THESE are heady days for the young footballers of Mount St Michael Secondary School, Rosscarbery, as they added the Herlihy Shield for first year players to the U14 county title won recently.
The Sam Maguire Park, Dunmanway, was a hive of activity when five West Cork secondary schools came together to contest the shield section of the Herlihy Cup.
The competition, in honour of the late Dr Michael Herlihy of Dohenys, was inaugurated ten years ago to encourage all first years in secondary schools in West Cork to play Gaelic football. The three strongest schools – Hamilton High, Clonakilty CC and Skibbereen CS – contest the Herlihy Cup while the other five compete for the Herlihy Shield. Those five were reigning champions Schull Community College; Mount St Michael, Rosscarbery; MICC, Dunmanway; Coláiste Pobail Bheanntraí and St Brogan’s, Bandon.
The Coláiste Pobail Bheanntraí team that took part in the Dr Herlihy Shield.
The format for the competition was round-robin, with each team playing four games of 20-minute duration, ten minutes a half. At the end of the round-robin, the top two teams contested the final. The standard of play on view was very satisfactory with a number of the players being involved in West Cork development squads. Organisers of the competition were James McCarthy GDA, and Paudie Crowley GPO. Busy referees on the day were Ciarán Cronin of Bantry and James Kingston of Rosscarbery.
As the games progressed, it was soon evident that Rosscarbery were the team to beat, playing some sparkling football and winning their games against Bantry, Schull and St Brogan’s. Local side Dunmanway also looked very strong, having a good battle against Bantry and also beating Schull and St Brogan’s. The concluding game between Ross and Dunmanway then became the final between two unbeaten teams.
The Schull Community College team that took part in the Dr Herlihy Shield.
Bantry recorded wins over Schull and St Brogan’s to finish in third place with impressive performers in Kevin Nash, Ruairí O’Brien, Joey Sheehan and Billy O’Mahony. Manager, Alan O’Sullivan. Outgoing champions Schull scored a good win over St Brogan’s to finish in fourth place with impressive displays from Frankie Whelton, Cillian Griffin, Dylan O’Brien Hayes, Seán Wiseman and Padraig O’Sullivan. Manager, Emmet Vaughan. Although St Brogan’s failed to record a win on the day, their side being depleted because of school exams, they had good players in goalkeeper Keelan Holden, James Lucy, Daniel Neville and Lesley Nnotumn. Manager, Padraig Reidy.
Results: Rosscarbery 3-7, St Brogan’s 1-0; MICC 3-2, Bantry 1-1; Rosscarbery 4-4, Schull 1-1; MICC 1-7, St Brogan’s 1-4; Rosscarbery 0-7, Bantry 1-0; Schull 1-6, St Brogan’s 1-2; Bantry 1-7, Schull 0-4; MICC 0-4, Schull 0-1; Bantry 2-2, St Brogan’s 0-2.
The St Brogan's College, Bandon team that took part in the Dr Herlihy Shield competition.
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Mount St Michael 1-7
MICC, Dunmanway 0-2
The Herlihy Shield final rested between the two best teams on the day, Rosscarbery and Dunmanway. With the slight breeze, Ross dominated the opening period. With talented Joe O’Donovan, the stylish Stephen McCarthy, Seán Sheehy, Oisín McCarthy, Michael McCarthy, Sam Mahon, Aodán Murphy, Kevin Duffy and Gavin Anderson hitting top form, they were quickly on the scoreboard, with points from O’Donovan and Anderson. Two points from McCarthy had the seasiders leading by 0-4 to nil at the break. The second half – with goalkeeper Daire Hurley, Kaelen Twomey, Ethan Hurley, Marc O’Donovan and Shane O’Connell trying very hard – saw Dunmanway fight back but points from Oisín O’Donovan, Kevin Duffy and Oisín McCarthy for Ross opened up a seven-point gap. The crucial score arrived when Joe O’Donovan cut through to finish to the Dunmanway net. Even though Dunmanway refused to wilt, kicking the last two points from Eoin Lynch and Kaelen Twomey, it was game, set and match, and the Herlihy Shield, to Rosscarbery. The Herlihy Shield was presented to the winning captain Kevin Duffy by Brian and Barry Herlihy, sons of the late Dr Michael.
The MICC Dunmanway team that finished as runners-up in the competition.
Mount St Michael's panel – Olan Brazier Scannell (St James), Lewis Timmens (Carbery Rangers), Michael McCarthy (do.), Cillian Crowley (O’Donovan Rossa), Sam Mahon (Kilmacabea), Seán Sheehy (Carbery Rangers), Darragh O’Donovan (Kilmacabea), Aodán Murphy (do.), Milo Kinseela (do.), Stephen McCarthy (do.), Kevin Duffy (Carbery Rangers), Oisín McCarthy (do.), Joe O’Donovan (Kilmacabea), Gavin Anderson (do.), Tom Browne (do.), Dylan Cooke (do.), Cormac Ó Donnabháin (Carbery Rangers), Charlie Harte (do.), Senan Kirby (do.), Cillian Calnan (St James). Managers – Mike Keohane and James O’Sullivan.
MICC, Dunmanway panel – Daire Hurley (Clann na nGael), Daniel Burke (Dohenys), Gavin McCarthy (Dohenys), Timmy O’Donovan (Clann na nGael), Kaelen Twomey (Clann na nGael), Ethan Hurley (Dohenys), Marc O’Donovan (Clann na nGael), Éanna Hayes (Dohenys), Levi Bosma (do.), Seán Galvin (do.), Shane O’Connell (do.), Mícheál Galvin (Kilmichael), Mícheál Gottstein (Dohenys), Ryan Crowley (do.), Oisín Murray (do.), Daithí Galvin (Kilmichael), Aodán Kelliher (Dohenys), Calvin O’Donoghue (do.), Calum K. O’Driscoll (do.), Rian Farr (do.), Oliver Kearney (do.), Jack O’Donovan (Clann na nGael), Matthew Daly (do.), Eoin Lynch (Dohenys), Josh O’Farrell (do.), Sammy O’Mahony. Manager – Liam O’Donovan.
