Ballinhassig and football: Tangled up in blue with its proud hurling alter ego

As Ballinhassig prepare for the first county football final in their illustrious history on Saturday, John Coleman explains how a hurling stronghold started to take football more seriously.

Ballinhassig celebrate capturing their second SE JAFC title. Picture: Howard Crowdy

As this is a story about a club famed for its hurling making a Cork county football final, it makes sense for events with the small ball to be the genesis of a change of fortune, and attitude with the bigger one.

To make sense of it all, we have to take a step back first.