Killeagh/St Ita’s now aiming to power on
On Sunday afternoon at Shanagarry, Power will patrol the sideline as the amalgamated club bid to secure a first East Cork U21 hurling crown at the expense of Fr O’Neill’s.
Assisting him will be Art Supple, U14 selector in 1998. Also in his backroom team is Cork GAA Games Development Administrator Colm Crowley, a member of that U14 squad.
The lines of symmetry between their primitive beginning and current progress, stressed Power, are several ahead of this weekend’s contest.
“Most of us were some way involved back then and we were all there on the line last year when we won the County U21 B title against Clonakilty,” he said. “We felt there was a team good enough this year to challenge at the top grade and so far, so good.”
Having been involved during their first year of marriage, how strong is the relationship17-summers later?
“Look, I’ll put it this way; Killeagh were surviving without St Ita’s, but when we came up against the strong teams, St Finbarr’s and the likes, we found we were two or three players short. St Ita’s are providing those players.”
The breakdown of Power’s U21 team would show Killeagh continue to supply the bulk of players, their neighbours then providing that finishing touch of class.
There were just three St Ita’s hurlers on the team which claimed the scalp of Midleton in the semi-final earlier this month, but noteworthy were the positions held down by Bobby McCarthy and Ciaran and Darragh O’Brien - the trio occupying the full-back, centre-back and left half-back berths.
Subs Cathal Deane and Mark Colman complete the St Ita’s involvement, highlighting how the club would have struggled had this partnership not been forged.
With Sunday’s U21 decider and a first East Cork junior final appearance to look forward to in the coming three weeks, St Ita’s chairman Seán Harnedy said the club is “at an all time high”.
Their rising graph, he adds, is largely attributable to the deal struck in 1998.
“We were struggling back then to field teams. We were particularly struggling at U14 level. We would have been competing at the lowest grade, but now we have lads who are looking forward to an East Cork U21 final, lads who would have played in a Cork Premier minor hurling final last year.”
On September 12, the Gortroe club will contest the East Cork junior decider and Harnedy reckons at least 13 members of the starting team have come through the amalgamated set-up.
“It is the first time in the club’s 114-year history we are in the final. . These lads are all the better for lining out for Killeagh/St Ita’s. There is a great arrangement there.”
