U21 HURLING DIFFICULTIES – Running off the U21 hurling championships this season has proved a major problem for divisional boards and for clubs. Laying blame at somebody’s doorstep is not the way to find a solution for the problems involved but, in this case, the Cork county senior board must carry the brunt of the blame.
A few seasons back, the county board did away with the county U21 championships and discouraged divisions from running those championships. Realising the importance of that age grade in bringing players through to adult grades, the divisional boards refused to bow the knee and continued their own U21 championships. Credit the divisions with keeping the championships alive and eventually the county board had to acknowledge the demand for the return of the county section of the championships. They eventually agreed to run off county championships this season for the divisional winners but the problems were far from solved. Those championships, football and hurling, are only now being run off in the month of November and will run into Christmas.
Because of the new split season, the divisions were struggling to find a window to play off their championships, the traditional month of March being out of the question because of the Cork U20 football team. Eventually, the county board announced that the first three weekends of February would be set aside for the divisional U21 football championships. Although it was very early in the year, divisional boards accepted it as the only available window. Accordingly, football championships were run off and finished in February, courtesy of fine weather and playable pitches. The problem then was that the divisional winners had to wait until November, a gap of nine months, to play the county championships, a ridiculous way to play any championship.
However, hard and all as it was to run off the football championships, which are still underway, trying to run the hurling soon became a farce. The county board allowed no window in the fixtures list for the divisional championships and the divisions’ attempts to run them off were plagued with walkovers and teams not being able to play for various reasons. By sheer perseverance, the Carbery U21 hurling championships were eventually finished, the winners ready for the county championships in November.
The next problem has now manifested itself with the championships. Each division is free to grade its own U21 teams and thereby lies a major problem. Take the case of Cill Mochomóg here in Carbery, an amalgamation of St Colum’s and Bantry. In 2023, they won the Carbery C championship and opted to upgrade to B this season, a praiseworthy move. There was genuine delight when they won the B championship for the first time this season. Their reward? In the county championship, they were unfortunate to come up against Imokilly B champions, Youghal. Now, we all know that hurling in the Imokilly division is at an all-time high, with some outstanding teams in the A grade, but how a town the size of Youghal, with such a proud hurling tradition, could end up in the same championship as Cill Mochomóg beggars belief. The result, a 3-23 to 0-7 hammering for the Carbery champions, taking much of the sparkle off their divisional win.
Likewise the Carbery C winners, Kilbree, struggling to field 13 players. They were drawn against Ballincollig’s second string and did well to hold them to two points in a 0-18 to 1-13 defeat. But what was a second team from one of the largest towns in Cork doing in the same championship as a small rural club like Kilbree? Surely, the C championship should be reserved for the first teams in small clubs? The only good news is that our A champions, Newcestown, once again delivered on the hurling field with a single-point win over Valley Rovers to qualify for the semi-final.
So what are the solutions to the U21 championship problems, a grade that has to be encouraged to retain our young adult players? In football, if the February window remains, which it will in 2025, then the county championships must follow immediately in early March, irrespective of opposition from the Cork U20 selectors. Their championship does not begin until April, so there is no overlap there.
As regards the U21 hurling, the solutions are not as easy to find as regards providing a window to play and the question of exams and holidays must be brought into the solution. What the county board must get control of is the different grading in each division in order to avoid hammerings or huge urban areas playing small rural clubs. Where there’s a will, there’s a way but right now it appears the will of the county board to rectify a grade they don’t want in the first place is very weak indeed.
CHAMPIONSHIP ACTION – The coming weekend is a big one for four Carbery clubs. Junior A football champions Kilmacabea will face Inniscarra in the county semi-final in Ahiohill on Sunday at 2pm and the action of the county board in postponing this game to suit a player on holiday with Cork hurlers did not go down well with the Carbery CCC, who had to rush their divisional finals to meet the county deadlines. Junior B champions Goleen will meet Ballinhassig at 2pm in Rossmore in the county semi-final, while Gabriel Rangers and Tadhg McCárthaigh will close the championship season in Carbery with the final of the junior C/D football in Skibbereen on Saturday at 2.30pm.
CONVENTION – All clubs are earnestly requested to send delegates to the Carbery convention in Bandon on Sunday. The convention will mark the opening of the centenary year with Mass at 2pm, the unveiling of the centenary plaque at 2.45pm and the convention at 3pm.
