Cork Credit Unions and Cork GAA are delighted to announce a new three-year partnership that will
see Cork Credit Unions as the Cork Football Leagues title sponsor.
The Cork Credit Union cover an area stretching from Castletownbere to Youghal and Kinsale to Mitchelstown,
there is a credit union to be found serving every community just like the county’s GAA clubs. With
over 30 Credit Unions and offices across Cork, providing more services to communities than ever
before. Over 50 football teams are participating in the upcoming leagues.
Cork Credit Unions have come together to forge stronger relationships with Cork focused initiatives.
This cooperation between Credit Unions is a key ethos by which they operate, helping them to
provide a multi award-winning service. Credit Unions are not-for-profit, always keeping the
members’ interests at the forefront of everything they do. A key factor is their relentless focus on
understanding what matters most to people and being able to deliver it in the experiences they give
them. As credit unions share a similar ethos of co-operation to football teams and the communities
they represent, showcasing the power of working as a team.
This season, the Co. football leagues take a different shape due to the tighter schedule available. It
means there is now 13 groups in total from Division 1A to Division 7. Divisions 1 to 6 will have two
groups in each, with the top in each group (A & B) playing in semi finals before going onto the finals. 7 finals will be played involving 53 clubs from across the county. The Cork Credit Unions Football
League Cup gets underway on the June Bank Holiday, from the 7th . There will be added bite also in
this years’ competition as there is set to be plenty of local derbies to whet the appetite of club
supporters.
Speaking at the launch of the partnership, Cork GAA Chairperson Marc Sheehan said, “We are
delighted to welcome Cork Credit Unions on board for a three-year period, as our clubs are
about to embark on a long-awaited period of activity. This partnership will allow significant
prize money for the competitions to go directly to clubs at a time of financial challenges for
all units”.
Cork GAA CEO Kevin O’Donovan said, “Our leagues are essential in the provision of regular
games for all our players and to have the support of Cork Credit Unions is a huge asset on
creating the suitable structures. Indeed, as our football leagues reach into every corner of
city and county, it is appropriate that our partners have similar links with our communities.
Once more, the One Cork structure has been a key factor in the new commercial model now
evolving locally”.
Cork Credit Unions Committee member, Luke Casey had the following to say: “We are delighted to
be involved with Cork GAA at a club level. Individual credit unions rooted in their communities have
been supporting clubs for years in one way or another. This three year partnership is another way in
which credit unions are here for Cork. Local clubs and credit unions are found in communities across
the county and the people they serve are the backbone of both. It really is a perfect fit for a
partnership. We look forward to the league season ahead and wish all the participating teams the
best of luck!”

Head to www.corkcreditunions.ie to find out more about your Credit Union and the wider group.

Photos courtesy of Jim Coughlan

KILDARE 2-12 CORK 0-14

Courtesy of www.gaa.ie

Cork footballers suffered suffered a opening round defeat in the Allianz Football League against Kildare today in Thurles.

Cork started well and scored the first three points of the game but Kildare enjoyed a long period of dominance between the 30th and 65th minutes when they out-scored Cork by 2-9 to 0-4. It was a confident and well drilled Kildare performance and O’Connor was pleased by many aspects of his team’s performance, not least that by 19-year-old debutant Alex Beirne, and also the chance to hand debuts to Shane O’Sullivan and Brian McLoughlin late in the game.

Cork’s full forward line – John O’Rourke, Brian Hurley and Cathail O’Mahony scored early on and they led 0-4 to 0-3 going into the water break and if anything should have been further ahead.

Kildare’s hard work around the field gradually got them back in the game but they lost the services of Daniel Flynn, who had scored two superb points, to a hamstring injury on the half mark.

Rather than the loss of Flynn hurting Kildare, it seemed to bring even more from them and his replacement, namesake Neil, put Kildare ahead for the first time with the last kick of the half from a magnificent free from full 50 metres or more, 0-7 to 0-6.

Sensing their opportunity, Kildare kept the pressure on in the second half. Paul Cribbin’s second point of the game made it 0-11 to 0-8 in the 59th minute and from the kick out, Kildare won possession and worked the ball to Kevin Flynn who calmly finished the back of the Cork net.

Cork almost replied instantly but Ian Maguire’s effort only clipped the bar on the way over after beating Donnellan to a high ball.

It was be Kildare’s day though and Jimmy Hyland made sure of that when he found the net in the 60th minute after some brilliant work in the build up by Aaron Masterson and Darragh Kirwan.

Kildare led 2-12 to 0-9 at that point but Cork rallied late in the game. Cathail O’Mahony scored four points, with Ciaran Sheehan also on the scoresheet but their day ended on a sour note when Brian Hartnett was dismissed for a straight red card offence following an off the ball altercation with Masterson.

Scorers for Kildare: Jimmy Hyland 1-2 (1 free, 1 mark), Neil Flynn 0-3 (2 frees, 45), Kevin Flynn 1-0, Daniel Flynn 0-2, Paul Cribbin 0-2, Darragh Kirwan 0-2, Luke Flynn 0-1

Scorers for Cork: Cathal O’Mahony 0-6 (5 frees), John O’Rourke 0-2, Brian Hurley 0-2 (2 frees), Ian Maguire 0-2, Kevin O’Driscoll 0-1, Ciaran Sheehan 0-1.

KILDARE: Mark Donnellan; Mark Dempsey, Mick O’Grady, Eoin Doyle; Kevin Flynn, David Hyland, Ryan Houlihan; Luke Flynn, Aaron Masterson; Alex Beirne, Daniel Flynn, Paul Cribbin; Jimmy Hyland, Kevin Feely, Darragh Kirwan. Subs: Neil Flynn for D Flynn (30), Con Kavanagh for Houlihan (52), Fergal Conway for L Flynn (54), Conor Hartley for Beirne (54), Shane O’Sullivan for J Hyland (66), Brian McLoughlin for Kirwan (71).

CORK: Mícheál Martin; Daniel O’Mahony, Sean Meehan, Kevin Flahive; Paul Walsh, Sean Powter, Mattie Taylor; Ian Maguire, Kevin O’Driscoll; Colm O’Callaghan, Sean White, Ruairi Deane; John O’Rourke, Brian Hurley, Cathail O’Mahony. Subs: Brian Hartnett for O’Callaghan (h/t), Dan Dineen for Hurley (39), Kevin O’Donovan for Powter (59), Ciaran Sheehan for O’Driscoll (59), Blake Murphy for Deane (63), Tadhg Corkery for Maguire (67).

Referee: Maurice Deegan (Laois).