Cork Hurling: Injury blows for Sarsfields and Blackrock

Sarsfields are set to be without Cathal McCarthy for the rest of the current championship campaign as the Cork senior hurling panellist has sustained a cruciate ligament injury.

The corner-back was forced off in the second half of Sars’ victory over Glen Rovers in their last game in Group 1 of the Co-op SuperStores Premier SHC a fortnight ago and, unfortunately for him and the Riverstown club, tests have revealed that he will be set for an extended spell on the sidelines.

McCarthy played a starring role in 2023 as Sars won the county title for the first time in nine years. The man of the match in the county final, he was selected on the Reardens All-Star Hurling Team thanks to a series of strong performances in defence and earned a call-up to the Cork senior squad, having been a part of the extended squad for the 2021 All-Ireland U20 win and then playing at that grade in 2022.

A shoulder injury prevented him from making any inter-county appearances for Pat Ryan’s Cork side in 2024, apart from the Canon O’Brien Cup game against UCC.

That problem had sufficiently cleared up for him to make substitute appearances for Sars in last year’s county semi-final win over Midleton and the defeat to Imokilly in the decider. He was then a driving force as they bounced back from that loss to win the AIB Munster Club SHC for the first time, earning a place at midfield on the Club Team of The Year.

Having topped their group with three victories, Sars will face Charleville in their county quarter-final this weekend, with the winners meeting Imokilly or St Finbarr’s.

Meanwhile, another player who will not be featuring again in the 2025 edition of the county championship is Blackrock’s Tadhg Deasy.

A revelation for the Rockies in a half-back role throughout the RedFM Hurling League having been converted from an attacker, Deasy was impressive in the opening two championship wins over Kanturk and St Finbarr’s, but had to depart injured in the latter match with a knee injury and did not feature against Douglas last Sunday week.

Blackrock, the only club to have reached the knockout stages of the Premier SHC each year since the change in format, earned the single automatic semi-final spot thanks to their excellent record in the group section.