Aidan O'Mahony breathes a huge sigh of relief as Macroom survive the drop

Kerry All-Ireland winner will reflect before deciding on 2026. 'Last year, my brother passed away and this group was very good to me. I haven’t forgotten that'

PONDERING: Macroom manager Aidan O'Mahony: 'I’ve two kids now, they are six and eight and they are my priority. They’re playing football'

THERE was a visceral championship feel to Bandon and Macroom’s game in Kilmurry on Sunday - little wonder when the epic Cork Premier IFC tie was a relegation play-off.

The 2-20 to 2-19 final scoreline in favour of Macroom included a significant number of two-pointers. Eleven in total, seven for Macroom and four for Bandon.

One key two-pointer for the winners was as a result of an infringement free. And when you have someone like Pa Lucey, who accumulated 1-12, including five two-pointer frees, you can see how the new rule has transformed football.

Multiple Kerry All-Ireland winner Aidan O’Mahony is the Macroom manager, and he believes the two-pointers are a game-changer.

“They have really opened up the football. You see for years teams playing blanket defences and stuff. That’s not the football I grew up with anyway. It is great to see. It is great to see people coming around the arc and the shooters and it opens up the game and there are more goals. You could see with the crowd as well, they are getting more energy from it, they are more connected with the players again. I think it has been brilliant for football.

“It was a day for football, an outstanding game, and I have pity for Bandon as well. Based on the championship neither team should probably be in relegation. But here we are. You don’t want any team to be going down.” 

It was a third successive relegation play-off for Macroom, having survived against Ilen Rovers and Na Piarsaigh in 2024 and 2023 respectively.

This is O’Mahony’s second term.

“I have my two years done with Macroom,” he smiled. “I started coaching or managing in 2017 and I said I would do it for a year or two and I’m still doing it. Look, I’ll see over the next few weeks. I’ve two kids now, they are six and eight and they are my priority. They’re playing football.

“We’ll sit down. I suppose the biggest thing is the players that decide really who stays on and who they want because after two years with any group, they get used to you.

“From my own side, I couldn’t speak more highly of this group. They’ve been very welcoming to me. I said last year, my brother passed away and this group was very good to me. I haven’t forgotten that, and that was my only job here to try and give them any hand I could to get them over the line to keep them up. 

“Thank God we’ve done that.”