Imokilly mark centenary treble with victory dinner in Garryvoe Hotel

One hundred years of the GAA in east Cork marked with an evening to honour Cork’s premier senior champions.

Last Saturday, January 25, saw Imokilly’s Premier Senior Hurling Championship winners receive their medals from Cork County Board Chairperson Pat Horgan in the Garryvoe Hotel.

The event also saw the Irish Examiner podcast trio of Anthony Daly, TJ Ryan and Mark Landers joined on stage by Imokilly Secretary Patrick Mulcahy, for an entertaining discussion around all things hurling.

Their show was preceded by excellent speeches from Pat Horgan, hurling manager Denis Ring, team captain Ciaran O’Brien and East Cork Board Chairperson Avril Geary, as the division celebrated 100 years of the GAA with the top honours of Cork hurling for the sixth time ever.

That coveted Seán Óg Murphy Cup was of course on display in Garryvoe, but it was one of three titles captured by Denis Ring’s hurling team in the season gone by.

Joining Seán Óg by the podium was the Abernethy and Denis O’Riordan Cups.

The latter, awarded for their decimation of Muskerry in the final of the Divisions/Colleges section in the Cork PSHC, while the former was for a brilliant battle with Waterford’s dominant hurling force and champions of the last 11 years, Ballygunner.

2024 marked the centenary year for Imokilly as a division, and so it was always going to be a fitting achievement to reclaim the title, last won in 2019.

But it’s also been a remarkable year for so many clubs within the division, which was also acknowledged on the evening.

Of the five Cork county hurling titles, four of those cups headed east just a couple of months ago.

The top honours going to Imokilly, the premier intermediate title heading to Watergrasshill, the intermediate A awarded to Lisgoold and premier junior success captured by Russell Rovers.

It didn’t stop there though.

Three of Cork’s four PSHC semi-finalists were east Cork teams. Midleton the only one to miss out on contesting the final, which was eventually won by Imokilly.

Beaten on the final day was Sarsfields – who went on to represent Cork in Munster.

Despite failing to win the county, Johnny Crowley’s side beat Feakle and stunned Ballygunner to secure a first ever Munster title for the Riverstown outfit.

A special victory over Derry champions Slaughtneil followed and a Croke Park appearance was all Sars would need to overcome in order to secure All-Ireland glory.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be.

Russell Rovers followed a near identical path, though did at least win the county and Munster titles, before losing at the hands of Kilkenny Premier Junior champions St Lachtain’s.

And just for good measure – their county final win was against St Catherine’s. Another east Cork outfit.

While Lisgoold’s intermediate A win didn’t quite lead to any Munster endeavours, they too were victorious against an Imokilly club – beating Erin’s Own’s second hurling team.

Denying the Caherlag side three consecutive promotions in the process.

That leaves premier intermediate winners Watergrasshill – the only team to complete the hat-trick, securing county, Munster and All-Ireland success.

It’s fitting that of that Watergrasshill team, seven were also part of Imokilly’s senior triumph, with Adam Murphy, Seán Desmond, Brendan Lehane, Daire O’Leary, Kevin O’Neill, Aidan Foley and of course Michael O’Driscoll all part of Denis Ring’s panel.

Crucially, those seven players will be absent from the Imokilly hurling team next season, thanks to their promotion to Senior A.

Seven players that will be missed by Denis Ring and his selectors, who will lead the division for another season.

Five of those who featured regularly. Two who would have gotten more game time next season.

Whether Ring’s side will be able to hit the same highs next season without their Watergrasshill contingent remains to be seen, but the manager and his selectors were acknowledged for their achievements on the night, as liaison officer Oliver Loughlin presented them with personalised mementos on the evening.

The victory dinner was a just reward for a hurling team made up of some of the most talented players in the county.