Photo | George Hatchell
Kilmacabea 1-14 | Donoughmore 1-7
In a historic day for the Carbery club, Kilmacabea came from behind to defeat Donoughmore and claim their first-ever McCarthy Insurance Group County JAFC title at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday evening.
Despite persistent heavy rain affecting the quality of the football, the final was packed with excitement and endeavour. Donoughmore made the stronger start, leading 1-4 to 0-5 at the break thanks to a brilliant first-half goal from Gavin O’Sullivan.
The second half was dominated by the eventual winners. A crucial goal midway through from substitute Ray Shanahan swung the momentum and gave Kilmacabea the platform they needed to kick on. Heroes like Ian Jennings and Martin Collins were outstanding as the Carbery side outscored their opponents heavily in the second 30 minutes.
Kilmacabea’s hard work and collective grit paid off, securing a fully deserved seven-point victory. The final whistle sparked joyful celebrations as they lifted the championship cup.
Scorers for Kilmacabea: E Shanahan 0-5 (1 2pt), R Shanahan 1-0, C McCarthy (1 2pt f), I Jennings (1 2pt), D Gore (0-1 f) 0-2 each, K Whelton, L McCarthy, D O’Donovan 0-1 each.
Donoughmore: G O’Sullivan 1-4 (0-1 f, 0-1 45), D McDonnell 0-2, S Barrett 0-1.
KILMACABEA: C McCarthy; L Tobin, D Whooley, D Tobin; O Tobin, M Collins, D O’Callaghan; O Kerrisk, I Jennings (c); D McCarthy, D Gore, K Whelton; E Shanahan, D O’Donovan, J Collins.
Subs: L McCarthy for E Shanahan (3-6, temp), L McCarthy for O Kerrisk (h-t), R Shanahan for J Collins (40), C Whelton for K Whelton (63).
DONOUGHMORE: K O’Riordan; R Honohan, D Forde (c), S Broderick; D Morrissey, J Crowley, K O’Connell; S O’Hanlon, M Lucey; A Dinan, G O’Sullivan, D Holland; D Keating, D McDonnell, S Barrett.
Subs: L O’Sullivan for K O’Connell (47), T Murphy for A Dinan, J McCarthy for D Forde (both 49), J Murphy for D Keating (54), J Twomey for M Lucey (56).
Referee: Alan O’Connor (Ballygarvan).
Kilmacabea Claim Historic County JAFC Title
Photo | George Hatchell
Kilmacabea 1-14 | Donoughmore 1-7
In a historic day for the Carbery club, Kilmacabea came from behind to defeat Donoughmore and claim their first-ever McCarthy Insurance Group County JAFC title at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday evening.
Despite persistent heavy rain affecting the quality of the football, the final was packed with excitement and endeavour. Donoughmore made the stronger start, leading 1-4 to 0-5 at the break thanks to a brilliant first-half goal from Gavin O’Sullivan.
The second half was dominated by the eventual winners. A crucial goal midway through from substitute Ray Shanahan swung the momentum and gave Kilmacabea the platform they needed to kick on. Heroes like Ian Jennings and Martin Collins were outstanding as the Carbery side outscored their opponents heavily in the second 30 minutes.
Kilmacabea’s hard work and collective grit paid off, securing a fully deserved seven-point victory. The final whistle sparked joyful celebrations as they lifted the championship cup.
Scorers for Kilmacabea: E Shanahan 0-5 (1 2pt), R Shanahan 1-0, C McCarthy (1 2pt f), I Jennings (1 2pt), D Gore (0-1 f) 0-2 each, K Whelton, L McCarthy, D O’Donovan 0-1 each.
Donoughmore: G O’Sullivan 1-4 (0-1 f, 0-1 45), D McDonnell 0-2, S Barrett 0-1.
KILMACABEA: C McCarthy; L Tobin, D Whooley, D Tobin; O Tobin, M Collins, D O’Callaghan; O Kerrisk, I Jennings (c); D McCarthy, D Gore, K Whelton; E Shanahan, D O’Donovan, J Collins.
Subs: L McCarthy for E Shanahan (3-6, temp), L McCarthy for O Kerrisk (h-t), R Shanahan for J Collins (40), C Whelton for K Whelton (63).
DONOUGHMORE: K O’Riordan; R Honohan, D Forde (c), S Broderick; D Morrissey, J Crowley, K O’Connell; S O’Hanlon, M Lucey; A Dinan, G O’Sullivan, D Holland; D Keating, D McDonnell, S Barrett.
Subs: L O’Sullivan for K O’Connell (47), T Murphy for A Dinan, J McCarthy for D Forde (both 49), J Murphy for D Keating (54), J Twomey for M Lucey (56).
Referee: Alan O’Connor (Ballygarvan).
Games Programme Confirmed: Massive Weekend of Finals and Knockout Action at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh!
Get ready for an action-packed weekend as the County Championships reach a fever pitch! Cork GAA has a packed schedule featuring two major Colleges Cup Finals and a full slate of U21 Hurling knockout matches.
All roads lead to SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh and the 4G pitch, where teams will battle it out under Winner-on-the-Day regulations, ensuring every game goes down to the wire!
Friday Night Lights: Colleges Cup Finals
Friday night sees two highly anticipated Post-Primary School Finals take centre stage on the main pitch.
Saturday & Sunday: U21 Hurling Knockout Drama
The focus shifts to the Hurling Championships over the weekend with Semi-Finals and Quarter-Finals scheduled across the U21 A, B, and C grades.
Saturday, December 6th: U21 A Hurling Semi-Finals
The two U21 A Hurling Semi-Finals promise fierce competition as teams vie for a spot in the County Final.
