More than just senior glory on Blackrock’s radar

Blackrock chairman Ger Coughlan doesn’t see any point in attempting to downplay the significance of the next 72 hours.

“It is a massive weekend for the club,” he declares matter-of-factly.

That the Rockies are one hour away from a second successive Cork SHC final appearance is of no surprise to anyone who has seen Fergal Ryan’s side this year.

What wasn’t expected, though, was that the Blackrock intermediates — the club’s second team — would also be in a county semi-final.

This evening in Páirc Uí Rinn (7.45pm), the Blackrock intermediates face Éire Óg for a place in the decider.

It’s 33 years since the famed Cork city club last contested a county intermediate final and who was it that denied them silverware back in 1985 but Éire Óg.

On Sunday at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Blackrock face Midleton for a place in the showpiece of Cork senior hurling.

And in between all of that, the club’s second U21 team, tomorrow at Ballinlough, contest the Seandún U21B decider against Passage.

A key factor in the club’s sustained run in both grades was that on the Sunday afternoon in late April when Blackrock opened their senior championship campaign, they were without a number of first-team regulars from 2017 — the team selected by Ryan against Carrigtwohill contained 10 of the side which started last year’s county final.

Shane O’Keeffe, having moved to Australia following the 2017 final reverse to Imokilly, is a long-term absentee, but also missing, for a variety of reasons, was goalkeeper Gavin Connolly, Ciarán Cormack and Michael O’Halloran — the latter pair made up two-thirds of last year’s full-forward line.

The intermediates may have come up short against Midleton in their first outing, but come their second-round fixture against Ballinhassig in early July, their forward unit had Ciarán Cormack at centre-forward and O’Halloran on the edge of the square.

Between them, they hit 2-12, one shy of Ballinhassig’s 0-19 total. The Rockies won with 11 to spare.

Barryroe and Dungourney were subsequently defeated to progress the club’s intermediates to a quarter-final.

By this juncture, however, both O’Halloran and defender Jamie Ryan, son of senior manager Fergal, had been promoted to the senior team.

Undeterred, Kieran O’Callaghan’s charges kept the double dream alive last weekend when defeating Kildorrery.

Their tally of 2-12 at Rathcormac was divided between eight players, emphasising how the intermediates, no more than the senior team, are in no way dependent on any one individual.

The balanced nature of both sides stems from the huge underage success Blackrock has enjoyed over the last 10 years.

Between 2009-13, there were four county minor titles secured, while three U21 county championships followed in 2012, ’14, and ’15.

“Even though we were successful, the cream of the crop didn’t always stay with us. A lot of lads moved on, we lost some to rugby and soccer. That said, a good few lads have now come back to us.

"We are fortunate with the success we have had at underage the last couple of years. All these players who won underage medals are now maturing,” said chairman Coughlan.

“To have the intermediates going well, on top of the seniors, is a huge boost for the club. It is a reward for the hard work and effort that has gone in, not just this year, but for the last couple of years.”

Coughlan continued: “Goalkeeper David O’Shea, corner-backs Conor O’Brien and Jamie Ryan, as well as Mark O’Keeffe, have made huge inroads this year with regard to senior selection.

"Jamie started off with the intermediates, then moved up to the seniors for the Ballymartle game.

“We have a development policy in Blackrock. Sometimes, it works, sometimes, it doesn’t. It’s up to every individual to buy into it. Lads are encouraged to play at the level that their ability takes them to.

"A lot of lads would be capable of playing [senior]. If a lad plays well on Friday for the intermediates, the senior management would have no hesitation in throwing them in on Sunday if they are needed.

“The two teams train together as much as possible and there is excellent cooperation between the respective managements.”