CARBERY boss Joe Ryan has stressed the importance of the division’s hurlers getting at least one win under their belt in the county senior hurling championship colleges/divisional section.
The Ballinascarthy man is in his first year as Carbery manager after spending a few seasons in the backroom team.
After losing their first-round game to Avondhu (2-24 to 1-13), Carbery have another game against Carrigdhoun (who lost to Duhallow on Tuesday, 3-29 to 4-19) next Tuesday, June 20th.
‘A win is what we are aiming for and we’re certainly capable of getting it,’ Ryan said.
‘We’re not beating around the bush: our aim is to compete and compete to win.’
One victory was all Tim Buckley’s Carbery footballers needed to build confidence last season. That team grew and went on to win the colleges and divisional section in 2022, and bring the Tadhg Crowley Cup back to Carbery.
‘It’s amazing to see what one win does in terms of momentum, maybe keeping lads involved and keeping the buzz going as well. It’s a bit of an easier sell then next year; it would get more lads and clubs involved,’ Ryan explained.
‘They (Carbery footballers) would be the template that we’d be working off. It also gives the management a longer lead in to plan out training and have challenge matches,’ the Bal man explained.
In terms of player involvement, Dohenys duo Mark Buckley and Bill Murphy are likely to link up with the panel once they recover from injury, as will the manager’s brother, Jeremy, who is sidelined with a hamstring injury; the Bal sharp-shooter was the divisional side’s top scorer last season.
‘It does give other lads a bit of an opportunity. We have a young player, Shane Murnane, 18 years of age, playing wing forward for us from St Colum’s. He was a Cork minor last year. Hopefully, the experience will bring him on,’ Ryan said.
One club that didn’t feature in the division’s opening game was Argideen Rangers. The Timoleague club reached the county Premier JHC quarter-finals last season and pushed Ballygiblin to the pin of their collar.
‘I’d be very clear on this: the door is always open for the Argideen lads if they want to play. The lads that are there at the moment have an opportunity to challenge themselves. You look at Sean O’Riordan playing corner-back from Barryroe. We put him on Stephen Condon and Sean did an absolutely brilliant job,’ Ryan said.
‘We have Sean O’Riordan, James Moloney, Shane Murnane, Sean Sexton and Eoghan Ferguson. Conall Cullinane, too, for the future even though he won’t be involved this year. Young players like that.
‘You give them exposure, you challenge them and it’s a great environment for them. Everyone’s competitive to a degree and they ultimately want to play. They can develop then,’ the Carbery boss pointed out.
Another divisional side, Beara, pulled out of the football championship recently but Ryan is adamant that the Carbery hurlers have a future.
‘There were 19 at the meeting the night before the Avondhu game. I said to the lads at the start of the year that they won’t hear any complaints from me. I really appreciate them getting involved,’ said Ryan.
‘Would I like to have more? Absolutely. Would I like it if certain clubs allow their players to play? Yes, but that’s up to the individual clubs themselves. As long as the divisions are there then Carbery deserves to be represented. I would be of the belief that an opportunity for a player to play at a higher level should be afforded.’
