2026 Cork SAHC draws: Na Piarsaigh, Killeagh and Fermoy meet again
Keith Buckley and Ciaran Flynn, Na Piarsaigh, battle with Barry Walsh, Killeagh during the 2025 County Senior A Hurling Championship match at Midleton. Picture: Jim Coughlan.
Last season’s beaten finalists Castlelyons will open their Co-Op Superstores Cork Senior A Hurling Championship with a repeat of their semi-final meeting in 2025, as they take on Blarney.
Castlelyons, who have reached the semi-final and final of the SAHC in their two campaign’s since promotion from Premier Intermediate, will meet near neighbours Watergrasshill in the final group meeting, while they, alongside Blarney, are joined by Ballyhea in Group 1.
Ballyhea will be looking to reach the knockout stages of the championship for the first time since 2022, when they lost out in the quarter-finals, losing by a point to Courcey Rovers.
Killeagh, Na Piarsaigh and Fermoy will meet one another in the group stages for the second straight season after all being drawn together in Group 2.
Fermoy and Killeagh will face each other in the first round of the championship, a fixture the east Cork side will be desperate to get over the line after losing out to their north Cork opponents 1-16 to 3-5 last year, in a game that ultimately led to their failure in getting out of the group.
Na Piarsaigh, still fighting for a return to the top flight after their relegation from the PSHC in 2022, will face the side that beat them in the 1992 Cork SHC final, Erin’s Own.
The Caherlag outfit, who suffered relegation from the PSHC this year, will be aiming for a swift return to the top flight, and victory over Na Piarsiagh will be essential in achieving that objective for incoming manager Brendan O’Riordan.
Na Piarsaigh’s final group game will see them face Killeagh for the third time in four seasons, and if their previous two meetings are any indication – this one will certainly draw interest from neutrals.
Their first SAHC group meeting in 2023 looked set to end in a Na Piarsaigh victory, but a last gasp goal from Patrick O’Brien levelled it, and sent Killeagh through to the knockout stage on scoring difference.
In 2025, the teams met once more and put on a scoring show, Killeagh getting the victory by a margin of two points, 2-26 to 2-24.
Elsewhere, Ballinhassig, who earned their promotion to senior after defeating Ballincollig in the PIHC decider this year, winning 2-22 to 1-19, will open their debut campaign against 2025’s relegation playoff survivors, Courcey Rovers, in Group 3.
Carrigtwohill and Inniscarra – both bested by Bride Rovers on the Rathcormac/Bartlemy men’s route to title victory, will face one another in the opening round.
Carrigtwohill’s second round meeting will be against Courcey Rovers, before they meet Ballinhassig in the final round of fixtures.
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