Cork GAA: Tom Kenny on challenges faced by UCC in competing in Premier Senior Hurling Championship

The recent debate about the involvement of colleges and divisions in the Cork club championships continues every time there is a game involving one of those teams, but for UCC hurling coach Tom Kenny, trying to stay afloat is a challenge for all concerned.

Kenny took up coaching at the college in 2016 and he recalled the year he was called into the role.

“It was nine years ago when Paddy Crowley and John Grainger got onto myself and Seán Óg Ó hAilpín about getting involved with UCC and I have been there since,” Kenny explained.

Kenny was still playing with Grenagh that year, but he came across some notable players once he got involved with the college.

“Mark Coleman and Shane Kingston were involved in the Freshers and then we moved up to the Fitzgibbon teams and county championship squads.

“I have always put something back into my club, but in reality, UCC is the only team I have ever been involved with, and to be honest, I really enjoy it.”

In recent weeks, UCC were easily defeated by Muskerry in the Premier SHC after a disappointing performance, and Kenny explained the current predicament that the College have in fielding full-strength sides.

“UCC have a long history competing in the Cork senior championship and although our last win was in 1970, we have always had notable players representing us over many decades.

The most recent near-miss came in 2020 when we lost to Blackrock after extra-time, but look, the split season and the grade changes haven’t helped.”

Two senior grades in Cork has reduced the availability of players to UCC.

“Obviously, we were going to suffer because there are a greater number of clubs now playing at the top-tier grades.”

REDUCED

Times have certainly changed from when Kenny donned the UCC jersey.

“In my time, any player could sign up and play for UCC which was probably to the detriment to the divisional sides as you could have up to 10 players signing for the college, but that became five per division in recent years and now it’s down to four.”

The registering of players from UCC to play in the Cork championship has also put them under pressure.

“You have to submit your list of players by early to mid-March and somebody might want to play with us at that stage, but then things can change for students as some go away for a J1 summer trip.

“The split season is the main one; once we had seasons running concurrently and one Sunday, we were playing inter-county and the following week we were in club action.”

Kenny has some wonderful memories of playing with UCC.

I remember playing Killeagh on a Sunday in Cobh and we had guys lining out from Kilkenny and Tipperary travelling after playing with their home clubs.”

In the modern era, clubs have changed their stance about players lining out with UCC.

“At one time, it was never a problem for players to play with us, but now you have players playing one weekend and if they are unsuccessful, management teams feel they are not worth risking to play with UCC.

“In some ways, you can understand that, but on the other side of the coin, players are being denied games at the top grade of senior hurling and it’s bound to be disappointing for all concerned.”

ELITE

If the rules that were in place 15 years ago could UCC compete with the elite sides in Cork?

“On paper, I would like to think we would be very competitive, but as I said, there is a serious mindset change as club managers now feel they have ownership of players, and without pointing fingers that’s not going to change.

“When I played with Grenagh, I played with Muskerry before I lined out with UCC, and there never seemed to be an issue, but in the modern day, clubs do not want their players playing with other teams because it might affect them coming back to their clubs.”

The bottom line is that MTU, a major sporting college, no longer compete in the Cork championship and the majority of divisions, with the exception of Imokilly, are also struggling.

“Imokilly deserve credit as they seem to get great co-operation from all clubs, but I have a bit of sympathy for the players who miss out across the other divisions because playing against better players can improve the quality of their hurling.

The people who are against colleges and divisions’ participation have been around a long time, and their argument is that it’s taking from the Cork championship teams with players from other counties playing with the college teams.

“But when you look at the record of both colleges, I don’t think there has ever been domination in either code.”