Paul Kerrigan weighing up his options as new season looms

Nemo Rangers footballer Paul Kerrigan says he is weighing up his options ahead of the new season.

The former Cork player, who won an All-Ireland senior medal with the Leesiders back in 2010, turned 38 years of age last month.

Kerrigan's performances didn’t go unnoticed in 2024 as he made the Reardens Cork Club All-Star Football Team of the Year. Nemo Rangers were beaten in the McCarthy Insurance Group Premier SFC decider by Castlehaven for a second year on the bounce.

It was a positive 2024 overall though for the city side in what was Robbie O’Dwyer’s first season at the helm. The Kerry native had to deal with injuries, retirements and lads gone abroad. They also made the Division 1 league final where they were defeated by Carrigaline.

“It was a very enjoyable year to be fair,” Kerrigan said.

“With the new rules coming in, what Robbie O’Dwyer asked of us last year, he always wanted three forwards up and he wanted me to be one of them. The previous couple of years, we focused more on getting bodies back and breaking fast. Robbie was happy with us taking the risk and playing more attacking. It suited me.

“With regards to this year, I don’t know what I am going to do yet. I’ll play something anyway. If I don’t play any senior league games, you would hope other lads will step up at this stage, which we need. Since I was about 14 years of age, I have been training four days a week so you're still in that mindset. I am still doing my own bit at the moment and keeping in shape.

“I was 38 back in the middle of December. Last season was my 20th year playing senior championship. I’ll think about what I am going to do for another month and see where I am. It could be the best thing. There’s plenty of other fellas my age that played championship, having not featured much if not at all in the league last year. Daniel Goulding and John Hayes for example.” 

For Kerrigan, looking back on the 2024 season, it was mixed emotions. Nemo Rangers won the Andy Scannell in 2022 for the 23rd time, but haven’t been able to add to it since.

“At the start of last year, we were desperately short on bodies. I played a bit more than I would have expected and I just kept it going then to the end of the season. Considering the players we had at our disposal, we played Ballincollig away in the third league game with 17 players and came away with the win. That game gave us huge belief not just for the league, but when it came to championship too. It really brought the group closer.

“We inherited a few players too in the likes of Eoin Nation and Oisín Whyte who ended up playing championship for us, which was a big bonus. It was disappointing then to lose to Carrigaline in the league final, but we still felt that we were in a good spot going into the championship.

“We didn’t set the world alight in the championship group stage. It was great then to get over Clonakilty and Mallow to reach the final. We were definitely beaten by the better team in Castlehaven. Looking back, we were walking wounded in the final. We need everyone. 

"Overall, it was a positive enough season considering we had new management, injuries and lads away. Some days at training, especially during the league, we only had seven, eight or nine players training. I was getting frustrated but Robbie O'Dwyer kept calm and kept it simple.” 

In the Premier SFC this year, Nemo Rangers will meet familiar opposition in Ballincollig in the group stage along with rivals Douglas and St Michael’s.

“Ballincollig have been beaten a good few times first day out and ended up getting to a quarter-final or a semi-final over the last number of years. They are probably the fourth best team in Cork, just outside of your top three. They will feel that they owe us one and then the city clashes with Douglas and St Michael’s.

“There’s always a question mark with Douglas and if they did get their act together, they would be very dangerous. I made my debut in 2005 against St Michael’s, but we haven’t played them in championship or league since then, I say. That will be a new experience for our lads."