Flags are out and buzz is growing for Aghabullogue

THE story of Cork hurling usually begins with Aghabullogue, who claimed the first All-Ireland for the Rebel county in 1890.

The small ball has held sway in that part of the country since, but this generation will try to make their mark by winning the club’s first football county on Sunday against Adrigole.

Club PRO Peter Dineen offers a quick history lesson.

“Obviously we’ve had hurling here since the 1800s, but we’ve only been playing football since 1979, when we first entered the Mid Cork championship.

“We’ve been making inroads ever since, the juveniles have been going well for us. Winning a minor B title in 1994 was a great boost, and two of those lads will play on Sunday, Connie Lucy and James Spillane.

“We won a minor B league in 1995 and we’ve won two U-21 titles in Mid Cork, in 1997 and this year, so the underage is showing well.”

Times have been tougher at adult level. The club went so far as to regrade to junior B in 1989, and even though they were back in A competition within 12 months, that yo-yo effect demonstrates the struggle football has in a club with a strong tradition of hurling.

Even the footballers’ return to the A grade in 1990 was quickly overshadowed: “When we went up intermediate hurling in 1991 that put football on the back burner,” said Dineen.

Ironically, it was the intermediate hurlers’ exit at the hands of Aghada this season which helped focus minds on football. In another hurling-related bonus, Grenagh star Tom Kenny’s involvement with Cork meant the Mid Cork junior football championship was held up, and Aghabullogue were nominated for the county series.

Dineen said: “We were delighted to be nominated by the board to represent the division, and we wanted to beat Tadhg McCarthaighs because we didn’t want to let anyone down.”

The Mid Cork men duly eliminated the Caheragh side before facing Bride Rovers in the county semi-final.

“The Bride Rovers game was our best performance of the year,” he said.

“They weren’t as good as we expected but we still played very well on the day.

“The one thing I’d be worried about is the wet weather, which wouldn’t bode well for us.

“We’re a small team and we found it tough going against Tadhg McCarthaighs, for example. They were a big side and they hit us hard - but fair - and the lads certainly felt it the following day. We don’t know much about Adrigole, but we know they’re a footballing side and we’d expect them to be big and strong.”

Aghabullogue have some strengths of their own. The defence hasn’t conceded a goal in the championship this season, and goalkeeper David Moynihan has the experience of being substitute Cork minor keeper two years ago to draw on.

The midfielders may not be the biggest but Dan and Niall Buckley are hardworking and effective, and the forwards are productive, as the 1-13 scoreline against Bride Rovers shows. For all that, next Sunday isn’t the end of Aghabullogue’s season, and they’re not losing sight of that fact.

“Reaching a county final is a terrific bonus and we’re delighted to be there,” says Dineen.

“But our real goal was to reach the Mid Cork final. We’ve never done that before so now we’re there we want to win it. The team is under some unnecessary pressure with the Mid Cork final on Sunday week. If we beat Adrigole on Sunday it could all be taken away on the following Sunday, when we play the Mid Cork final. Ballincollig’s second string and Grenagh play the other semi-final next Sunday, and they’re two good teams.

“Ballincollig’s second string have a lot of good players, former Cork minors and so on, while Grenagh will have plenty of motivation after losing out in the hurling last Sunday.

“This county final may be a bridge too far for us; we’d have preferred to reach it the other way, as divisional champions.”

Still, it’s great for the parish. During the week the bunting and flags went up around Aghabullogue, and the buzz is growing. For one of Cork’s most historic clubs, another chapter opens next Sunday, and, as Dineen says, irrespective of the result: “It’s great for all the lads who went out on Saturday mornings and taught young fellas the skills of the game; it’s great for them to have a day out like next Sunday.”