Ballincollig U15 side create history with Féile hurling win
Norina O’Callaghan, Director of Sales and Marketing, Clayton Hotel, Silversprings, overall sponsors, presents the Rebel Óg award for May to John Kearney and Faolán O’Leary, from the Ballincollig U15 All-Ireland Féile winning team. Also included are: Peter Watson, chairman Rebel Óg, and Denis Twomey, team manager.
The Ballincollig U15 hurlers made their own bit of history for the club as they recently won the National Féile hurling title for the first time in the club’s history.
Blackrock won the inaugural running of the event in 1971, and Glen Rovers, St Finbarr’s, Sarsfields, and Na Piarsaigh had all proven themselves to be the best nationally at U14 level (now U15).
However, Piarsaigh’s 2006 remained Cork’s most recent, until recently 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.
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 David 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.
““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,” said team manager Denis Twomey afterwards.
Chairman of Rebel Óg, Peter Watson, congratulated the team on their success and said that they should be very proud to go down as history makers for their club.
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