For me the divisional concept lacks emotion and identity

When I travelled to last year’s Cork county final, I felt right at home when I saw the black and white flags and the huge swell of Midleton support. The colours are the same as our own in Clarecastle and, like ourselves, are nicknamed the the ‘Magpies’. Every club has their own sense of identity, their own brand almost, and I could feel that pride all around Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

The place was buzzing by the time I arrived because the intermediate final curtain-raiser between Ballincollig and Blackrock was really in the melting pot. Ballincollig’s joy at winning a first title in 19 years neatly teed up the atmosphere for such an eagerly anticipated derby final between Midleton and Imokilly, particularly when Midleton is the main town in the east Cork division, but it didn’t take long for the fizz to fade away.