SAHC: John O'Sullivan hails Ballinhassig's character

For any promoted team, the primary championship mission is to avoid an immediate relegation back to whence they came.

In the case of Ballinhassig, up at senior A level this year following their Co-op SuperStores Premier IHC victory of 2025, that was achieved after two matches as an opening draw with divisional rivals Courcey Rovers was followed by a victory over Inniscarra.

It meant they went to Páirc Uí Rinn for Saturday’s clash with Carrigtwohill as the leaders of Group 3 – but with qualification for the knockout stages far from assured.

When Ballinhassig fell seven points behind after Matthew Barrett’s goal for Carrig ten minutes into the second half, their hopes of progression were receding but they mounted an impressive comeback.

Brian Lynch’s goal was key and they actually led in the closing stages following a point by Cork panellist Darragh O’Sullivan. While Carrigtwohill came back to lead again, Ballinhassig sub Shane McCarthy had the final say as his point earned a draw to give them top spot in the group.

A quarter-final clash with Watergrasshill now awaits, with Ballinhassig manager John O’Sullivan impressed by how his team hauled themsleves back into contention.

“When we met at the start of the year, they wanted to win the league and they wanted to stay up in the championship,” he said “We didn't win the league, but we did gain promotion. We knew we’d be staying up in the championship after beating Inniscarra the last day, so during the week we were talking about this as being a free shot.

“We were gonna we were going to really go for that free shot as well and, look, that's what they did.

“I mean, look, it's testament to them, you couldn't ask for any more – we were dead and buried, effectively, I don't know how they did it, they just did they ground it out and it's onwards and upwards.” 

Though most of the first half was even, Carrigtwohill had begun to edge ahead coming up to half-time and a two-point interval lead was quickly strengthened as the east Cork side hit three quick points after the restart.

Barrett’s goal opened up a 1-14 to 0-10 lead, but the remainder would see Ballinhassig get on top around the middle and outscore their opponents – semi-finalists in 2025 – by 1-7 to 0-3.

As well as praising his own team’s resolve, O’Sullivan felt that referee Canice Walsh played his part in ensuring an entertaining and tough-but-fair encounter.

“There was great character shown,” he said, “I think if there was ever any question-mark over our fitness, it was kind of put the bed there really in the last 20 minutes.

“I think, in fairness to Canice Walsh, he led to a great game there, especially in the last 20 minutes, he just let the thing go and both teams just went hammer and tongs at it.

“It was man for man and there was no quarter asked or given and both teams just went at it.

“We started to build up momentum. We made changes, we used four subs there from kind of around the 40th minute on.

“When we were seven points down, we were about to be going out of the competition and so we said we would just go for it – we made substitutions and they all paid off.

“I think they all contributed handsomely. Fellas weren't coming off because anything was going wrong but we just needed to get fresh legs out there and I think look that probably helped us in the closing stages.” 

The upshot of it all is that Ballinhassig will face the Hill – the side that preceded them as premier intermediate champions – for a place in the last four.

While O’Sullivan acknowledges that there has been a noticeable step up from the third tier to the second, they are continuing to learn and adapt.

“We have Watergrasshill now and they’re an excellent team,” he said.

“They probably have a year more than us under the belt up in senior A, which counts for a lot because what we found this year is that the step up is not so much the hurling, but it’s the workrate when you come up from premier intermediate.

“The hits are harder, the game is faster, which obviously means there's more work needed and that's what we're probably just adjusting to, more so than the hurling.”