Cloughduv have pressed the reset button as they look to climb the ladder once more

In 2022, Cloughduv were riding the crest of a wave.

The Muskerry side were on a roll, they had momentum and a buzz and brought colour and the whole parish into SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh for the Cork IAHC final.

The chance to join the Premier Intermediate grade for the first time since it was brought in back in 2004 would have been a huge shot in the arm.

But, unfortunately for Cloughduv, they never fired and lost out to Dungourney in the decider and since then, it has been a downward trajectory for them. 

They failed to get out of their respective group in 2023 and worse was to come when they suffered relegation last year after losing out to Aghada in the dreaded relegation play-off.

After winning the County JAHC in 2018, Cloughduv thought they had left the Junior ranks behind them, but they are down at Premier Junior level for the 2025 campaign, a grade that was brought in back in 2022.

While relegation may have been a surprise from the outside looking in, the panel had lost some key figures since the county final loss due to a combination of reasons and also the performance levels of others dipped. It wasn’t a good mix. 

Demotion can be a positive if you channel the hurt and disappointment in the right way. It does give a club the chance to press the reset button and that’s exactly what the Muskerry outfit have done.

Tim Barry-Murphy, who was coach of Cloughduv when they won the Mid-Cork JAHC and county and Munster titles in 2018, is now at the helm.

It’s very hard to read into early season form and sometimes you have to take it with a pinch of salt. Teams tackle their respective leagues in different ways depending on their situation, but there’s no doubt that Cloughduv are keen to build a foundation in the RedFM Division 4 hurling league.

After championship relegation, it’s always important to start positively in the following campaign. A standout result on the opening weekend of the hurling leagues involved Cloughduv when they took down Muskerry rivals Inniscarra in Ballyanly on a scoreline of 3-14 to 0-21 eleven days ago.

Brian McNabola hit two goals while Dylan Shanahan scored 1-2. Mark Verling was at his usual best, landing 0-7 (0-2 f). Odhran O'Driscoll clipped over 0-3 while James McGuire got 0-2. William Ahern and Ciarán Canty were also top performers.

While accepting that both teams were short players, there is a difference of three championship grades between the Mid-Cork sides with Inniscarra a Senior A outfit. The result probably did go unnoticed given other games in the higher leagues, but for Cloughduv, it was just what the doctor ordered.

Next up is another Senior A team in the shape of Bishopstown in the second round of the league this Sunday in Cloughduv at 11.30am. That will be another stern test for Barry-Murphy's charges, but another stepping stone in the right direction, they will hope.

Later in the year, the main objective for the team in green and gold will be to return to the Intermediate A grade. In their Premier JHC group stage, Cloughduv will meet Nemo Rangers, Kilbrittain and Barryroe.

Cloughduv will hope it’s a year to remember after a challenging couple of seasons.