IT was just the pick-me-up that the Kilmacabea footballers needed. Not long after losing the county junior A football championship semi-final to Inniscarra in December, a defeat that stung, Kilmacabea learned they will be lining out in the county football leagues this year.
Getting the golden ticket to join Division 7 was the good news this group needed.
‘For a lot of fellas it eased the blow of losing the semi-final a small bit,’ explains Ian Jennings, who will captain his home club this season.
‘Our intention is to move up to a higher grade and this will be something different that might improve our levels for the year ahead.’
From competing in Division 1 of the Carbery-Beara Junior Football Leagues last season, the reigning Carbery JAFC champions have now joined the county leagues with the guarantee of quality games against teams of a similar standard.
Kilmacabea manager Donie O'Donovan.
County JAFC champions Inniscarra, runners-up Ballygarvan, and 2024 divisional winners from North Cork (Liscarroll/Churchtown Gaels) and Duhallow (Castlemagner), as well as West Cork teams – Argideen Rangers, St James and Urhan – will provide some of the opposition in the months ahead.
In theory, better quality games against better opposition should improve Donie O’Donovan’s side before they begin the defence of their Carbery crown later in the summer.
‘That is the hope, but it doesn't always work out like that,’ Jennings (24) points out.
‘There is a massive opportunity here – we have a group that wants to progress and there is that chance here to achieve something, which is exciting.
‘There is more of an opportunity for progression than in the Carbery league. If you win a county league you move up for the next season whereas if you win a divisional league title in Carbery you need to back it up in the championship.
‘We see this as an opportunity to progress here and play against some very good teams.’
The Coláiste Pobail Bheanntraí maths and PE teacher has looked at the sums and they add up: this is an exciting opportunity for a Kilmacabea team that has made no secret of their desire to push forward.
To win the county junior A title takes a huge effort; first, you need to negotiate through your division, and then you have to win the county series. The stars need to align, and every one percent counts. Perhaps regular games in the county league might be the one percenter Kilmacabea needs. Also, the novelty of league games outside their home division is something different, too, not to mention regular games against teams they could meet later in the season.
‘Thinking back on the county semi-final, Inniscarra are an excellent team and we could have no complaints about the result (Kilmacabea lost 2-9 to 1-9), so we have to pick ourselves up and go again,’ Jennings says.
‘It’s a long road back there, we need to get through Carbery first and this is such a tough championship to win. It’s the most competitive of the divisions to win – you can be beaten by any team on any day.’
Damien Gore is vice captain of Kilmacabea.
Adding another layer of intrigue to the county league season are the new football rules. Jennings has watched them in action at inter-county level and also at a few Carbery U21 games, and predicts they will make a difference.
‘I think they will impact the club game in a different way to the county game,’ he says.
‘The rules will really contribute to more scores in club games, and open it up a bit more. Once the ground dries up, the two-pointer will become a big feature as we move towards the summer. There will be a big emphasis too on gathering possession around the middle because a lot of games can be won and lost around that midfield battle.’
Kilmacabea have a not-so-secret weapon in their ranks, too: they have Damien Gore for the full season after he stepped back from the county panel. Gore, named as Kilmacabea vice captain, is a difference-maker at this level, and the new rules should suit the Kilmac’s lethal forward.
‘We have Damien for the full year which is brilliant for us; if we can get ball into him, he might find a bit more space and have a bit more freedom to make an impact on the scoreboard and bring other fellas into the game,’ adds Jennings, who won’t have far to travel for Kilmacabea’s opening Division 7 county league game – they are away to neighbours St James on Sunday morning. These two clubs know each other well, and are amalgamated at U21 level, and both will be keen for local bragging rights. For Kilmacabea, this is a step into uncharted territory, but also a step in the right direction as they look to reach new heights.
