Corn Uí Mhuirí: Late, late IS Killorglin show sends Kerry school through
Hugo Woods, Loughlin O'Donnell and Ben Coffey, Hamilton High School, battle with Tadhg O'Sullivan, IS Killorglin. Pic: Jim Coughlan.
Last year, Intermediate School Killorglin lost every group game in the Corn Uí Mhuirí.
This year, they’re through to the knockout stages after toppling 2024’s beaten semi-finalists Hamilton High School Bandon.
It’s a sweet turnaround for the Kerry school, sealed with a late double strike that sent Hamilton High School of Bandon tumbling at Bishopstown on Wednesday afternoon.
For most of the second half, it looked like the Hammies were on their way back to the post-Christmas fixture list.
They had overturned a first-half deficit, controlled the middle, and led by a point on 54 minutes. Killorglin had scored only a point in the 20 minutes before that.
But ISK weren’t in the mood to fold.
Adam O’Neill levelled matters on 56 minutes from a free, but a draw would not do. His one-two with Tomás Joy a minute later cut open the Bandon defence and O’Neill hammered home to the net. Suddenly, ISK were three clear and in full command.
Before Bandon could regroup, they were hit again. Ciarán Birmingham forced a turnover that set a flowing move through Charlie Griffin, Joy and Seán Griffin, before Charlie Griffin finished it, rifling from close range to make it 3-10 to 1-10, one minute to the hour.
The Hammies, desperate now, pressed for a goal of their own, Donagh Flynn denied only by a superb Adam Radny save deep in added time. The 45 that followed came to nothing, and Killorglin were through.
It was a cruel ending for Bandon, who had wrestled control of the tie after the restart.
When O’Neill’s two-point free and Colm Evans’ white flag pushed Killorglin 1-8 to 0-5 ahead, Bandon found their rhythm around midfield, Jack Hennigan dictating and sub Donncha O’Mahony making a serious impact on kickouts.
Hennigan’s two-point free began their surge, and minutes later they had the net rattled. Loughlin O’Donnell’s point attempt dropped short, Daniel Coughlan reacted sharply to flick home on 43 minutes.
But Killorglin ended the drought and hit two excellent goals in a spell of three minutes to snatch victory.
Bandon, missing injured star forward Eoin Maguire – brother of Cork senior Rory – had trailed 1-2 to no score early but recovered well before the break, only three down at half-time, 1-8 to 0-8.
Yet even as they improved, they could never quite shake Killorglin, who stayed close enough to pounce when it mattered.
A O’Neill 1-4 (1 tpf, 0-1 f), C Evans 1-1, T Joy 0-4 (0-3 f), C Griffin 1-0, E Murphy 0-1.
C Hennigan 0-6 (0-3 f, 1 tpf, 0-1 45), D Coughlan 1-0, D Flynn, J Twomey, B Coffey, D Murphy 0-1 each.
A Radny (Laune Rangers); G McCarthy (Cromane), D Butler (Fossa), C Birmingham (Laune Rangers); J Jones (Laune Rangers), S Griffin (Milltown Castlemaine), D Flynn (Laune Rangers); T O’Sullivan (Glenbeigh/Glencar), E Murphy (Listry); F Kennedy (Beaufort), C Griffin (Milltown Castlemaine), C Evans (Laune Rangers); T Joy (Laune Rangers), O O’Sullivan (Laune Rangers), A O’Neill (Laune Rangers).
D Kelly (Laune Rangers) for Flynn (HT), M Culhane (Beaufort) for Kennedy, L O’Connell (Laune Rangers) for O O’Sullivan (both 47), J Horgan (Laune Rangers) for Evans (50).
R Curtin (Valley Rovers); H Woods (Valley Rovers), N O’Sullivan (Newcestown), R Tarrant (Bandon); L O’Donnell (Kilbrittain), B Coffey (Clonakilty) (c), H Flanagan (Newcestown); C O’Flynn (Bandon), J Hennigan (Sam Maguires); J Twomey (Argideen Rangers), D Flynn (Argideen Rangers), A Griffin (Kilbrittain); C Murphy (Valley Rovers), D Coughlan (Bandon), E O’Sullivan (Valley Rovers).
D O’Mahony (Newcestown) for O’Flynn (HT), D Murphy (Bandon) for O’Sullivan (40), D Brady (Valley Rovers) for O’Donnell (44), D Ó Mathúna (Clonakilty) for Twomey (54), P Deasy (Ibane Gaels) for Hennigan (60+1).
B Coniry (Crosshaven)
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