Aaron Walsh Barry credits coach John Dwyer for Carrigtwohill's rise

After a below par campaign in 2024, Carrigtwohill are now looking up.

Last year, they had to beat Cloyne to preserve their Co-Op SuperStores SAHC status. This Saturday, they meet Bride Rovers in what should be a fascinating semi-final tussle at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh with throw-in at 5.45pm.

Denis Walsh’s side were probably an unknown package at the start of the year. They are no longer in the long grass.

“We probably set out to get out of the group anyway and kind of see what happens after that,” Carrigtwohill’s key defender and captain Aaron Walsh Barry says.

“We won our three group games so we can’t really complain too much. The goal was to go straight to a semi-final. We just put a really hard shift in back in January, February, March time and things kind of worked out just in time for the group stage.

“The league was testing at times, but we managed to stay in Division 1. It was all about the championship though.” 

Denis Walsh is in his second campaign at the helm of Carrigtwohill. He brought in Ballincollig native John Dwyer to coach the team this year after the departure of John Griffin to manage the Kerry senior hurlers.

“John Dwyer has brought really high standards into the group,” Walsh Barry said.

“He has instilled a great attitude, a good mindset and he trusts us all and backs every fella, no matter if you’re an old fella or a young fella. He doesn’t differ.

“He’s a very good coach and the drills and stuff, they’re very quick-paced and he’s got the drive from the players and that’s it really. He has played a huge part in our rise. 

“Maybe in the last couple of years, we might have felt we peaked in the league and this year we weren’t maybe as great as we wanted to be in the league.

“The championship, that’s probably the best time of the year to be peaking really. That’s something we have managed to get right this year.” 

Carrigtwohill’s three straight wins in the group phase and a healthy scoring difference gave them a direct passage into the last four. On the other hand, their Imokilly rivals Bride Rovers defeated Inniscarra at the quarter-final hurdle two weeks ago.

Having that four-week break isn’t a concern though for the Carrigtwohill captain.

“It hasn’t had any effect on us really. We have just kept our heads down, training hard.

“Bride Rovers are a team we know well. They’ve been in the semi-finals for the last four years. They’re competing all the time in the business end.

“They’ve experienced it here and stuff. We’ve only been here once as a group and probably not this full group. It’s new for some of us, but it is what it is really.

“We can’t wait to get out and play the game. Once you can show up and give it your best, you can’t do much more. That’s our plan.”