Brian Hurley brilliance and Castlehaven experience decided league final but season will be judged on championship

After what was a classic contest with Knocknagree on Friday night, Castlehaven came away with the McCarthy Insurance Group Cork Football League Division 1 title.

This most certainly will whet the appetite, with Castlehaven and Knocknagree also facing one another in the Premier Senior Football Championship group stages.

If the quality on show in this league final in Macroom is a taste of what is to come in the coming months, then we could potentially have a cracking Cork club football championship in store. A few days after the Cork defeat to Mayo in the All-Ireland quarter-final, Brian Hurley was back in his club colours. He duly showed all of his class and quality in the Castle Grounds in Macroom, ending proceedings with a total of 1-9 to his name.

Just as it appeared that Knocknagree had the league title secured, Hurley produced the goods for his side when it mattered most, coming up with the decisive goal in second-half stoppage time.

The Haven showed glimpses here of why they are be considered by many to be among the main challengers for the championship crown in Cork.

Former Cork senior footballer Mark Collins still provides plenty of class and quality to this Castlehaven side. They've a spread of footballers who play an integral role in what is a well oiled all round Castlehaven machine.

Castlehaven boss Seanie Cahalane was pleased to secure league silverware, as the championship preparations for his side ramp up.

“It was an exciting game,” Cahalane told The Echo. “We knew coming into the game that Knocknagree are a very good side and I think they proved it there tonight.

I think when Knocknagree went two points up there towards the end, there would have been no qualms about it if they came away with the win.

“But in fairness to our lads, it typified a lot of our league games and they stuck at it. They kept at it again tonight.

“The ball broke. We won the brake, we went at it and we got the goal.”

Building steadily

The Haven's season will be defined by how they do in the championship.

“It is good preparation for the championship. With the lads we take it game by game. The championship is the main thing. We will be building towards Ballincollig.

“It was great to get a competitive game, especially against a very competitive side in Knocknagree.”

Alongside Knocknagree, the Haven are in a very competitive Cork PSFC group with Clonakilty and Ballincollig.

First up for Castlehaven in championship action will be Ballincollig, a game which takes place on July 26.

Ballincollig will be a good opposition. Any time we play them, we always have a battle with them. They are always good and they will be up for it.

“Especially with the first round games when teams don’t have a massive amount of preparation done, we only got our intercounty lads back this week. So it will be tough to get over that first game.”

Castlehaven won the Cork PSFC title in 2023 and 2024. They will be strongly fancied to be among the main challengers for the silverware once again in 2026.

“Last year, because of our late run into the Munster Championship, we started back training a bit later,” explained Cahalane.

“I think probably our results because of that, we were slow to get going. We purposefully did it looking to build towards the year. But it didn’t pan out that way.

“So this year, we went back that small bit earlier. The lads were eager to get going.”