Kilshannig comfortably see off Ballinora to land Cork JAHC title
Paddy Walsh fires over a point for Kilshannig during their Cork County Junior A hurling championship final at SuperValu Pairc Ui Chaoimh. Picture: Larry Cummins
And so, after a long wait since their 2022 county final defeat to Erin’s Own, Kilshannig are promoted to the fifth tier, and end their 2025 season as Cork Junior A Hurling Championship winners after cruising beyond Ballinora at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday.
The Avondhu champions led from the fourth minute until time, but it wasn’t until midway through the second half, when they put the contest to bed. With 44 minutes elapsed Kilshannig were in front and in control, but their margin stood at three, 0-12 to 0-9.
They had threatened goal chances in the first half, and finally found the breakthrough in the 45th minute, as Cork senior footballer Éanna O’Hanlon had the time and space to shoot from outside the 20 metre line. Neither powerful nor perfect, but the awkward bounce caught Barry Crowley out, and it hit the back of the net.
Ballinora needed a quick response, but they could not garner any sort of momentum.
A Ben Mayer free left the margin at six with 10 to go, but Kilshannig continued to force turnovers, pin their opponents in on puckouts, and reel off white flag after white flag.
Jack Twomey sent over a brilliant point from a tough angle – one of his three efforts from play – and sub Colin Ruby stretched their lead to eight.
Conor Quirke got one back for Ballinora, but wing-back Kieran Twomey, who was awarded man of the match, landed his third from play. Then Éanna O’Hanlon was there to force a turnover from the next puckout and slot over. And then he won that following restart and fired between the posts to put them 10 points up with only five minutes remaining.
It was a day where nothing seemed to click for the five-in-a-row Muskerry champions Ballinora. They finished with 13 wides, and even at the death when they went seeking a consolation goal, fortune was nowhere to be found.
Eoghan Burke was first to clear a late dropping Ballinora ball, then Paddy Walsh did likewise. Even when Ballinora did find an opening at the death, Tommy Burns and Mark O’Brien both missed the chance to put it into the back of the net.
It’s a long road back again for Ballinora, but they can have no complaints. They were outclassed.
There were no goals in the first half, though not for lack of intent. Walsh came closest for Kilshannig, slipped through by Diarmuid O’Sullivan, only for Barry Crowley to get down and make the block, knocking his effort behind for a 65 which Kieran Twomey converted.
Éanna O’Hanlon – who was a constant threat up front – came close on 11 minutes, bursting through before Mark O’Brien produced a superb block to deny him.
By then, Kilshannig had found their groove – 0-4 to 0-2 ahead – and Killian O’Hanlon’s curling effort from the tightest of angles stretched the gap to three.
Ballinora twice hauled it back to the minimum as the half wore on but couldn’t edge in front. Ben Mayer almost did so with another goal chance, only for Conor Murphy to fling himself in the way of his shot, but Jack Hegarty was able to recover possession and slot over, 0-7 to 0-6.
Still, it was Kilshannig who finished the stronger. Walsh, O’Sullivan and Twomey all raised white flags in the closing minutes to send the Avondhu champions in four clear at the break, 0-10 to 0-6.
Ballinora would hang with them for some time, but they could never manage a sustained purple patch. They never managed more than two points on the trot across the hour.
E O’Hanlon 1-3, P Walsh (2 f), K Twomey (1 65) 0-4 each, J Twomey 0-3, Diarmuid O’Sullivan 0-2, K O’Hanlon, C Ruby, K Smith 0-1 each.
B Mayer 0-6 (0-5 f), D Holmes, J Hegarty 0-2 each, C Quirke 0-1.
D Kearney; D Guiney, C O’Shea, C Murphy; K Twomey, B Curtin (jc), E Burke; Darragh O’Sullivan, D Murphy; P Walsh, J Twomey (jc), E O’Hanlon; R Crowley, K O’Hanlon, Diarmuid O’Sullivan.
C Ruby for Crowley (51), S Lyons for Diarmuid O’Sullivan (56), K Smith for K O’Hanlon, M Twohig for Murphy (both 59).
B Crowley; T Forde, N Lordan, J Byrne; C O’Flynn, S Kingston, M O’Brien; L Lyons, T Burns; D Holmes, D Dineen, D Corkery; B Mayer, A O’Shea, J Hegarty.
J Keohane for Corkery (28-30 temp), Keohane for O’Shea (HT), M Lordan for Lyons (48), S Lyons for Holmes (50), C Quirke for Corkery (52).
C McAllister (Aghada)
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