Special Achievement Award winners will be in Munster junior B action in February
GOLEEN’S magical 2024 season saw the club pick up the 2024 West Cork Sports Star Special Achievement Award on Saturday night, and there is the chance of more silverware in the weeks ahead.
The county junior B football champions will be in action in the 2024 Munster junior B competition that will kick off in Castletown Ballyagran GAA club, Limerick on the first weekend of February.
Interestingly, Randal Óg (2021) and Clann na nGael (2006) are the only Cork winners of this competition in the past 20 years. Kerry’s representatives have won every other edition of the Munster junior B competition, except for Limerick’s Ballybrown in 2017.
Little is known about Goleen’s potential opponents but captain Padraig Reidy is looking forward to the challenge. He is also hopeful the current managerial set-up of Shane O’Neill and Damien O’Meara, who were instrumental in last season’s success, will remain intact.
‘We have a bye into the semi-finals which will be played in Ballyagran,’ Reidy explained.
‘There are two quarter-finals and Goleen will play the winners of the Limerick and Waterford champions (St Kieran’s or Roanmore) on Sunday, February 9th.
‘If we get through, the final is the following Sunday, February 16th, against the Kerry (Beale), Tipperary (Burgess) or Clare (Wolfe Tones) champions.
‘Hopefully, Shane and Damien will stay on board but, look, that is a decision for themselves. They took over a year and a half ago and have been fantastic assets to the club, taking us from strength to strength.
‘They consolidated structure and tactics within the team and brought extra heart and desire. The two lads put their heart and soul into it. It was easy, as a team, to follow Shane and Damien into battle and take inspiration from them.
‘They had game-plans and strategies for everything that's been thrown at us. Hopefully, they'll be staying on board, but look, that's, that's their own decision.’
Padraig Reidy, representing Goleen GAA, with the Special Achievement Award ,pictured with, from left, Kieran McCarthy, Sports Editor, Southern Star; Ann Downey, general manager Celtic Ross Hotel; Helen Wycherley, Celtic Ross Hotel; and John Paul McNamara, C103.
Last Saturday night the Goleen footballers took centre stage at the 2024 West Cork Sports Star Awards in the Celtic Ross Hotel as they picked up the Special Achievement Award. Look at what they won in 2024: the Carbery junior B championship, the Carbery-Beara Division 2 football league and, of course, the Cork junior B confined county championship. A dream season.
Considering everything the club had been through in previous seasons, what was the overriding emotion at the final whistle in the 2024 Cork junior B confined county final victory over Ballyphehane? Relief or satisfaction at finally annexing a junior B title on the back of four consecutive county final losses?
‘I suppose a bit of both,’ Padraig Reidy admitted.
‘We had the option to go up to junior A but, as a group of players, decided that we had unfinished business in junior B. When we finally did get over the line against Ballyphehane last July there was initially a wave of relief, especially when they brought us all the way to extra-time.
‘You were kind of getting that sinking feeling, was it going to be one of those days again? Thankfully, we had all the hard work done and were able to just keep motoring on in extra-time.
‘Now when we reflect back, it was just a great achievement and everyone was delighted to finally win it. For our supporters, management, community and the players, everyone rolled in behind the team. It was especially great for the Goleen community to experience that win.’
Reidy’s point about finally getting their hands on the junior B county title at the fifth time of asking is a salient one. Based in one of the most rural outposts of West Cork, Goleen’s success was extra-special for a tight-knit community that suffered four final losses and additional off-field heartbreak.
‘Goleen is such a small, close-knit community that our supporters have experienced the heartaches of the previous year’s defeats just as much as the players,’ the Goleen captain explained.
‘For them to finally see their parish get over the line was special. It was a great achievement to bring that trophy back to Goleen and to share our celebrations with them. It is the first junior county that Goleen has ever won so it was an important moment.
‘It brought the whole community together. There has always been a tradition of Goleen people getting behind the GAA, or whatever sports team, no matter who it is. That’s why the players were delighted as our supporters have been so good to us.
‘They come to every match whether it is a challenge, league or championship. Goleen supporters always show up in numbers. This county was for everybody in Goleen and not just the panel. It was amazing to celebrate with them the night we brought the silverware home.
‘In terms of that community spirit, we lost one of Goleen GAA’s greatest supporters, Laura O’Meara, after she passed away in March. So, winning the county was uplifting for the community after the heartbreak of losing Laura.’
