Seven standing — guide to the Cork Premier SHC contenders
Brian O'Sullivan, Eoin Downey and William Buckley in action. Pics: Irish Examiner photographers
A first below-par group campaign since the 2022 edition where they finished third, behind Blackrock and the Barrs, and endured early elimination. The opening round defeat to Charleville marked the first time since that same 2022 group campaign where Sars were bested by a fellow Cork club in championship. A remarkable four-year run reduced to rubble.
Mined the necessary results in subsequent outings against Newtownshandrum and Douglas, but still not the consistent picture of recent campaigns. Do at least deserve credit for navigating final two rounds that were essentially win-or-bust scenarios.
Injury meant Daniel Kearney was only a second-half sub during the opening day setback. His return to the starting team thereafter was crucial in ensuring no further setbacks. The experience and game-intelligence of the 36-year-old midfielder is invaluable to Johnny Crowley’s set-up. Scored 0-3 and assisted 2-0 in the win over Newtown.
Kanturk (Live on Clubber)
Has to be Jack O’Connor. Has become and consistently shown himself to be Sars’ ultimate big-day performer.
This group is beyond proven where the knockout phase of the championship is concerned. They're going after a four-in-a-row of county final appearances that has only been twice achieved over the past 45 years.
In the four years of this latest managerial chapter with Sars, Johnny Crowley has never known an injury list so lengthy. The experienced trio of Conor O’Sullivan, Bryan and Killian Murphy missed the last two games. Colm McCarthy was reduced to a bench role against Douglas. Their system and style of play has been hampered by the absence of those so familiar and ingrained in it.
For the first time in a number of years, there’s a sense of vulnerability surrounding the champions. There’s an uncertainty about them.
Having gone so close to achieving a result against Glen Rovers, the subsequent 2-27 to 2-16 thumping of Blackrock — 1-16 to 0-5 was the size of their interval lead — blew away and bettered each of Kanturk’s previous giant-killing exercises, including the 2022 group victory over Midleton and relegating the Glen 12 months later. It stands untouched as the performance and result of the 2026 Cork championship.
Brian O’Sullivan’s club form again asks the annual question of whether he merits greater auditioning in red. The midfielder racked up 2-34 across three group games. Penalties, sidelines, unerring freetaking; he’s ticking all the boxes. Colin Walsh and his 1-9 from play has him out front in the best supporting category.
Sars (Live on Clubber)
The half-back line-up of evergreen Lorcán McLoughlin, fellow former Cork hurler Darren Browne, and current Cork footballer Tommy Walsh. This is their wall and their launchpad. Walsh has proven himself adept in dropping back a line to perform a man-marking job, and it’ll be no surprise if he’s asked to shadow Jack O’Connor at Mallow.
Could be accused of clutching at straws here but Kanturk's sole championship meeting with Sars since joining the topflight five seasons ago finished level, that the 1-16 to 0-19 group stalemate in 2023.
They don’t have Sars’ injury concerns, but they do have 12 players who are starters on both their hurling and football sides. Six games already under the belt in what were taxing group campaigns, might fatigue be a factor against an outfit of single-code focus?
Unlike 2024, there is no contentment at reaching the quarter-finals. The collective ambition has not been sated. Knowing they belong in the final seven, Kanturk want to raise the ceiling again and reach a first ever top-flight semi-final.
The graph plummeted before climbing in a more positive trajectory. Their collapse from a position of five in front against 14-man Blackrock represented a desperate start to the Glen’s campaign. Producing the final four scores to come from behind against Kanturk next time out represented the necessary response.
Employed at midfield during his debut season with the Glen, Micheál Mullins has thrived in his new centre-forward deployment. Not that he spends a great deal of time at No.11, mind. Mullins’ influence is wrapped up in his movement, vision, and passing. Integral to their overtaking movement late on against Kanturk, he followed with a stellar 0-4 display against Fr O’Neill’s.
Charleville (Live on TG4)
The Downey brothers and their defensive versatility. Against Kanturk, Rob was put at full-back to silence Cork teammate Alan Walsh. Against Fr O’Neill’s, he was out conducting from No.6. Younger brother Eoin has gone from wing-back to centre-back to sweeper to centre-forward.
The scoring returns of the Simon Kennefick-Patrick Horgan-Eoin O’Leary full-forward line. 4-37 to date ain’t bad clipping.
The same as last year’s quarter-final exit to Midleton, their mid-game fade-outs continue to hand momentum — both inside the whitewash and on the scoreboard — to the opposition. The latest such episode against Fr O’Neill’s almost cost them a quarter-final spot.
Darragh Fitzgibbon or no Darragh Fitzgibbon in the red corner, the Glen will be demanding of themselves that it not be Charleville who draw the curtain on their championship involvement.
Their quarter-final troubling of Sars last September spoke of Dominic Foley’s Charleville closing the gap to the five clubs setting the pace. The gap was closed when turning over the same Sars side on the opening weekend of the ‘26 championship. Fell to neighbours Newtownshandrum in the final round, but that result came with a caveat the size of North Cork given the injury-enforced absence of Darragh Fitzgibbon.
Jack Meade and Darren Butler have been dogged and defiant in the full-back line. Further up, midfielder Seán Bresnan and centre-forward David Forde have been impactful both from open play and on the scoresheet.
Glen Rovers (Live on TG4)
Darragh Fitzgibbon, clearly. Lifts the quality of their play, lifts his teammates. The epicentre of this group.
