Cork GAA talking points: Can Carrigaline and Clonakilty upset the big guns?
ADAPTABLE: St Finbarr's dual star William Buckley shoots over a point against Carbery. Picture: Eddie O'Hare
Cork's box-office championship games are St Finbarr’s versus Clonakilty and Nemo Rangers against Carrigaline at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Saturday evening. It’s Carrigaline’s first appearance at this stage while Clonakilty haven’t made the last four since making the 2021 final.
Following Carbery Rangers and Ballincollig’s breakthrough victories in 2016 and ‘14, Nemo, Barrs and Castlehaven have monopolised the Andy Scannell Cup. In fact, only Clon and Duhallow (in 2018 and ’19) have even reached the final outside of the big three in that period.
For novelty alone, the neutrals will be behind Carrigaline and Clonakilty this weekend. They’re both unbeaten, Carrigaline topping a group that included the Barrs, Clon drawing with the Haven and winning their other three games. They’re well-coached and possess depth.
Champions the Barrs made the knockout stages on scoring difference by virtue of a single victory, while Nemo were flat in their opener against Newcestown.
Robbie O’Dwyer’s charges swept Valley Rovers aside and led throughout against the Haven.
The Blues had too much firepower for Carbery and have gotten a boost from their hurlers’ exploits. Who would back against them when it matters?
An extinct species at inter-county level, dual players can still thrive on the club scene.
St Finbarr’s remain the standard-bearers in that regard, a win over Clonakilty away from featuring in both Premier Senior finals on Leeside. They last managed that feat in 2022 when ending a hurling drought against Blackrock but were denied a double when dethroned by Nemo Rangers. Hurler of the Year nominee Brian Hayes is also the Barrs’ accomplished footballer, along with Steven Sherlock and Ian Maguire. William Buckley is also an elusive operator with the big ball.
Carrigaline will attempt to put their hurling disappointment behind them when they collide with Nemo Rangers; Kevin Kavanagh, Dan Greene, Éanna Desmond, David Griffin and Kevin O’Reilly are among their starters in both codes.
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The core of the Kanturk side that came so close in the Premier Senior Hurling semi will be action again at Senior A Football level against Carbery Rangers, while St Nicks can call on Robert and Eoin Downey in their attempts to return to the Premier Junior Football decider.
They could have been meeting Cork comrade Seán O’Donoghue there, but Inniscarra were knocked out by Canovee on Friday night. A hurling All-Star in 2025, nine years earlier, he captained the Cork U21 footballers to an All-Ireland final against Mayo.
The Páirc is unavailable on Sunday due to UEFA regulations ahead of the Irish women’s soccer match two days later, which means the Senior A semis are being hosted outside of the city.
It’s Éire Óg-Cill na Martra on Saturday at 3pm in Coachford, a repeat of last year’s clash, and a Mid Cork derby in a Mid Cork setting. It’s guaranteed to draw a full house to Aghabullogue’s immaculate main pitch. Colm O’Callaghan, Darragh Clifford, Daniel Goulding, Dan Ó Duinnín, Tadhg Ó Corcora and Micheál Ó Deasúna, whose twin sister Christina was in professional boxing action on Friday night at Parochial Hall, are among the standout players.
On Sunday, the second Senior A semi sees Carbery Rangers collide with Kanturk at 4pm in Macroom. It’s preceded by Uibh Laoire against Naomh Abán at Premier Intermediate level, with Cork sharpshooter Chris Óg Jones in one corner and the highly promising U20 graduate Ed Myers in other, though Donal Ó Ceallaigh plundered 3-3 in their rout of Macroom.
Clonakilty staged the Premier Senior Football quarter-finals in front of a bumper crowd and there’s something intoxicatingly old-school about knockout games in rural venues.
Five clubs lost county football finals last year and four of them are still on a mission of atonement, with only Ilen Rovers failing to negotiate their group, in the Premier Intermediate tier.
Nemo are pursuing a fifth consecutive appearance in the Premier Senior decider but have lost the last three. For context, since reaching their first county final in 1970, the Trabeg outfit having won 23 and lost just seven. Getting Mark Cronin and Conor Horgan back fit along with Ross Corkery and Bryan Hayes’ development, means they still pack a punch.
Cill na Martra fell to Knocknagree 12 months ago but returned to the Senior last four as top seeds. At Intermediate A, Uibh Laoire recovered from the disappointment of their defeat to Aghabullogue by getting promoted to Division 1 of the league, along with high-flying Carrigaline, and getting to a fifth semi on the bounce.
St Nicks are perhaps the most interesting side, given the grá for hurling in Blackpool.
They made a quarter-final in the old senior grade 11 years ago but once they were relegated when the grades were expanded in 2020, they kept dropping.
Club legend Robert Brosnan has had a major influence in arresting the slide and landing an U21 B county last winter was a significant boost.
Just 10 years ago, Carbery Rangers were kingpins of Cork football, the culmination of a glorious period when they were perennially at the business end of championship.
As that team aged, their results dipped so it wasn’t a major shock when they were relegated. They didn’t win a group game in 2023, ’24 or ’25 and then were beaten in their first Senior A tie for good measure, albeit against a fancied Cill na Martra.
They’ve got back in the groove though. Ross followed up a pair of overdue group wins with a quarter-final dismissal of Newmarket, Paul Hodnett, Daragh Hayes and Cork U20 Dylan O’Neill combining for 1-15. They still have John O’Rourke pulling the strings and Paul Shanahan is a fine shot-stopper and a threat from two-point frees.
Robbie Ahern’s side should be fresher than Kanturk this weekend but the Duhallow side are adept at swapping codes and going week in, week out at this juncture. Two clubs have gone straight back up after relegation from Premier Senior, Newcestown and Carrigaline, though Éire Óg were beaten in the Senior A semis last October.
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