Cork Business League: Recalling magic moments at Marina Park and Flower Lodge

In the almost 75-year history of the Cork Business League, many of the most memorable shield, cup and divisional cup finals took place on grounds which no longer exist today.

In the league’s two decades in the '50s and '60s, the majority of finals took place in Marina Park on the Monaghan Road. The ground was provided by the Ford Motor Company who had a very successful team in the league at the time. 

The well-kept playing surface was the ideal venue to host the two trophies which were competed for at the time, the Burkley shield and the blue ribbon trophy of the calendar season, the Shipping League Cup.

The management committee occasionally did manage to secure Turner’s Cross, the home ground of League of Ireland team Cork Celtic at the time, for its first cup final in 1958/59 between Postal Workers and Irish Steel, which Postal won 3-0.

By the end of the 1960s, the renowned Church Road number one pitch was the venue for the cup decider between holders CIE and Cork Shoe Company on Thursday, June 25, 1970. 

Goals from John O’Mahony and Tommy Murphy put CIE two to the good before Billy Falvey reduced the deficit with 10 minutes remaining. CIE retained the cup the following season after accounting for the Shoe Company again by the same scoreline, 2-1, this time it took extra time to separate the teams.

The most frequently used grounds for finals in the '70s were Flower Lodge (now Páirc Uí Rinn) and The Showgrounds, owned by Munster Agriculture Society and situated where the all-weather training pitch is opposite Páirc Uí Chaoimh. 

The 1974 shield final between the leading two bacon companies at the time, Olympic, formally Farmer’s Union and later Byrnes, was one of the standout matches played at the Showgrounds on Friday, May 3, 1974.

Lunhams would have gone in as favourites but were carved open by two first-half goals from Philip Maher and Kieran O’Connor. It was the same story in the second half as goals from Donal O’Connor and Val Keohane sealed a smashing 4-0 win. 

CLASSIC

Flower Lodge served up a classic shield final replay on Wednesday, May 31, 1978, between two of the dominant teams of the era, Fords A and Postal Workers. 

After a scoreless draw at the same venue a month previously, Postal turned on the style to win 4-2 courtesy of goals from Jerry Browne, Derry Hartnett, John McGrath and Tom Holland. The win was sweet revenge for the cup final loss at Turner’s Cross the week before.

Pfizer Park in Ringaskiddy and the ESB Grounds on Curaheen Road hosted the majority of shield and divisional finals throughout the 1980s. However, in 1981, Hickey Park hosted its first Shipping League Cup Final between Cork Examiner and Lunhams. 

Republic of Ireland star Adam Idah’s grandfather, the late Kevin Hayes, headed a second-half winner for Examiner. Byrne’s outstanding centre-back Harry Speight had an opportunity to equalise from the penalty-spot but shot narrowly wide with his father watching on from behind the goal. 

The Roches Stores/Postal Workers 1986 Byrne Cup Final at Pfizer Park was the first to go to penalties after Roches won 4-3 in the shoot-out after a one-one draw. The final of the same competition two years later at the ESB Grounds between Aer Lingus and CIE Athletic was one of the best played at the venue. 

With an array of talented players on both teams, including Martin Walsh, Martin Sugure, Roland Hegarty and Aidan Holland for AL facing the talented Peter Gregson, Chris McCarthy John Deasy and Pat Downey for CIE, the airport out triumphed 5-4 on the pitch closest the dressings rooms.

The decade’s final season featured a sparkling 4-1 win for Aer Lingus over holders Liebert in the shield final at Pfizer Park on Sunday, November 26, while back up in the city, the ESB Grounds witnessed a 5-0 win for Pfizer over AL in the Byrne Cup Final at the end of the season on Tuesday, May 22.

Pfizer Park continued to host finals throughout the 1990s, 2000s and into the second decade of the millennium before it was transformed into a staff car park facility for its growing workforce. Popular grounds used as neutral venues throughout the decades include Blackpool Park, Hickey Park (situated opposite St Michael’s Cemetery in Mahon and named after former league and MFA chairman Fred Hickey) and Pigeon Hill in Glanmire.

Home venues no longer in existence include: 

Kilbarry Park/Hillington Park (Roches Stores), 

Novartis Park (Novartis), Kiillacloyne (Youghal Carpets), 

Farmer’s Cross (AIB), 

Rational Park, Little Island (WF Rational), 

Midleton/Monard (Cork Examiner), 

Haulbowline (Naval Services), 

Spike Island (BMC), 

St Anne’s Park (SHB/OLH Utd), 

Penn Park (Penn Chemicals), 

Waterloo (CIE Athletic), 

Ringaskiddy (Irish Steel).