Division 2 HL: Top scorers and rising stars in the top four teams

The RedFM Division 2 Hurling League delivered a fascinating blend of competition this year. With Premier Senior heavyweights like Midleton, Erin’s Own, and Newtownshandrum chasing promotion, and a strong cohort of Premier Intermediate hopefuls in Valley Rovers, Ballincollig, Ballymartle, and Éire Óg, the campaign produced a mix of unique matchups – and no shortage of surprises.

Adding even more flavour to the division were Senior A sides Killeagh, Fermoy, and Na Piarsaigh, each at different stages of development.

Following Killeagh’s win over Midleton last Friday, the league final is now set – a rematch between those two sides, both of whom finished with identical records of seven wins and two defeats.

Midleton topped the standings, thanks to a remarkable scoring difference of +67, racking up 247 points across their nine games. Cormac Beausang led the way in attack, finishing with 3-53 (0-25 frees, 0-3 from 65s). Luke O’Farrell followed with 4-15, all from play — continuing his ever-reliable scoring form.

QUALITY AND EXPERIENCE

Despite limited involvement, Conor Lehane made his presence felt in trademark fashion. The Cork senior forward scored 1-21 (0-9 frees) across just two appearances – wins over Ballincollig and Éire Óg – making him Midleton’s third-highest scorer.

Two standout contributors throughout the campaign were Pa White and Cormac Walsh. White chipped in with a consistent 2-18, while Walsh added 0-15 and has been particularly effective across the wing- and corner-forward positions. His pace has troubled defenders throughout the league, and his ball distribution has been key.

Even with reduced game time, Dave Cremin managed 1-8, while Mikey Finn contributed 1-14, including a penalty and three frees.

Alex Quirke, who has rotated between half-forward, full-forward, and midfield (against Killeagh), has once again proven a major asset. His tireless work rate – and 1-6 tally – has been bolstered by a significant number of assists.

He’s the younger brother of Sam Quirke, a former Cork U20 All-Ireland winner, and is quickly becoming a key cog in the Midleton senior team.

The youth pipeline continues to flow. Two players from last year’s minor panel, Conor Morley and Eoghan Fraser, made their senior debuts. Morley, in particular, showed his goal threat remains intact, hitting 1-3 against Newtownshandrum. Fraser also found the target in that same outing.

Tomás Dunlea and Carthaigh Cronin have had to wait for their senior debuts along with Peter Barrett, but you can expect to see them involved with the intermediates for the coming championship.

In total, Midleton have used 35 players this league campaign. With Ciarmhac Smyth getting on the scoresheet against Killeagh, the Magpies now boast 22 different scorers.

Killeagh, their final opponents, have shown similar depth and promise. Richie Long has been central to their scoring returns, racking up 4-30, while Ryan McCarthy has added 1-23. The east Cork club have used 32 players and recorded 21 different scorers.

SENIOR DEBUT

Barry Walsh made just a single appearance – last weekend’s win over Midleton – but still fired 1-14 (0-13 from frees), enough to place him fourth on Killeagh’s scoring chart. David Buckley has also stood out, contributing 1-12.

Barry Walsh is the only minor graduate to feature so far. When fit, his cousin Ben is expected to join him — both players have been outstanding underage hurlers for Killeagh and Cork, and represent a serious injection of talent into an already strong panel.

Erin’s Own were the unlucky party in a three-way tie at the top, narrowly missing out on a league final berth. Eoghan Murphy led their scoring with 1-28 (primarily from placed balls), followed by Conor Lenihan with an impressive 3-17 and Matt O’Riordan on 1-12. Last year’s minors, Cork U20 Finn O’Brien and Sam Foley, have also begun making their mark — O’Brien tallying 1-9.

Other notable forwards include Maurice O’Carroll (2-5) and Peter O’Shea (0-7), who have chipped in regularly.

YOUTHFUL INJECTION

Newtownshandrum, the third Premier Senior side in Division 2, have opted for a more compact squad, using just 24 players. Their scoring has largely come from Jamie Coughlan, Eoin O’Mahony, Ronan Geary, and Rob Troy.

They’ve introduced five of last year’s minor hurlers, goalkeeper PJ Noonan, wing-back Daire Ryan, centre-back Jack Hogan, midfielder Turlogh O’Neill, and Eoin Walsh.