WHEN Galway won the All-Ireland hurling title in 1980, Joe McDonagh, who would later go on to become GAA President, sang the classic ‘The West's Awake’ from The Hogan Stand. After last weekend the West is awake in Cork football terms, too.
In 2003, Liam Collins captained Castlehaven to win the county senior football title, Kieran Daly led Ilen Rovers to the county intermediate football championship and Johnny Murphy captained Carbery Rangers to county junior football glory. It was a clean sweep of the top three football grades. Twenty years on a repeat scenario is on the cards in the weeks ahead.
Last weekend Castlehaven outwitted St Finbarr’s in their latest classic semi-final clash in the premier senior grade. Newcestown and Dohenys both produced scintillating performances against Newmarket and Knocknagree respectively to reach the county senior A decider and guarantee at least one title coming west under the Viaduct. Bantry Blues continued their renaissance in defeating Kilshannig to book a place in the premier intermediate football final against Cill na Martra.
The premier senior and premier intermediate finals will be played together as a double-header at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on October 29th. Newcestown and Dohenys will be the main event, preceded by the intermediate final, at Cork GAA HQ on November 5th. I will focus on the premier senior this week, and look at the others in more detail in next week's column.
So, St Finbarr’s and Castlehaven locked horns at the semi-final stage for the fourth year in succession last Sunday and yet again they produced a classic with the count now standing at 2-2. This 1-16 to 2-11 final scoreline didn’t do justice to Castlehaven’s quality of performance on this occasion. They showed this level of performance for 30 minutes against Ballincollig but it was pedal to the metal for the full hour in glorious sunshine and perfect ground conditions. Castlehaven’s levels of aggression and organisation far exceeded what the Togher side produced but despite that they still were within a point in injury time.
Haven boss James McCarthy got an awful lot right as Paul O’Keeffe’s men struggled to get to the pitch of the game. I wrote last week about some of Castlehaven’s lesser lights taking on the big man-marking roles, allowing the main men to have more influence on the game. Andrew Whelton picked up Ian Maguire from the throw-in and lived inside his jersey, allowing Conor Cahalane to dominate the middle third with his energy levels and ball-carrying ability, typified by his burst through the middle before parting to Jack Cahalane for the opening goal after a minute. A dream start for Castlehaven.
Ronan Walsh tracked Barrs danger-man Steven Sherlock, allowing Rory Maguire to influence the game from a transition point of view. Sherlock had four from play and 1-7 overall but missed 45s and frees as well as a couple of poor attempts from play; he had nothing like the influence he had in past jousts.
It helped that Castlehaven were happy to concede the Barrs’ kick-out short, forcing them to run the ball through a crowded middle third and in turn condensing the spaces for the Barrs forwards to operate in. This tactic also negated the Barrs’ aerial and size advantage in the middle third which has seen them dominate so many teams. Based on this performance, they have yet to find replacements for the likes of Eoin Comyns, Denis O’Brien and Colin Lyons, who was named on the programme but didn’t start. These fellas are warriors and were missed.
Up the other end the Barrs’ much-vaunted backs were torn to shreds. Sam Ryan was chasing shadows as Michael Hurley kicked five from play in the first half alone. Billy Hennessy was then switched onto him but didn’t do much better as Hurley finished with 0-8. Alan O’Connor was tasked with Brian Hurley, who got three points from play and five in total. Michael Hurley and Jack Cahalane played as two inside and Brian Hurley was outside with Mark Collins starting at 11 but drifting back. So, Jamie Burns at 6 was in two minds for the first 20 minutes – should he push out on Collins or sit tight and sweep? He did neither and the Haven made hay.
Every Castlehaven player attacked the space in front of them at pace, both with and without the ball. There was no sideways or lateral or taking the short option when the long one was on. The ball was transitioned at pace as a result and the ball going in was kicked at angles into space. The Barrs will be disappointed with this performance and will have to wait at least another year for a chance at revenge on Nemo Rangers, who breezed past a very disappointing Duhallow in the curtain raiser.
The champions are back in another final. It’s their 28th final and they have won 23 of the previous 27; an unbelievable record. The first semi-final was a damp squib when compared with the second as Nemo played on their own terms helped by two Luke Connolly goals. However we can’t forget, it was the same scenario last year when Nemo came in under the radar after a superb Barrs performance in the semi-final which had them as favourites to lift silverware. We all know what happened there and Nemo will be dangerous again.
