AFTER the Cork County Board’s refusal to grant Carbery a one-week extension to complete its U21 football championships, the divisional board has decided to suspend the competitions until August.
Following last weekend’s poor weather that led to the postponement of all of Sunday’s scheduled U21 games across the A, B and C grades, Carbery GAA sought a one-week extension to play the final rounds of the championships.
When this request was turned down, an emergency meeting of the Carbery CCC was held in Dunmanway on Monday night where it was decided to suspend all three U21 football championships until the summer.
‘The CCC of the Carbery Board has taken the decision to suspend all U21 football competitions until August given the Cork County Board’s deadline for completion expiring on Sunday 23rd, combined with the unfavourable weather and ground conditions which currently prevail,’ Carbery GAA explained.
‘In the interest of player safety and with a horrendous weather forecast for all of this week, the CCC were left with no option but to postpone this competition until August.’
The county board has allocated just three consecutive Sundays in February for divisions to play their popular U21 football championships, to allow county players to return to the Cork U20 football panel. Divisions are also free to host their U21 football championships later in the year, though Carbery GAA, similar to 2024, opted to avail of the February time-slot. Unlike last season, the weather gods haven’t played ball this year.
The opening weekend of the Clóna Milk Carbery U21 championships saw nine games played across the A, B and C grades, but last weekend only two of the scheduled six games went ahead. On Saturday, St Colum’s defeated Tadhg MacCarthaigh 2-9 to 0-7 in an U21B semi-final, while Ilen Rovers beat Gabriel Rangers 3-8 to 1-12 in an U21C semi-final.
But heavy rainfall led to unplayable pitches on Sunday, and all four remaining U21 semi-finals were postponed – in A, Castlehaven v Bantry Blues and Ibane Gaels v O’Donovan Rossa, as well as Ahán Gaels v Bandon in the B grade and Kilbrittain v Clann na nGael at C level.
‘The outstanding semi-finals in A, B and C have been fixed for Wednesday, 6th August, just before the first free weekend of the county and divisional championships, while the finals will take place on the weekend of 30th-31st August, the second free weekend,’ Carbery GAA explained.
Given that the county U21 football championships will not throw in until late in the year, the postponement of the Carbery competitions won’t impact the divisional winners advancing to the county series.
