Imokilly unable to field in Premier SFC in 2025

Imokilly have opted not to field a team in this year’s McCarthy Insurance Group Premier SFC.

While the east Cork division remains a hotbed of hurling – winning the Co-op SuperStores Premier SHC title last year to go with the three-in-a-row of 2017-19 – it has been harder to keep a football team going in recent times.

From 2014-18 inclusive, they did not enter the county SFC and, while they returned in 2019, the Covid-19 pandemic played a major part in their inactivity in the championships of 2020 and 2021.

However, the barony – winners of the county football title in 1984 and 1986, with teams featuring the likes of Conor Counihan, Denis Walsh and Teddy McCarthy – did compete again in 2022. Though they were well beaten by a Carbery side that would progress to the quarter-finals of the championship proper, they lost by just a point to Avondhu in the semi-final of the unseeded section and built on that progress in 2023.

A win over Muskerry provided a first championship win since 2009 for Imokilly before they lost to a strong Duhallow that went on to reach the county semi-finals.

Unfortunately for Imokilly, a lack of available players meant that they were late withdrawals shortly before the commencement of the divisions and colleges section of the 2024 championship – Beara also pulled out, meaning the first phase comprised just one match, Muskerry beating Avondhu.

This time around, expressions of interest were sought among the players of the division – the move of last year’s IAFC winners Glanmire from Imokilly to Seandún reducing the field of potential candidates slightly. Lacking a sufficient number of positive responses, the divisional board has opted not to enter a team.

The draws for the divisions and colleges sections of the premier senior championships will take place at Tuesday night’s monthly Cork County Board meeting at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

Aside from Imokilly, Carrigdhoun – who have not played in the senior football championship since 2009 – will also be absent but, as things stand, every other division is intending to take part.

The first phase of the competition will feature Avondhu, Beara, Carbery and Duhallow, with the winners of that section progressed to the second phase along with Muskerry – who claimed the divisions and colleges crown last year – UCC and, if they return to the competition as is being mooted, MTU Cork.

The Bishopstown college, then under the Cork RTC banner, first competed in the Cork SFC and SHC in 1995. The institution was known as Cork IT when it almost won the hurling in 2011, losing the final to Carrigtwohill.

Covid precluded participation in both 2020 and 2021 but, while MTU returned to the divisions/colleges section of the Premier SFC and Premier SHC in 2022, that was the last such instance.

Both MTU and UCC are restricted to choosing a maximum of four players per division for the championship and that had been seen as a major stumbling block in terms of getting together a squad in the summertime, when college was not sitting.

However, it is now hoped that MTU may be in a position to return to county championship action.