Final Talking Points: Keane says plenty Barr’s players putting hands up for Cork chance

By Denis Hurley

The captain’s prize in reverse

Until 2007, the custom in Cork – which still persists elsewhere, like Kerry and Kilkenny – is that the county champions in hurling and football got to choose the captains of the Cork senior team the following year.

Since the change (Kieran Murphy of Erin’s Own and Nemo Rangers’ Derek Kavanagh were the last captains to be selected in such a way), management make the choice and currently Séamus Harnedy is the skipper of the Rebels hurling team with Ian Maguire having been chosen by Ronan McCarthy to lead the football side earlier this year.

Three weeks ago, Harnedy led Imokilly to a second straight county SHC win and yesterday Maguire became the first Barrs captain to lift the Andy Scannell Cup since 1985, marking of a kind of reversal of the old system.

Barr’s look to further glory

Ray Keane said afterwards that he would let his players enjoy their celebrations and then regroup and look at the Munster Club SFC, with a semi-final clash against Dr Crokes or Moyle Rovers to come in two weeks’ time.

While the Barrs hadn’t won a county since 1985, in 1986 they represented Cork after losing the final to Imokilly and went on to win Munster and All-Ireland titles. Their four provincial wins trail only Nemo Rangers and Crokes and they will want to show they can build on this.

Championships like buses?

Last year, Imokilly ended their 20-year wait for a senior hurling title and then went and won the next one, just like Glen Rovers went back-to-back after going without a win between 1999 and 2015.

The Barrs aren’t an old team. Their talismans yesterday, Maguire and Stephen Sherlock, have yet to reach their mid-20s, and while Michael Shields is 32, he isn’t showing too many signs of ageing. In 2016, they won the county U21 title and this year’s minors reached the county Premier 2 final, albeit losing to Kilshannig, so there is a steady flow of talent.

Blues for reds?

Glen O’Connor now has a county senior football medal like his sister Gemma, the Cork and Barr’s camogie star, who won a county ladies title with Donoughmore. Gemma’s Twitter handle is @blues4reds and Ray Keane was asked after the match if players like Stephen Sherlock can follow captain Ian Maguire in making themselves mainstays of Ronan McCarthy’s team.

The manager was firm in his conviction that there is enough potential there to make the step up.

“There’s him and there’s a few more that should be in and around the Cork team,” he said.

“Why they aren’t, I can’t answer that question. There’s players in Cork, it’s as simple as that. The more lads that put their hands up, I’m sure Ronan will work with them.”

Duhallow will be back

Last year, Duhallow reached the semi-finals and they were in the quarter-finals the two years before that, consistently the division to put in the best performances in the SFC.

While manager Pádraig Kearns acknowledged that it won’t be easy to come out of the divisions/colleges section next year, their organisation ensures they are always in with a good shout of doing so and the club-like ethic makes them a tough match for anybody.