MTU Cork to return to county football championship
Luke Shorten of MTU Cork in action against Thomas Ross of UL in the Sigerson Cup in January - the Bishopstown college are set to return to the Cork county football championship after a four-year gap. Picture: Eddie O'Hare
MTU Cork will return to county football championship action for 2026, bridging a gap of four years.
The 2022 season is the only one in which the Bishopstown college have competed since 2019, but they will participate in the divisions and colleges football competition for the coming year.
The draws for the hurling and football were made at Tuesday night’s Cork County Board meeting at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh and both codes are set to have bumper entries.
Six divisions, and UCC, will be involved in the hurling – this figure is up from five last year, with Beara and Carrigdhoun the only absentees. Carrigdhoun are the only division that will not feature in the football, which had just four entries last year – Carbery, Duhallow, Muskerry and UCC.
Strictly speaking, both competitions are self-contained, with the hurling winners claiming the Denis O’Riordan Cup while the Tadhg Crowley Cup is awarded to the victorious football team.
Up until 2025, a spot in the quarter-finals of the respective premier senior championships was also on offer but, while that remains the case in the hurling, there is a slight change to the football set-up.
As has been the case in recent times, there is an unseeded section - in April - from which one side will advance to participate in June's seeded semi-finals, along with Carbery, Duhallow and Muskerry.
However, the winners of that will then have to face UCC in an August game labelled as a Premier SFC preliminary quarter-final.
The hurling will see Avondhu, Seandún, Muskerry, Duhallow and Carbery battle it out in June for two places in the seeded semi-finals, to which Imokilly and UCC receive byes. The semis take place in August, with the 2024 champions and the college team playing each other, taking on one of the unseeded divisions for a place in the Premier SHC quarter-finals.
Avondhu v Seandún, Muskerry v Duhallow; Carbery v Avondhu/Seandún.
UCC v Imokilly, Muskerry/Duhallow v Carbery/Avondhu/Seandún.
Seandún v Avondhu, MTU Cork v Imokilly;Beara v Seandún/Avondhu; Round 3: MTU Cork/Imokilly v Beara/Seandún/Avondhu.
Unseeded winner v Muskerry, Duhallow v Carbery.
UCC v seeded section winner.
Crosshaven, Doneraile, Lough Rovers, Brian Dillon’s; Castletownroche, Castlemagner, Araglen, Ballinacurra; Gabriel Rangers, Rathpeacon, Laochra Óg, Ballyphehane; O’Donovan Rossa, St Oliver Plunkett’s.
(A) Group 1 winner v Group 2 runner-up, (B) Group 2 winner v Group 1 runner-up, (C) Group 3 winner v Group 4 runner-up, (D) Group 4 winner v Group 3 runners-up.
A v C, B v D.
Clann na nGael, Garnish, Castlelyons, Muintir Bhaire; Araglen, Tracton, Ballinacurra, Brian Dillon’s; Belgooly, Doneraile, Glengarriff.
Rathpeacon, Grange, Freemount, Gleann na Laoi; Rochestown, Abbey Rovers, Lough Rovers, St John’s.
(A) Group 1 runner-up v Group 2 third place, (B) Group 2 runner-up v Group 1 third place.
Group 1 winner v B, Group 2 winner v A.
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