Damien Gore: 'We're building nicely' as Carbery push on

Carbery captain Damien Gore was satisfied with both the performance and the progression shown by his side after their eight-point victory over Muskerry in last Friday’s McCarthy Insurance Group Premier SFC Divisions/Colleges seeded final at Páirc Uí Rinn.

The Kilmacabea forward felt the group had taken another important step forward, particularly in how they managed the game across the 60 minutes. 

Muskerry, who were coming off a championship outing just three days earlier, asked questions at various stages, but Gore felt his side handled those moments with a maturity that wasn’t always present in previous campaigns.

Carbery are now a game away from the championship proper, but first they must defeat UCC at the start of next month.

“Muskerry came at us in patches,” the former Cork footballer said. 

“It’s hard on them playing last Tuesday against Avondhu. A very quick turnaround is tough, especially in that heat. But we’re happy with the performance. It was another step up from the Duhallow game, so we’re building away nicely.

“I think it’s a preliminary quarter-final now in about a month, so we’ll build again for that — and you never know where that will take us.” 

What stood out most was Carbery’s composure when Muskerry briefly cut the margin to six points. Rather than allowing the game to drift, Carbery slowed things down, held possession, and picked off scores to reassert control. Their game management was excellent.

“First day out against Duhallow we actually turned over a lot of ball,” Gore admitted. 

“Maybe that was because we’re not used to playing with each other — that was probably a big reason. That game really brought us on.

“We said we’d just hold the ball a bit more in this one and tire them down, make them chase it. They wouldn’t be able to last with us for 60 minutes. Our slow attack was good, it paid off, and we had a good spread of scores. Lads popped up from all over.” 

The conditions added another layer to the challenge, particularly for Muskerry given their short turnaround, but Gore felt Carbery’s depth made a difference in the second half.

“It was very tough, very hard,” he says.

“Energy-sapping stuff. But we’ve a big bench now. Lads have to come back as well. The fresh legs worked a treat there in the second half. We dipped a bit, but there’s a few more to come back in, so that’s pleasing.” 

Lifting the trophy afterwards carried significance for the group. Carbery hadn’t won this seeded section since 2022, and last year’s heavy defeat to Muskerry — when they conceded seven goals — lingered in the background throughout their preparation.

“It is a good moment for Carbery,” Gore states. 

“I think it’s our first time winning since 2022. We conceded seven goals against Muskerry last year, which just wasn’t good enough. 

"We put a huge amount of work in since the start of this year — February, March — we played six or seven challenge games and that really stood to us.

“Maybe as the year went on, contact time has been limited with county leagues and stuff, but that groundwork has paid off. We’re building nicely and hopefully we can take a scalp as the year goes on.” 

The split season continues to pose challenges for divisional sides, particularly those with dual players juggling long runs of league fixtures. Gore acknowledged the difficulty but stressed that the enjoyment of representing Carbery remains strong.

“It is hard, absolutely,” he said. 

“Especially for our dual players who are playing hurling. They’re out probably 18 or 19 weekends on the trot in the county league. But it’s very enjoyable. Playing out in Páirc Uí Rinn is brilliant altogether.

“I think it takes a break now for a bit, as far as I know, with club championships starting. We’ll go back to the drawing board, improve a few things, get a few players back, and go from there.” 

Attention now turns back to club commitments, with Gore returning to Kilmacabea ahead of their upcoming championship group fixtures as they begin life in the McCarthy Insurance Group Premier JFC after winning the grade below last year.