GOING NOWHERE – Although Newcestown didn’t register any points in their premier senior hurling group, they showed they are capable of mixing it with the best in the county. Having had the dream season in 2023 winning a double senior A county, they were under no illusions of what lay ahead at the pinnacle of Cork football and hurling. Their opponents in round one Fr O’Neills just got the better of them, winning out by one point 1-17 to 2-13. That was a game they had led by six points midway through the second half but lost their way in the final quarter. Against Blackrock, that extra bit of clinicalness and experience was what the Rockies had and Newcestown lacked but still, it was an encouraging performance. It was a similar story against St Finbarrs but retaining their status would have been the initial goal at the beginning of the year and they achieved it.
BANDON DELIVER – An impressive 2-20 to 2-12 win for Bandon over Erins Own eased any thoughts of a third relegation in four seasons. It hasn't been the easiest couple of years for the town side, with last weekend’s victory being their first championship win since August 2022. Still, they had a job to do on Saturday and they stepped up. Their opponents, 2023 premier junior champions Erins Own, were carrying a lot of momentum into the game having already won their opening two matches. Bandon, led by stalwarts Michael Cahalane and Mark Sugrue, took the game to the East Cork side from the first whistle and never looked back. Bandon’s win was also the only win a Carbery side registered in this year's county championships. More on that below.
RELEGATION WORRIES – Argideen Rangers will have to beat Douglas in a relegation playoff if they are to preserve their premier junior hurling status. The Timoleague men lost all three group games which meant they finished bottom of Group 3. Their first loss came against St Finbarr’s, 1-17 to 0-16. That was followed by a five-point loss to Glen Rovers, 0-18 to 0-13. They went into their final group game against St Catherines with slim hopes of progression but with the knowledge that they had to get at least a draw to have any hope of avoiding the playoff. After a fantastic start, St Catherines got to grips with the Carbery side and prevailed in the end by 1-20 to 0-21. As it transpired, a draw would have been enough for safety at the expense of near neighbours Barryroe but it wasn't to be. Now all eyes will be on Ovens on Saturday, September 21st.
CARBERY WIPE-OUT – As mentioned above, out of 15 games played by Carbery teams in the county hurling championships, only one victory was registered. That came last weekend when Bandon defeated Erins Own. The lack of success this season is in stark contrast to 2023 where Carbery clubs acquitted themselves quite well. Apart from Bandon’s struggles, we had a senior A county victory for Newcestown. Barryroe made the county semi-final only to be defeated by eventual winners Erins Own. Kilbrittain made the quarter-final only to be beaten on penalties by Glen Rovers and Argideen Rangers were unfortunate to miss out on the knockout stages via scoring difference. Newcestown won five games, Barryroe three, with Kilbrittain and Timoleague winning two each. For those counting that’s a total of 12 wins. This year was just one of those seasons.
