Stars of AG's success will move on having gained valuable experience

At the recent Rebel Óg annual awards, the last set of monthly winners honoured were the Gaelcholáiste Mhuire An Mhainistir Thuaidh senior hurling team.

As they left the stage, the members of the squad began to enthusiastically sing, “Ar aghaidh, ar aghaidh! An Mhainistir Thuaidh abu!” – the opening bars to the school song.

While those in sixth year still have a big few months ahead on the academic front, their hurling careers in ‘the AG’ have come to an end, but on a high – the recognition from Rebel Óg came after the successful defence of the O’Callaghan Cup, the first time the school had managed that.

Coming to such prominence – in 2024-25, they reached the Dr Harty Cup semi-finals for the first time in three decades and were unlucky not to make the quarter-finals this season – is all the more impressive considering that many on the panel played at a lower grade in their earlier school days.

“We never went lower than B, but there was a time where we weren’t competing at that level either,” says Tomás Manning, the manager of the senior team.

“I suppose the advantage we had was that we knew the numbers that were there and that we’d be working with largely the same squad for a few years.

“To be fair, they showed huge commitment and prepared with real quality and that then began to improve the quality of their performances.

“A big moment was beating Cashel in the Harty in 2023 – we played four or five fourth years that day. We were never going to go too deep into that competition but it started a journey and a few weeks later we won the U16A county against Midleton CBS.

“The same group went to a Dean Ryan Cup final the year after, and then there was the Harty semi-final and obviously the two O’Callaghan Cups.

“Probably what we noticed was their ability to play under pressure and their resilience. It seemed that the bigger the games got, it never fazed them.

“The main crew of fellas leaving now are Lucas Ó Muirthile, Craig Ó Súilleabháin, Josh Ó Brosnacháin, Seán Ó Dálaigh, Josh Ó Gabhláin, Evan Mac Eochainn, Gabhán Ó Ceallacháin and Gearóíd Ó Duibhir Ó hArrachtáin.

“They’ve given so much to the school and winning the O’Callaghan Cup again was a great reward for them.”

That resilience was to the fore when, after being eliminated from the Harty by Templemore, they responded to see off Coláiste an Spioraid Naoimh in the O’Callaghan Cup semi-final before then overcoming Christian Brothers College in the final at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

“They were really mature for young fellas,” Manning says.

“We won a game in the Harty by two points, drew one and a lost one by two points, so we weren’t far away.

“These experiences build character and resilience and that they kind of showed that in that kind of six-day turnaround before playing Spioraid Naoimh.

“Obviously, they benefited too from the coaching set-up with Seán Óg Ó hAilpín, Éanna Desmond, Daire Connery, Tadhg Óg Murphy and Tim Lordan.

“Winter hurling builds you to be a kind of tougher, more rounded person and we'd like to think they're going back to their clubs much more educated players about the game and, obviously, more rounded people as well.”

“There's been ups and downs to the northside in recent years, but we see that it’s very important for Cork hurling to keep the city as strong as possible.”