St Colman’s expect game to go ahead

ST COLMAN’S COLLEGE, Fermoy are continuing their preparations for the challenge match later this month between a team of ‘St Colman’s Legends’ and a Cork senior hurling selection, despite the current Cork conflict.

The game is scheduled for Fitzgerald Park, Fermoy on November 23 as part of celebrations to mark the Fermoy school’s 150th anniversary. But the refusal of the Cork panel to play under the stewardship of Cork manager Gerald McCarthy has cast doubt over the possibility of a Cork team being available to play.

However, despite the uncertainty, St. Colman’s College are adamant that the game will take place.

“We’ve received no notification of the match being postponed,” stated St Colman’s teacher Gus Kelleher. “We went through the proper channels in order to stage this game, firstly applying to the Cork County Board and then sorting out insurance with the Munster Council.

“We’ve not spoken to any representatives on either side and we don’t want to make any comment on the current conflict. That would put us in an invidious position. We don’t want to get dragged into anything and certainly we don’t want any controversy surrounding the match.”

Kelleher also claimed there has been too much effort put into planning the match for it now to be cancelled. To mark the occasions a new set of jerseys have been commissioned for the St Colman’s side, fashioned on the green and white hoop style worn by players during the 19th century.

A limited souvenir programme recalling the story of hurling at St Colman’s will also be available on the day. “There’s huge commitment put into it. We have a 30-man panel lined up and all the players we contacted were hugely interested,” Kelleher said. “The panel ranges from Trevor Cooney, who is still playing at 40, to Adrian Mannix from Kilworth, who only left the school recently. All the other players are looking forward to it and we’ll have some big names.”