Resurgent Na Piarsaigh look the part as Senior A quarter-finals beckon once more

Following their demotion from the top flight of Cork hurling in 2022, it took Na Piarsaigh a little time to settle in at Senior A. 

Group stage elimination brought an unsatisfactory end to their first campaign at this grade in 2023. 2024’s quarter-final with Castlelyons ended in the most devastating of circumstances; the East Cork club prevailed on a penalty shootout. Last year’s championship was brought to a close again at the quarter-final stage against Blarney; they had progressed from the group with only two points.

This season’s championship got off to a rocky start, to put it mildly. They were ripped to shreds in the second half by recently-relegated Erin’s Own, scoring just four points across the latter period in that game.

They found themselves teetering on the edge after just one game, with the same failings threatening to resurface again for the Mark Mullins-led Na Piarsaigh hurlers.

But hauls of 0-32 and 1-27, in games two and three respectively, sent the northsiders through to the quarter-finals for a third successive season. And this is as well-equipped as Na Piarsaigh have looked in their four years at this grade.

It’s worth mentioning too that they were without star forward Ross O’Sullivan for that opening round defeat. He marked his return with eight points from play in their rout of Fermoy.

But they could have been without him here against Killeagh and still won. Such was the level of performance from those around him, and Daire Connery and Kevin Moynihan in particular.

“It's a 20-man game, every game,” said manager Mark Mullins. “And different guys are going to stand up on different days.” 

Rising star

Another man to stand out here was Dan Scanlon. He started the game in the full-forward line and ended it as a sweeper, but it was those house-cleaning duties that warranted praise here.

“Dan has played that role previously in the North Mon for the AG,” Mullins added. “So that's very good from him. And we practised that during the week so we’re really happy with that actually.” 

They had worked on using Scanlon as a sweeper in the lead-up to the game, planning to their own strengths and to that of their opponents.

“A bit of both! With Killeagh, Barry Walsh has to be watched. We had a plan for Barry today and it worked out. But we focused on our strengths as well and that's what we really encourage the team to do.

“We won the toss and we elected to go against it. We debated that one actually, we normally do [go against it]. Some days it works and some days it doesn't.

“The last few weeks now with training, we have really turned it around. 

The team, they're doing everything that's asked of them. They were very sharp in training and that's shown in the last two games.

“It was [tough during the last few years], but the players kept listening.

“Seán Óg [Ó hAilpín] and Christy [Connery], they're great at what they do,” Mullins explained. “They're doing it every night and the players are responding, and it's starting to come to fruition now which is brilliant.

“We're through and we'll be looking forward to the quarter-final. And if the training keeps going as well as it's doing, we'll be in with a shot.”