HAMILTON High School Bandon are unbeaten in their four championship games this season, and they want to keep that impressive record intact in their upcoming Corn Uí Mhuirí quarter-final.
Between three matches in the Corn Uí Mhuirí and one in the Simcox Cup, the Bandon school has won three – those victories have come against Coláiste Spioraid Naoimh, Bishopstown, Pobalscoil Inbhear Scéine Kenmare and St Francis College Rochestown. Their only draw was a Corn Uí Mhuirí derby against Clonakilty Community College.
The Hammies are now in the semi-finals in the Simcox and in the Corn Uí Mhuirí quarter-finals after topping their group in Munster. Not a bad season so far.
Their next test is a bout with Kerry school Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne from Dingle on Wednesday, January 15th in the Corn Uí Mhuirí quarter-final. The winner will play either Mercy Mounthawk Tralee or Rochestown in the semi-final.
Hammies already have a Cork schools’ semi-final to look forward to, against either De La Salle Macroom or Coláiste Choilm Ballincollig, They also want a Munster last-four spot.
Hammies boss Paddy Lordan was happy with their impressive 1-15 to 2-9 win over Kenmare in late November that guaranteed the West Cork school top spot in their group.
‘It was a massive win. After the draw with Clonakilty Community College in the previous game, it felt like a loss for both teams really. The lads were down in the dumps about it and we had to pick them up from that,’ Lordan explained.
‘We put a huge emphasis on the Kenmare game then and going into it, we were thinking nothing but a win would do and that’s obviously how it transpired. We didn’t know that at the time.
‘We just completely blocked out the permutations and went in with the attitude of, we win then we’re through, we lose and we’re gone. The lads’ attitude between both games was outstanding. They really put their heads down, put in the workrate. Thankfully, it paid off on the day and we got the win.’
The Hammies’ Simcox quarter-final just before Christmas against Rochestown (3-7 to 1-12) went to extra time with Oisín McCarthy winning it for the Bandon school with a last-minute 45. This meant not only another competition to fight for but also some invaluable match practice before the Corn Uí Mhuirí quarter-final.
‘We were lucky enough to get the Simcox match played after the Kenmare game. Then we trained the Friday we broke off from school and we gave the lads a week off,’ Lordan said.
‘We met three times over Christmas. We had planned to get a game but the way everything went, we didn’t get one.
‘We have trained well enough and we’ve got good sessions behind us so we’re happy enough with what we have.’
Hammies are one of only three Cork schools remaining in the Corn Uí Mhuirí, along with Rochestown and Patrician Academy Mallow. The Bandon school are just focusing on themselves and trying to overcome what will be a tough knockout test against the West Kerry school.
‘When you’re any of the other Munster counties going in against Kerry, you are nearly beaten before you go out some days. That has crept into Cork in a way,’ Lordan said.
‘Kerry are that level above but at the end of the day, it is 15 v 15 and that’s what we were trying to tell them (against Kenmare). We didn’t go in with any fear. That was shown with our start in the game. Kenmare definitely drove back at us but we got to grips with them again.
‘It’s not up to us to worry about anyone else. We know there is huge talent within the team and it’s just about getting them to perform on the day. If the day comes that we perform well and don’t get the victory, that’s something we’ll have to look at as well. We just focus on ourselves and if it is good enough, it’s good enough.’
