed a superb run to last year’s Intermediate AFC county semi-finals. Topping a group containing Gabriel Rangers, Dromtarriffe and Kidorrery, it was Boherbue who proved too strong in the penultimate round, winning a close match by a single point.

CONSISTENT

Failing to reach a county decider was disappointing but Adrigole’s consistency suggests the Beara club will be in the mix for top honours once again.

Ben O’Sullivan, Jason Harrington, Kevin Goggin and Cian O’Shea’s scoring prowess along with a well-drilled defence anchored by Diarmuid O’Sullivan, Fergal Carey, Sean O’Sullivan and Cian O’Neill means the Beara club will fancy their chances of emerging from Group 1. As top seeds, Adrigole’s opponents will be Glanworth (quarter-finalists in 2024), Ballinora and St Finbarr’s second string.

Urhan were another Beara club to reach the knockout stages of their respective county championship this past year.

A narrow 2-6 to 1-6 Premier JFC quarter-final defeat at the hands of eventual runners-up Canovee ended hopes of attempting to improve on reaching the county semi-finals from the year before.

Urhan will get an early chance at revenge in 2025 having been drawn in Group 1 against Canovee. That should be some opening championship encounter.

A Ballydesmond team that the Beara side defeated 1-11 to 1-7 in last year’s PJFC are next up before rounding off the group stages against St Nick’s.

Kieran O’Sullivan, Cillian O’Shea and Alan Elphick were regularly amongst the scorers for an Urhan team that possess the requisite quality to make their mark in the PJFC grade once again next year.

Away from those three clubs’ adult championships, the Beara Division received a welcome boost with its U21 panel reaching this year’s county A final.

Adrigole, Castletownbere and Urhan representatives played their part in championship wins over Bantry Blues and Valley Rovers to qualify Beara for a county decider against Bishopstown.

Irrespective of the outcome, the emergence of the rural division’s U21s bodes well for Beara’s intention to field a senior team in the Premier SFC Colleges and Divisions section.

A rural division with such a proud history will benefit from fielding players in Cork GAA’s top grade.