Ballinhassig hurling legend Seán McCarthy hopeful they can return to senior ranks against Ballincollig
Former Cork and Ballinhassig hurler Seán McCarthy.
Ballinhassig legend Seán McCarthy is confident the Blues can put their best foot forward in tomorrow’s Co-Op SuperStores PIHC final against Ballincollig at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh (1.15pm).
The Carrigdhoun team are appearing in their first decider at this grade since they last won it back in 2012.
McCarthy, who played with distinction for the Cork senior hurlers, winning two Munster medals and two All-Ireland medals, knows that it’s all about showing up first of all.
“We’ve had our ups and downs in Ballinhassig and I suppose teams go through phases and I suppose older players move on and it just seems to have come right this year,” he says to The Echo.
"But I think that sometimes brings the team closer and we’ve been looking forward to this for a long time and it has been a long time.
“There’s a fantastic buzz. You go into the pub, you go into the shop, you meet people on the road, you meet your neighbours, everybody’s just talking about the game.
“The foundation of the GAA is your club and that’s where it starts. Everyone, whether you’re involved in the GAA or not in Ballinhassig, knows that there’s a match on Sunday. There’s blue and white everywhere.
“It’s just absolutely brilliant. It gives everybody a lift. Win or lose on Sunday, it has been a fantastic year for our club to get to where we are. We’ve had a new clubhouse just opened recently. All this helps in the development of the club.
Since dropping down from the senior ranks in 2013, Ballinhassig have been regularly in the business end of the PIHC, but have fallen short of reaching the final. Why has it all come together in 2025 in McCarthy’s view?
“Every year for some reason we always seem to have been tipped at the start of the season as one of the favourites to win it. I suppose the biggest disappointment was probably two years ago, we didn’t even get out of the group when Kilworth beat us.
“It really made us think about the whole situation and knowing that you have to put in the graft and you have to put in the hard work. We’ve had a phenomenal number of injuries this year. We’ve surpassed, in my own opinion, the expectations for the year.
“The last day against Cloyne, we went into the game without three crucial forwards due to injury. We were missing Evan Cullinane, Adam O’Sullivan and Brian Lynch. They’re talented forwards that would walk on to any team, all of them have worn the Cork jersey at some stage at underage. So to be where we are today has absolutely surprised everyone.
“What has impressed me most this year though is that we’re playing as a unit. They’re fit, they’re hungry and they’re playing as a complete team and playing to a game plan and sticking to it. The work rate and the commitment has been huge this year. The players just get on with it. And if things go wrong, they put their head down and they drive on again. That to me is everything about the club.”
McCarthy, who went to secondary school at Ballincollig Community School, enjoyed success as manager with Ballinhassig guiding his beloved club to the Carrigdhoun JAHC crown in 2002 before landing the county, Munster and All-Ireland titles in the same campaign. He has seen it all with the Blues, the good and the bad.
He knows this is a great opportunity for Ballinhassig to return to the senior ranks, but knows Ballincollig will be stern opposition. The teams met in the opening group game back in August on an evening when Ballinhassig won 4-13 to 0-19.
"The players have to remember that finals don’t come around like trains or buses. You have to embrace it, enjoy it and try and do your best. But don’t let the occasion get to you.
“We beat Ballincollig already this year, but I suppose there’s two ways of looking at it. For us, we’d be saying that result has no bearing because I suppose it was back in August. Ballincollig were missing a few players.
"It was the first game in the group stage. Our team has changed since then too.
“If I was Ballincollig, I’d be saying, 'lads, remember the result a couple of months ago? We lost by two goals. They gave us a lesson...'
“I have an old saying that there’s no future looking in the past. This is a final, it’s a two-horse race.
“We here in Ballinhassig just need that little bit of success to drive on the club again and to just help develop and build the underage, which is going very, very strong at the moment. Please God it will be our day on Sunday.”
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