How Kanturk moved to Cork's top tier in hurling and football: United front paid off

Kanturk manager Eoghan O’Connor was thrilled to see his squad rewarded for their year-long efforts by overcoming Éire Óg to claim the 2026 McCarthy Insurance Group Senior AFC county championship title.

Eoghan O’Connor cut a delighted and relieved figure just minutes after last Sunday’s final whistle. The Kanturk manager had every reason to be happy after witnessing his side’s 1-15 to 0-14 Senior A county final victory.

Was it possible to take in the fact they had just lifted the Kevin McTernan Cup or the fact Kanturk was going to be a dual Premier Senior club in 2027?

“Not really, to be honest with you,” was O’Connor’s answer.

“I won’t lie. There were a few league games earlier this year where I was happier! This? It is kind of a sense of shock right now, to be honest. We started out together on this journey, a lot of the lads. 

We won a junior county all those years ago. It’s where we wanted to get back to and to become a dual senior club.” 

Man of the Match Paul Walsh was one of the final’s most important contributors. Finishing with 1-2, Walsh’s first-half goal, the only green flag of a tight contest, proved the game’s most vital score.

Along with Walsh, some of Eoghan O’Connor’s late switches also had a positive effect. Cian Clernon and Ian Walsh came off the bench and each scored to ensure Kanturk got over the line at the expense of a dogged Éire Óg.

“That goal was crucial alright,” the Kanturk manager admitted.

“We were ahead for an awful lot of that game but, as I said earlier, we weren’t going to win with just fifteen players today. Four substitutes came on. Our last two scores came from two of those subs.

“I know, from over the years, what being a substitute is like. Sometimes it wasn’t nice to be honest with you. When Kyrle (Holland) and I took over the team, we said we would build a panel of 30 players.

“Player number one would be treated the exact same way as player number thirty. So it proved today with our last two scores coming from our substitutes bench.” 

United front

Considering the group stage delivered one won and two draws, how did Kanturk rally themselves to deliver improved performances and overcome Éire Óg for the Senior AFC title?

“It’s all about unity,” was O’Connor’s response. “It’s unity between football management and hurling management. Every week, there’s guys there but obviously their preference is hurling.

“There’s no man in Kanturk that will say I’m hurling only or football only. We’ve inter-county hurlers that will put as much effort in when the county hurling season is over.

They are fantastic club men and without them we would not be where we are today.” 

So, at the end of an epic afternoon, what does it mean to state Kanturk is now both a Premier Senior hurling and football club?

“It is fantastic! I go back to the first meeting we had in January, nearly 12 months ago. We said we wanted to become the biggest club in Duhallow. I think, after this county final victory, there is no doubt now that we are.

“Kanturk is Premier Senior in both football and hurling. That was the aim. Now, we have done it. We will do our best to enjoy it.”