The frustrating inconsistency that saw them end up in three relegation play-offs in the period from 2021-24 is an old and closed chapter. Sunday will be their third quarter-final appearance in four seasons. No other club from the bottom half of the Premier Senior ladder has managed to so frequently go beyond the group phase.
Just one green flag across their three group outings. Compare that with the five Glen Rovers managed. There has to be improvement in this department come Sunday. White flag inefficiency raised its head at times too, including late on against Newtown and 18 wides against Douglas.
The strength of their challenge will be so significantly diluted if Darragh Fitzgibbon is indeed absent. It would be horrid misfortune if Charleville, on the brink of a seismic breakthrough, were unable to put their strongest foot forward.
Not really, no. A distance off the pace when falling to Midleton on the opening weekend, they toyed with group stage elimination three weeks ago.
Having found themselves trailing Newcestown late in their Round 3 clash, at the same time as Bride Rovers had pushed ahead of Midleton, the two results had the Barrs relegated to third and on the cusp of championship removal.
Spoils eventually shared with Newcestown, coupled with Midleton’s late push, meant the Barrs’ three-point total was sufficient to advance.
In the absence of the injured Brian Hayes and Jack Cahalane, William Buckley has become their lighthouse. Seven from play against Bride was followed by four white flags against Newcestown.
Imokilly (Live on Clubber)
Brian Hayes, obviously, but because of the ankle injury incurred during the first half against Bride Rovers on August 22, it’s been a case of have had to do without rather than can’t do without.
Twelve months ago, Hayes returned from injury at the same venue, against the same opposition, and at the same stage of the championship. He contributed 1-1 and created another 1-1 in the dethroning of the East Cork division. How dearly the Barrs would love a sequel.
The Murray brothers are building a new team out in the Barrs. Along with Sean Daly transferring into the club and taking up a corner-back berth, youngsters Conor McCarthy, James Murray, and Rickey Barrett have all been promoted to the first team this summer.
Having had 11 players away with various Cork teams during the first half of the season, the Barrs hurlers, same as the footballers, have not clicked since regaining their full complement. Time is running out for the required performances to come together.
The extent of Hayes’ availability will decide so much this weekend. Came on 58 minutes into the footballers’ draw with Mallow last weekend. Will feature on Sunday. To what extent is the mystery.
They’ve done what was expected of them in successfully navigating a divisions/colleges section that is dwindling in quality and quantity year-on-year. Crushed UCC by 19 points, had 10 to spare on Seandún. The lack of a proper test thus far has to be a concern.
Beyond the obvious pick of Jack Leahy, who we’ll deal with further down, his Dungourney clubmate Cillian O’Callaghan has been consistently standing out. In his first season starting for the division, the Cork U20 sniped 3-3 from play across the two victories. The green flag exploits are not exclusive to the divisional cause, O’Callaghan having banged in five of them across three Premier Intermediate group games for Dungourney.
St Finbarr’s (Live on Clubber)
That would have to be Leahy. 3-17 in Imokilly colours and 0-28 for the club. Across both, he’s averaging around 0-6 from play per game.
A new-look Imokilly team coming in unburdened by pressure to face a Barrs side without proper form and without Jack Cahalane. Ripe conditions for an upset, you might say.
Of the 19 players used last time out, 11 will be lining out in knockout fixtures for their respective clubs in the 45 hours before Sunday’s 4.30pm throw-in. Not ideal.
As much as a divisional team can be in transition, that’s where Imokilly find themselves at present. After years of sterling service and no less than four county titles, stepped away are Bill Cooper, Seamus Harnedy, John Cronin, Mike Russell, and the Lawton brothers, Brian and Barry. Add in Ciarán Joyce’s injury and you have both the spine and heart ripped out of East Cork.
Group form wasn’t always top shelf, but unlike every other side wearing Premier Senior clothes, there was no stumble, no falter. Pádraig O’Shea’s charges found the late winner against Newcestown in Round 2. They found composure to reset and roar back after Bride Rovers’ nine-point swing for a one-point lead six minutes from time in Round 3. They kept finding a way.
In recent campaigns, injury knocked on Paul Connaughton’s door at the worst possible times. The club’s 2023 U21 captain was denied a clear run at attaining first-team status. And while a hamstring issue prevented him starting the Newcestown game last month, he’s been outstanding in the action where he's been involved from the off. Clipped 1-2 against Bride Rovers and assisted another point. Buckets of pace.
The top seeding means Midleton feet up are this weekend.
The answer to this question has been the same for the past 14 years - Conor Lehane. His injury-enforced absence was so keenly felt in last year’s county final defeat. He’s at 0-22 (0-12 from the dead-ball) for this championship. Slowly challenging for that indispensable crown is centre-back Tommy O'Connell.
The four-week lay-off will be so beneficial to Eoin Moloney, who manager Pádraig O’Shea has said is still not back at full match sharpness after the Achilles injury that ruled him out of last year’s county final. The outstanding full-back in last year’s championship before injury cruelly intervened, Moloney did not play more than 40 minutes in any of their three group games. The lay-off is also timely for Ross O’Regan who missed the Bride game because of injury.
Ciarmhac Smyth was forced off through injury during the win over Bride Rovers, a game where the corner-back had done sterling work in suffocating the influence of Cork senior Brian Roche. The most experienced member of the full-back line, they’ll need him right for the last four clash. In-form midfielder Killian McDermott was another to come off injured the same afternoon.
They await the winners of Charleville-Glen Rovers. Given their recent history against Sars - 2023 and '25 county final defeats, '24 semi-final defeat - they're probably glad to see them on the opposing side of the draw.
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