Elected O’Donovan moves focus to Bandon

James O’Donovan estimates he has missed "about half" of the Bandon hurlers’ training sessions in the past couple of months.

This is not a case of apathy, injury or bad timekeeping, you understand, but the quest to win a seat on Cork County Council has meant that many an evening has been spent knocking on doors rather than with his team-mates.

Last Saturday night, he was elected as one of three Fine Gael councillors in the Bandon-Kinsale local electoral area.

While the word ‘Cllr’ won’t be in front of his name on the programme for tomorrow’s clash with Inniscarra in Brinny (3.30pm), he is noticing a difference even now.

“The first meeting is on June 6, and then Mondays after that,” he said, “but I’ve people contacting me already. All I can do at the moment is say that I’ll take each case as it comes but I’m looking forward to it.

“At least the everyday trawl of the canvass from 10am until 9pm is over, it was tough going. I went back to work on Monday, I felt it’d be best if I just ploughed straight back into it.

“I think people respect you more that way rather than if you were shying away from the public.”

Work is as co-owner of the Fresh Fish Seafood Deli, based in Rosscarbery but also with a mobile unit which takes him around west Cork.

James, who regularly features in these pages for his exploits in his other passion – road bowling, took annual leave from his day job while he was electioneering, and though his involvement with Bandon was curtailed, he began to almost find training to be a release from the political activity.

“It was great to be able to go in and switch off for an hour or two,” he said.

“I was getting plenty of exercise with all of the canvassing anyway, I’d love to know how much I walked, I lost threequarters of a stone.

“This week now, all you can do when you’ve been out for so long is just try to get the touch back. If your head is right then it’s a massive help.

“I suppose I can concentrate a bit more with the election out of the way, but I won’t have any fears.

“Obviously it’d be at the back of your head that you don’t have a lot done but the best thing to do is to focus on the positives.”

Having achieved promotion from the lower intermediate grade in 2011, Bandon maintained their momentum the following year as they reached the Premier Intermediate final, losing to Ballinhassig.

Last year, they lost to Tracton after a replay in the fourth round, but James believes that they are ready to go again now. Having lost the 2007 and ’08 lower grade intermediate finals, he feels there is character in abundance in the side.

“I think that last year the physicality caught up with us,” he said.

“We were mentally and physically drained, it’s tough to go from the 2011 final straight into training in January 2012, it’s going to catch up with you eventually.

“It was hard to take in 2007 and 2008 but it makes you stronger. At least you have to consolation of knowing how to recover and how to get back to a final.

“What we did in 2012 was excellent, I wouldn’t say we overachieved but we surpassed expectations. Last year, we were just knackered, but we can have no qualms either, we had 18 wides against Tracton so we can't blame anyone else.”

Inniscarra will be just as tough tomorrow, he feels, especially given their good league form, albeit a division below Bandon. In John Hurley, who guided St Oliver Plunkett’s to a Carbery JAHC title, Bandon have a new coach after five years under Teddy McCarthy. Hurley is aided by former players as selectors to form a strong overall unit.

“The new management are getting to grips with things,” James said.

“Teddy was there for five years and gameplans change, it’s going to take a while to settle in but we’re ready now.

“I just want to thank the management for their patience with me and the support from the lads was overwhelming, canvassing and voting and getting other people to vote.

“The best way that I can pay them all back now is by playing well and helping us get the win.”