O’Sullivan: Sky’s the limit for Barryroe

BY KIERAN McCARTHY

DAVID O’Sullivan is confident that Barryroe’s historic Carbery JAFC success is the starting point, not the final destination.

The boys in blue powered through this season’s junior A football championship to win the title for the first time, and captain fantastic O’Sullivan feels this could be the springboard for more glory days.

Barryroe won all six championship games en route to getting their hands on the biggest prize in Carbery junior football, the Mick McCarthy Cup. All three knock-out games went to extra-time, and in all three games – against Castlehaven, Ballinascarthy and Kilmacabea – Barryroe found the answers to reach the Promised Land.

Award winner David O’Sullivan pictured at the Celtic Ross Hotel with his parents Denis and Mary and his girlfriend Kate Dunne.

The influx of youth has boosted Barryroe, too. In 2022 Ibane Gaels – the amalgamation between Barryroe and Argideen Rangers – won the Carbery U21A football and hurling double. From the Ibane team that won the ’22 football final, ten players were involved for Barryroe in their Carbery JAFC final win against Kilmacabea – Michael Walsh, Sean O’Riordan, Tomás Ó Buachalla, James Moloney, Olan O’Donovan, Con Dineen and Ryan O’Donovan all started, while Adam McSweeney, Donal Ó Buachalla and Cathal Sheehy came on as subs.

Given the impact of these young guns, it’s easy to understand why Barryroe’s breakthrough win is a platform to build on.

‘I think the sky’s the limit for the lads as long as they stay around,’ explained David O’Sullivan, who picked up a Celtic Ross West Cork Sports Star monthly award in recognition of leading Barryroe to glory.

‘It’s not that there was pressure on the lads, but there was this talk about how good all these fellas were; you have to remember though that the majority of them are still U21. They are so good and so experienced and so calm, and most are still U21. I think it will definitely be a stepping stone. The main thing is that we make sure it’s a stepping stone and fellas don’t get carried away; that’s what pre-season will be about.’

O’Sullivan is one of the experienced Barryroe brigade. He played through the lean years, admitting before this season he could remember more Barryroe hurling games than football games in the last 15 years. Now that has changed after their march to glory this year. He had a good feeling they were capable of achieving something special, and it was their final group win, 0-12 to 1-8 against St Colum’s, that added to his belief.

‘Quietly in the back of your mind you are thinking maybe we have something a bit special here but we didn’t want to get too carried away,’ he said.

‘I do think that Colum’s game was a springboard for us because it was a game that came in between hurling as well and maybe lads were a little bit tired, but we still found a way to win. We won that game by fellas coming off the bench, I remember Mark Crowley came on and he was outstanding, Donal Buckley came on and he kicked the winning score.

‘For us as a group, to see fellas come on and contribute, and that we are not just a 15, we have more, that was a big turning point, and I started thinking to myself we could go further here.’