SAHC: Watergrasshill keen to put experience to good use

Watergrasshill are more than familiar with the vagaries of the group stages in the Cork hurling championships.

Before winning the Premier IHC in 2024, and then going on to provincial and national glory, the club lost just one of six championship matches across two years but failed to advance to the knockouts as they had drawn all the rest.

Then, at senior A last year, they missed out on progression despite winning of their three matches; this time around, the same four-point tally was sufficient to qualify.

On each occasion, the loss came against Blarney, though this year it was after both sides had won twice to guarantee safe passage. Whereas a 21-point reversal in 2025 was ultimately costly when scoring difference came into play, this time they were able to shake off a five-point loss before overcoming Ballinhassig in the quarter-finals after extra time.

Brendan Lehane feels that they put the experience of last year to good use.

“We were really disappointed with it last year,” he says, “two wins and to not come out of the group.

“It was unlucky in a way, but I suppose we were just kicking ourselves, it was really the scoring-difference against Blaney. I think we kind of shot ourselves in the foot with that.

“We probably could have kept it to less than that, but I suppose the game was gone from us in the second half and it just kept on piling on and we didn't realise what we were getting into.”

“We kept with them this year, with that in mind.”

In Ballinhassig, Watergrasshill faced the side that had succeeded them as premier intermediate champions.

While the sides couldn’t be separated over 60 minutes, the Hill had five points to spare in extra time, setting up Saturday’s semi-final with Erin’s Own.

“I think once it goes to extra time, anything could happen,” Lehane says, “it's pure grit.

“We knew we could compare ourselves to Ballinhassig in a lot of ways – the fact that they're on a bit of a roll, it's hard to beat a team when they're coming off a premier intermediate win, you have a bit of momentum.

“I think we were lucky to get away with it in the end, to be honest. It was so close, it could have gone either way towards the end, it was pure grit that got us through it.

“It's so much sweeter when it's such a tough battle that you get over.”

They’ve made a habit of coming out on the right side of games like that over the past three seasons, with the 2024 campaign imbuing them with with confidence and belief.

“I think that entire year probably brought us on a lot as a team,” Lehane says.

“Up until 2024, we didn't even know if we had it in us – I had never won a premier intermediate game up until that year, I’d drawn five and lost one.

“Once we won the county final, there was a sense of belief after that, you realise we actually have it in us to win big games.

“After the Munster final, I think the shackles came off, we started to play our own game and actually believe in ourselves. In parts, we’re a fairly young team as well, so to step up to big games like that, it definitely brings you on.”

If they get over the next hurdle, it will be another feather in the cap of their manager Eddie Enright and Lehane, a UCC food marketing and entrepreneurship student, is full of praise for the Tipperary native.

“He's been through it all,” he says, “his accolades say enough.

“He has unbelievable knowledge of the game and he has a serious passion for Watergrasshill as well, which means a lot. #

“When you know you're actually playing for a fella who it means a lot to, you're going to leave it all out on the pitch for him and not just Eddie, but everyone involved in the team and the community.

“It means a lot. It's massive.”

CO-OP SUPERSTORES SAHC SEMI-FINALS

Saturday, October 3: Blarney v Carrigtwohill, 5.15pm; Erin’s Own v Watergrasshill, 7pm, both SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh