Seandún footballers keen to take flight as they return to championship action

This evening in Glantane, Seandún will participate in a competitive football fixture for the first time in seven years.

It has been a challenging period, but with a mixture of hard work and buy‑in, they are fielding again.

They face Avondhu in the opening round of the unseeded divisions/colleges section of the McCarthy Insurance Group Premier SFC, with throw‑in at 7.30pm.

A lot of water has gone under the bridge since Seandún's last competitive football encounter back in 2019.

The experienced and knowledgeable Eddie Murphy of Douglas is a selector on the new Seandún football management team. He’s also the secretary of the division. He explains why now is the right time for the city outfit to return to the big stage.

“Seandún is a division that is thriving at the moment,” he says.

“There are a lot of clubs who are setting high standards and players deserve to play at the highest level. It's nearly 10 years since Seandún competed in the football championship and that’s a shame.

“One of the things that was on my bucket list when I took over as secretary was to get Seandún participating again in both codes. I must say, the clubs have been excellent and their cooperation has been massive. This is just another branch to the growth of Seandún over the last few years.

“It was mooted last year in terms of getting the Seandún teams up and running given it was our centenary, but it wasn’t possible. Looking back, maybe we weren’t ready last year. Everything has fallen into place this year thanks to so many people buying in.” 

Colm Barry, who has done great work with Ballyphehane in recent years, is the new manager of the Seandún footballers.

They are in a decent position going into the opening round from a preparation point of view.

“We set Wednesdays as the day to get together, as players would be training with their clubs the other days,” Murphy said.

“I would be very conscious of that as a former manager and coach with teams over the years. The players will be fit enough anyway. We have done a good few training sessions without too much of a demand on them.

“I want to go in slowly given it’s our first year back, rather than burn the candle at both ends. The clubs got a commitment from myself that the players would be looked after. They are happy with that.

“Not all clubs have bought into this and that’s disappointing. It’s a chance for young players to play at the highest level. In saying that, the response overall has been very good.

“There’s a need for Seandún to be competing in the championship. There has been a crest of a wave in recent months with so many people getting in touch with me that Seandún are back. Some of the ex‑players from the 1980s and ’90s have come out of the woodwork wishing us all good luck. It means a lot.” 

This evening will be like the old days, with Seandún and Avondhu knowing that it’s winner‑takes‑all, with the loser heading out of the championship. The winners will face Beara next Tuesday in Round 2.

“I have to compliment the county board. I know this is the unseeded section of the championship, but it will gather momentum for the divisions. No matter the result against Avondhu, there’s a structure in place now. History has shown that people buy into a structure no matter what sport it is.

“It’s down to the clubs and managers to give the divisions a chance and that’s half the battle. The players are looking forward to this challenge against Avondhu.

“Result aside, Seandún will have been represented in the 2026 football championship and that’s a ticking of the box, but I don’t want to stop at that. We want to make sure that Seandún goes out and represents the division well. This benefits Cork GAA too.

“Many players have represented Seandún and gone on to play for Cork. There’s a tradition in Seandún and we are trying to start it off again.”