Clonakilty’s JAHC title defence preparations far from ideal

BY TOM LYONS

CLONAKILTY took the Carbery hurling world by surprise in 2023 when they captured the Flyer Nyhan junior A hurling title for the 17th time against all the odds.

Ballinascarthy started the year as champions and hot favourites to retain their title for the third year in a row, but under the guidance of mentors Seán Byerley and Tim Coffey, Clonakilty, despite the lack of training time on the pitch, were making waves and were worthy winners over Bal in a semi-final that went to extra time.

There was no stopping them after that as they accounted for outgunned St James in the final and perhaps even Flyer Nyhan himself was a little surprised to find his cup ending up in Ahamilla for Christmas.

‘It really wasn’t a surprise to the team and mentors that we did well last season,’ Clonakilty hurling star Kevin Cormican told The Southern Star at the Carbery GAA Championships launch.

‘Ballinascarthy were favourites, and rightly so, but we knew if we hit our best form that we had it in us to beat Bal. In the final against Ardfield, it was a matter of keeping our form up and we did that.’

Clonakilty enter 2024 as South West champions and with some fine young players emerging in 2023, their vision should be on winning a county junior hurling title for the first time ever. However, preparations haven’t been ideal this season ahead of the championship beginning in early August.

While the senior footballers, with many of the successful hurlers on board, have already won Division 2 of the county football league with an unbeaten run, the club is still looking for people to take charge of the hurling team.

At the end of last season, successful mentors Seán Byerley and Tim Coffey decided to step down. All efforts by the club officers to replace them have so far failed to unearth any takers.

‘It wasn’t a good start to the year for us as regards mentors and so on, but the management of the club is working hard in the background to sort all that out,’ Cormican said.

‘As players, it’s important for us to be getting in some training sessions. It must be player-led which shows there is a hunger for hurling in Clon. We have been very disappointed with the way the year has begun as we have a very good underage structure with a lot of good young players coming through and we must have something positive to offer them at adult level. It’s our job as juniors to let the team in a better place than we found it, that’s on us players.’

To compound the present difficulties on the managerial side, some of the more senior players are not currently involved. A very young team has been fielded in the present league, thanks mainly to the efforts of stand-in manager Pat Barrett, club vice-chairperson Sean Kenneally, and Ciarán Crowley, stand-in captain. They have won one game and lost three to date.

‘Unfortunately, we don’t have all our players back yet and we’re working on that,’ Cormican said. ‘We should have nearly all of last year’s team available when the lads come back.

‘We have Diarmuid Ó Mathúna’s and St Oliver Plunkett’s in our group this season. We haven’t focused on it yet with all the other things going on but they will be tough games. The senior footballers are on a great run, winning Division 2 of the league with games to spare and that is always the main aim of the club. But we can’t forget all the other aspects of club activity, especially the hurling.

‘It is a boost to see the footballers doing so well and that should lift all the other teams in the club. Winning is a good habit. We saw last year that we are good enough to win the championship, it’s just a matter of getting all the players back in action and putting a management team in place. We know going into this season that we can do it.’