'If the seniors did win, it’d be the icing on the cake' for Blackrock's hurlers

Blackrock make the short trip to Páirc Uí Chaoimh tomorrow to take on Na Piarsaigh in the Cork SHC semi-final. The sharp end of the county championship is a traditional part of the Rockies’ calendar, but they’ve been out of the limelight in recent years; their last senior title went down to the village in 2002.

Alan Browne, who starred on that side, welcomes the senior side’s drive to the last four in the championship, but says the Rockies’ renaissance is being driven from the bottom up.

“There hasn’t been huge success at senior level for the last few years, though, in fairness they did win the senior hurling league last year, but there’s massive work being done in Blackrock at underage level. The club’s fortunate in that it has terrific facilities below there: You have the Jimmy Brohan hurling alley there, the hall, there’s activity there every single night, which is great.