The boys in blue finally conquered Carbery football

Star reporter SEÁN HOLLAND – and Barryroe footballer – relives the season his club was finally crowned Carbery JAFC champions

IF you play sport for long enough, you will experience the highs and suffer the lows. It’s how you respond to those low moments that builds character – do you let it consume you or let it drive you forward?

The first round of the 2022 Carbery junior A football championship last was one of my lowest moments as a footballer. I’m not the fastest. Or the fittest. Or the most skillful. Or the strongest. I do pride myself on my football intelligence, the ability to make the right decision at the right time. In 2022, I didn’t do this.

Starting the opener against Argideen Rangers off on the bench, I was given the nod late on. With the game level, I won a free in kickable range. In eagerness to make an impact, I took a fast free that was overhit. The opposition went down and scored the winning point. Disaster. Afterwards I apologised to the lads, taking full responsibility for the loss. I was the last to leave the field. The last to leave the dressing room. It played on my mind for days – what if I hadn’t taken the fast one?

It turned out to be my only ten minutes of championship action in 2022. Between a game called off and damaging ankle ligaments playing hurling, that was a wrap. But it fuelled the fire to make amends in 2023. Fitter this season than in previous years, I wanted to make things right and help Barryroe go further than ever before.

Barryroe's Sean Holland in action during the first round of the 2023 JAFC.

GAME ONE – Barryroe 3-13 St Mary’s 1-6

St Mary’s were the top seeds in the group. They had knocked us out two years previous, but this was not the same team; they had many absentees due to emigration, injury and retirement. This day in Ahiohill was as one-sided as you could get. It was the first time the O’Donovan cousins, Olan and Ryan, played together in championship – and they clicked. Their link-up play and point-taking was out of this world. We scored 3-13, they accumulated 3-10. That day also had the inaugural outing of our newest goalkeeper, Gearoid Holland. Gearoid along with Jack Cahalane are the club’s biggest football advocates. He would refer to a hurley as nothing more than something for cutting grass. For years, Gearoid was a midfielder, but with first-choice keeper Alan Kiely picking up a knee injury and other club shot-stopper Conor Madden enjoying more temperate climates, it was 34-year-old Holland who stepped up. He announced himself that day in Ahiohill saving a penalty.

GAME TWO – Barryroe 3-18 Clonakilty 1-7 

Sandwiched in between the Mary’s game and our second game against Clonakilty were two rounds of the premier junior hurling. Those results against Ballygarvan and Kilbrittain gave us a springboard for the year. I had come on against Mary’s and performed well enough to earn a starting spot against Clon. This was going to be my chance – or was it? Shoutout to Tomás Ó Buachalla. The two of us collided awkwardly in training the Thursday prior to the game, and I came off the worst of it. Once again, I was watching from the sidelines. Ahiohill again the venue, it was another fast start from us with the O’Donovans and Donal Ó Buachalla doing the damage in front of goal. The result had put us through but our eyes were on the top spot.

GAME THREE – Barryroe 0-12 v St Colum’s 1-8

This was to be the first of four real hard tests with the big ball. I had finally got my chance to start but I knew I wasn’t going to get anything easy as the opposition on this occasion were going to be an incredibly stern test. We had travelled down to Kealkill earlier in the league and they beat us very comfortably. We knew we were in for a challenge and that was underlined by their fast start as they led 1-3 to 0-1 after ten minutes. We grew into the game and the defence shored up. It’s usually the lads up top who get the credit, but a special mention has to go to those at the back – Sean O’Riordan, James Moloney, and Michael ‘Brick’ Walsh are all under 21 but they are wise beyond their years. On an incredibly warm day in Ballinacarriga we got over the line by the bare minimum, a taste of what was to come.

The Barryroe team celebrates after defeating Kilmacabea in the 2023 Bandon Co-op JAFC final at Dunmanway.

GAME FOUR – Barryroe 1-8 Castlehaven 0-8 (AET)

That day in Ardfield wasn’t a day to play football. The conditions didn’t allow it. It was a game to just get over the line. In the first half, the Haven kicked some fantastic scores, putting them ahead after 25 minutes by 0-6 to 0-1. A five-point lead in those wet and windy conditions was a huge lead. The key score came just before the break – Ryan O’Donovan kicked a foot pass to me, which I then gave into Mark Crowley, who in turn found Olan O’Donovan, who palmed to the net. Major lifeline. After a promising start to the second half though, we failed to kick on. Leading by only one for the majority of the half, we were finally caught late on. Extra time loomed. Olan, Ryan, and Brian O’Donovan kicked the vital points for us, but Robbie Kiely’s late goal-saving block was the game-winner.

GAME FIVE – Barryroe 5-10 Ballinascarthy 1-11 (AET) 

To the neutral, we probably went into this game as slight favourites, but Bal matched up well against us. They are a big physical team. That size translated onto the pitch where they dominated the kickouts. But we had the legs and pace to match their size. Goals were key for us that day – and I knew it. We started well, getting two on the bounce early but we somewhat faded after that. The key score of the game came when Tomas Ó Buchalla levelled up the contest with his solo effort mid-way through the second half. We eventually got our noses ahead and hung on until Cillian Cullinane’s late, late free. We had the energy in our legs to carry us over the line. It was one of my better days in the blue jersey, so much so that when John Murphy’s report came across my desk, I had to let the lads know that if they were to buy the Star on Thursday, I didn’t choose who was the ‘Star man’!

GAME SIX – Barryroe 1-12 Kilmacabea 0-14 (AET)

This was to be the biggest day for the club in quite some time. Sixteen years since the first team were involved in a final of any description and 20 since involvement in a football final. We had never won the Carbery JAFC title, but were one win away now. The game was tense. We started brightly but soon the Kilmacs got a foothold and Damien Gore began to dominate. The half-time switch to double-mark him meant we all had to drop a level. It worked though as their scores were harder earned now that Gore was being marshalled from the front and behind. Our goal was a massive score, and although we failed to kick on from it those three points were huge. Ryan and myself link well, and he knows if he gives me a ball there’s a good chance he’ll get it back because I trust him taking the shot rather than me. He went for the one-two, I turned my man and placed it in front of him on the run to fire home. It gave us a boost at the time.

After taking a knock midway through the second half I was forced to go off and watch again from the sidelines. It’s an odd feeling just being totally powerless to help especially when things started to go against us. To be honest, down two heading into injury time and the fact we hadn’t scored since that goal, I thought to myself it just isn’t our day. Then Ryan struck back-to-back points. Extra time, again.

There was something about that huddle at extra time. There was just this aura of confidence. Just looking around at fellas, the nerves had totally gone. There were smiles on their faces, almost knowing what was to come. We had been here before. We know what it takes. It was a time for unsung heroes. Adam McSweeney fired over a boomer and Brian O’Donovan got what turned out to be the winner. Those last few minutes were torture. The ball that hit the post, the free that dropped short. You could just feel then it was to be our day.

When the referee blew the whistle, it was just pure elation. Joy, ecstasy, happiness, it was just a feeling you’ll never forget. It was a season I'll never forget. To go from the disappointment of last year to champions this, it just highlights the rollercoaster of emotions sports can bring.