Brilliant Ballincollig hurlers make history with first Féile success

The original Christy Ring Cup, awarded to the winners of the Féile na nGael Division 1 hurling title, had been claimed by five Cork clubs.

Blackrock won the inaugural running of the event in 1971 and - fittingly - Glen Rovers, St Finbarr’s, Sarsfields and Na Piarsaigh had all proven themselves to be the best nationally at U14 level (now U15). However, the latter’s 2006 remained Cork’s most recent, until last weekend in Portlaoise, when Ballincollig became the newest name on the roll of honour.

Having topped a group that featured Lismore and Naas, Ballincollig qualified for the semi-finals, where they overcame Kilmacud Crokes, before earning ultimate glory as they beat Galway’s Michael Cusacks in the final.

Team manager Denis Twomey praised a massive collective effort that brought about such an achievement.

“We started U5s and, definitely, as they came up along, playing tournaments and things, you could see there was a good bunch there,” he said.

“We won U12, U13 and U14 P1 hurling counties and people were saying we should target Féile, which still has a huge name.

“We won the Cork Féile and I’ve a buddy from the Glen, who now lives in Sars, and he said, to me, ‘Good teams win Cork Féile, great teams win national Féile!’

“It wasn’t until we were in the stand in O’Moore Park after winning it and it was mentioned in the presentation speech that no Cork team had won it in 20 years that we realised how big an achievement it was.

For us as a club, it’s a big achievement. 

"You see all the names on this national trophy – Dúrlas Óg, James Stephens, Clarinbridge, Oranmore – you're in with elite hurling clubs.”

At half-time in the final, it was 0-3 each; when their opponents scored a goal in the second period, it put them 1-5 to 0-7 in front. It was the first time Ballincollig had trailed all day but Dawid Jozefowski levelled to send the game to extra time.

Another Cusacks goal gave them the advantage again but points from Faolán O’Leary and Will Twomey tied the match again before Ollie Power became the hero as he fired over two late scores to confirm the win.

But for a narrow defeat to Glanmire in Cork Féile football final, Ballincollig might have been on course for a double – managing commitment to two codes (and more) is not easy but it can be done.

“In a dual perspective, it can be difficult to keep everything going and it took a monumental effort by all of the coaches to push this crowd through,” Twomey said.

“We have lads with the Cork City and Cobh Ramblers academies, they’re good sporting lads, and it was a case of trying to keep them hurling and keep them at it.

“There was a lot of co-operation between everyone to keep the show going.”

Those efforts will continue as the club look to make the most of what is a plentiful time on the hurling front – but of course it is important that something like this is recognised and celebrated.

“We won the P1 U14 hurling county last year and the last time we won that grade, it wasn’t even called P1 back then – it was the team I was on myself, back in 1988,” Twomey said.

“Obviously, the Lismores and the Michael Cusacks and the small clubs up there had massive village support, but we also had a massive support up there, outside of parents and grandparents – there were lots of club members there.
“Tom Dorgan, the club chairman, sent me an unbelievable text off him the morning after it, about what an achievement it was – he basically said that there are two premier club competitions to win, the senior All-Ireland club and the Féile.

“We're just delighted.”

Ballincollig U15 hurling squad: 

John Kearney (captain), James Archibold, Kerry McSweeney, Tommy Fitzgerald, Ronan O’Gorman, Charlie Hannigan, Ronan Dineen, Faolán O’Leary, Louis Healy, Matthew Harrington, Will Twomey, Dan O’Sullivan, Alex O’Driscoll, Dawid Jozefowski, Ollie Power, Fionn Barker, Ethan Moore, Cillian O’Donovan, Sam Iwaszuk, Tadhg Kelleher, Rory Lynch, Eoin Sexton, Jamie Murphy.

Management: 

Denis Twomey (manager), Dave Hannigan, Eoin Dineen, Donal O’Sullivan, Colm Barker, Eric Moore, John Murphy, Derek Beale (coach), Nathan Wall (goalkeeping coach).