Conor Cahalane joins Cork football panel

Castlehaven's Conor Cahalane is set to play a part for Cork during the remainder of the Allianz Football League Division 2 campaign.

Having been excluded from the county hurling squad announced last week, the Southern Star report that 27-year-old Cahalane has been training with the football squad.

In essence, Cahalane is swapping places with his younger brother Jack, who had been playing football for the Rebels but was listed in the 37-strong hurling panel.

First lining out for Cork at senior hurling level in the 2018 Munster league and then making his league debut in 2019, Cahalane is unlike his brothers Damien and Jack in that his under-age inter-county career was always focused exclusively on hurling, winning a 2018 Munster U21 title while also claiming a Fitzgibbon Cup medal with UCC.

A winner of a county Premier SHC medal with St Finbarr's in 2022, he followed that up with premier senior football wins with the Haven, his workrate and strength huge assets around the middle eight.

With the football league having a break this weekend, the next outing for Cork - managed by Cahalane's uncle, John Cleary - is at home to Westmeath next Saturday at 5pm as they seek to bounce back from the defeat to Down.

Meanwhile, another member of the senior football could be set for a hurling transfer as Brian O'Driscoll's request for a move from Bishopstown to Carrigaline will be considered by the county competitions control committee (CCC) tonight.

O'Driscoll, a native of Caheragh, played hurling for the Town as his native club Tadhg Mac Cárthaigh only field in football. However, at the beginning of last year, he transferred to Carrigaline in football as he now resides there. He helped the club to bounce back to the premier senior grade at the first attempt following the relegation of 2023 but also lined out for Bishopstown in the Premier SHC.

Now, a request has been lodged to line out with the Carrigaline hurlers, who also helped the club achieve a double last year - they were narrowly beaten by Watergrasshill in the Co-op SuperStores Premier IHC decider. O'Driscoll's brothers Colm and Kevin, who have also played hurling with Bishopstown, have had transfers to O'Donovan Rossa in that code approved on the basis of 96 weeks of inactivity.

Incidentally, the O'Driscolls' father Gene was player-coach as the Skibbereen side won the county SFC in 1992 before going on to Munster and All-Ireland glory.