'When homegrown players achieve, that's the real inspiration': Ballinora chair on the important things in GAA

Mick O'Regan unfolds the centenary club flag alongsode Jimmy Barry Murphy, Michael O'Connor and Mai Drinan in 2024. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

It’s a little over three years since we last spoke with Ballinora GAA chairman Mick O’Regan.

At that time, O’Regan spoke with pride at the enormous growth of the small townland club, just a ten-minute or so drive to the southwest of Cork city, as it closed in on its 100th anniversary.

And it was in that conversation that O’Regan summed up the ethos of Ballinora GAA.

“Success for us isn’t about winning county titles. Success is having people involved and keeping the community spirit alive,” he insisted.

But since, the ‘Nora, whose numbers have swelled to approximately 400 playing members across 30 teams, are just an hour or so away from winning the Cork Intermediate A football county title, does O’Regan now feel differently?

“No, no. In particular, I was talking about the ability to retain players at all levels of the organisation,” he insisted in the lead up to their showdown with Ilen Rovers at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday.

“If you have an elite squad of players where some of them, say, didn't come through the ranks, they don't inspire the club as much as the home-grown players. When you see the home-grown players coming through, you retain those players, you develop them, and then they go on and they achieve. That's the real inspiration.

“Retention is a big thing for us because we're such a small club.” 

This has always been the attitude of the club. Just ask Michael O’Connor, who knows so much about the club he decided to write a book on it titled 'Under the Dropping Ball: How the GAA Creates Belonging in Ballinora.'

James Lordan and Shane Kingston of Ballinora GAA with Under 15 winning Captains, Paddy Burke, David Fenton and Charlie Noonan. Picture: Jim Coughlan.

Born in 1945, O’Connor has pretty much been involved with the club ever since he was put in goal for a hurling match at the age of seven.

Now the Club President, he knows, better than most, what Ballinora GAA means to its community.

“It nearly collapsed in 1962,” said O’Connor previously. “Bishopstown GAA started in 1957 and about eight or nine of our junior hurlers left and we were all looking at each other saying ‘what do we do?’ 

“We scraped together a team, and we won a Junior B Mid Cork, and you would swear we won a senior All-Ireland - about four in a row - because it was the saviour of the club.

“The survival of the club has been its greatest achievement from my point of view. The club and the community to me means the spirit of volunteerism and the spirit of self-sacrifice.

“When I go over to Ballymah on a Saturday morning and walk around and see the amount of parents and kids there playing, I say to myself 'that’s what it’s all about really.'

“It’s not about medals - we’ll take all the medals we can and the silver pots - but essentially it's about the people and having an identity.” 

But the silver pots have began to arrive with more regularity in recent years, across multiple grades.

Starting with their underage set up and during their centenary year in 2024, Ballinora created history by winning the Féile na nGael and the Féile Peile na nÓg for the first time, before they landed the Premier 1 Feile title earlier this year.

A first ever Muskerry U21 A football title was also secured last year while a historic fifth Muskerry Junior A hurling title in a row was lifted just under two weeks ago.

Daragh Holmes is a shining example of the dedication to this club from players down to staff. Picture: Jim Coughlan

But amidst the recent successes their ethos shines through as Daragh Holmes, who has represented the club since 2014 and has stuck with them through thick and thin and even a relocation to Dublin for work, can attest.

“I love it, it’s great. All my friends are playing with Ballinora, so it never came into my head of moving clubs,” said Holmes.

“When you’ve a good team here, it’s a bit easier doing all the travelling when you’re competing. It’s easier when you’re winning and when you can see something building.

“It’s such a young team. I think the team that started the semi-final win over Kilmurry, myself and James Lordan are 28 years of age and then I think Neil Lordan is probably the next oldest at 23.

“It’s a very young team, but those lads will drive you on. There’s a great buzz around the place at the moment as well.

“It has been a long time coming in terms of getting back to the final. I just can’t wait for Sunday.” 

The community can’t wait for Sunday either. It’s 28-years since Ballinora defeated Kiskeam in the county Junior A football final for their first and only county title in their rich 101-year history. It also remains their last county final appearance at adult level.

Images from that memorable day hang proudly on the walls of O’Shea’s pub in Waterfall, whose owner Brendan played his part in that triumph.

But now Mick O’Regan believes it is time to create new memories.

“It'll be time to replace those (pictures) now after the weekend, hopefully,” jokes O’Regan.

“We can put them up with them. A new wall, and new stories to tell as well.” 

So, with all that said, maybe O’Regan will feel differently about the importance of county titles come Sunday night, particularly if his side gets the result they so desperately crave.

“Sunday night, people could be celebrating, or they'd be commiserating, so you might not get logic out of people either way,” he laughs, knowing his club’s mentality will always remain the same.

“Getting to a final is an achievement in itself, for a small club like us, it's a big achievement.

“Once they perform, then you can't have any complaints afterwards. I hope the team performs to their capability. I’m sure they will.”

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