Sunday, December 7th: Full Day of U21 B & C Action
Sunday is a triple-header of knockout hurling, now including the confirmed second U21 B Semi-Final.
Historic First: Kilbrittain Crowned AIB Munster Club JHC Champions!
Kilbrittain 2-17 | Kilrossanty 0-9
Kilbrittain secured a landmark moment in the club’s history on Saturday afternoon at Mallow, defeating Waterford’s Kilrossanty to claim their first-ever AIB Munster Club Junior Hurling Championship title. The victory is also a major milestone for West Cork, as Joe Ryan’s side becomes the first club from the Carbery division to win a provincial hurling crown.
The Cork champions displayed confidence and class throughout the encounter. Playing with the wind in the first half, Kilbrittain’s defence was resolute, restricting Kilrossanty to just three points—all frees from Pádraig Fitzgerald—while building a healthy 0-11 to 0-3 lead.
Although Kilrossanty briefly rallied at the start of the second half, cutting the deficit to five, Kilbrittain quickly regained control. The turning point came in the 40th minute when Mark Hickey billowed the back of the net after a superb team move, followed by a second goal from Bertie Butler ten minutes later. These goals sealed the match and extinguished Kilrossanty’s challenge.
Hickey was the top scorer with an impressive 1-9 (0-9 frees), while Butler added 1-3. The comprehensive 2-17 to 0-9 victory was fully deserved, sparking major celebrations as Kilbrittain collected the cup. They now advance to the All-Ireland Semi-Final against the Leinster winners.
Scorers for Kilbrittain: M Hickey 1-9 (0-9 f), B Butler 1-3 (0-1 f), A Holland, T Sheehan, J O’Donovan, L Griffin, S Sexton 0-1 each.
Kilrossanty: P Fitzgerald 0-7 (0-6 f), S Fitzgerald 0-2 (0-1 f).
KILBRITTAIN: D Desmond; D Considine, J Hurley, E O’Neill; T Sheehan, A Holland, C Sheehan; S Sexton, J O’Donovan; M Hickey, L Griffin, R Crowley; C Hogan, P Wall (c), B Butler.
Subs: C Ustianowski for R Crowley (51), D Harrington for S Sexton, T Harrington for A Holland (both 56), N O’Donovan for J O’Donovan, C Kenny for M Hickey (both 62).
KILROSSANTY: R Hogan; P Keating, D Fitzgerald (c), S Veale; M Dunne, C Walsh, J Kay; S Fitzgerald, F de Paor; P Cunningham, E Power, J Power; A Dunwoody, P Fitzgerald, D Walsh.
Subs: J Whyte for J Power (42), P Whyte for P Fitzgerald (60, inj).
Referee: Michael Kennedy (Tipperary).
Strength and Conditioning conference takes place
S&C Conference Report: Insights on Building Robust Teams at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh
A highly successful Strength and Conditioning (S&C) Conference for club coaches, hosted at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh, attracted a strong attendance of 125 people. The event’s central theme was “Building & Rebuilding Robust, Athletic Teams and Athletes: Insights from Gaelic Games, Professional Soccer, and Rugby,” providing club coaches with invaluable, high-performance strategies from across the sporting spectrum.
The conference successfully brought together leading experts to deliver actionable strategies relevant to the club environment, effectively bridging the gap between elite professional sport and grassroots Gaelic Games. The significant turnout of 125 attendees demonstrated the local coaching community’s strong commitment to enhancing player welfare and optimising performance through informed S&C practices. The success of the event underscores the clear appetite among club coaches for continuous professional development in this crucial area of athlete preparation.
The distinguished lineup of keynote speakers covered crucial aspects of athlete development, durability, and rehabilitation.
Paudie Roche, formerly the Lead S&C Coach with Arsenal Women and Academy, delivered specialised methods for working with developing and female athletes in his presentation, “Building Durable Female and Academy Athletes: S&C Strategies from Arsenal FC.”
Focusing on athlete recovery, Gordon Brett, a Rehabilitation Coach with prior experience at Leinster, Munster, and Wasps Rugby, provided high-level strategies on “Rebuilding the High Performance Athletes: Rehab Strategies from Elite Rugby,” with a focus on returning players to peak condition following injury.
Insights relevant to Gaelic Games were provided by two leading Intercounty and Club S&C practitioners. Cathal O’Brien, S&C Coach with the Cork Senior Hurlers, detailed physical preparation in the club environment with his talk, “Bullet-proofing the Club Hurler: S&C Strategies from Club and Intercounty Hurling.” Complementing this, Aidan O’Connell, High Performance Manager, addressed practical methods for maximising player availability in his presentation, “Optimising Athlete Availability: S&C Strategies from Club and Intercounty Football.”
The conference concluded on a high note with a highly engaging Q &A session between the attendees and the keynote speakers. This interactive segment allowed the 125 club coaches to directly challenge the experts with practical scenarios and delve deeper into the presented S&C strategies, reinforcing the practical and collaborative nature of the event. The successful exchange of ideas provided a valuable final opportunity for knowledge transfer, ensuring attendees left with tailored advice ready for implementation at club level.
Carrigaline Capture Junior B Inter-Division Title in Thriller
Carrigaline 1-15 (1-2-11) | Ballyphehane 1-12 (1-2-8)
Carrigaline’s third team ended their season on a triumphant note, defeating a formidable Ballyphehane side to claim the McCarthy Insurance Group Cork Inter-division Junior B Football Championship title at Páirc Uí Rinn on Saturday. Ballyphehane, recent winners of the Seandún and County Junior B championships, posed a significant challenge.
The crucial difference was the man-of-the-match display by veteran David Drake, who tallied a phenomenal 1-9 (1-2-6) and guided the team to the Jim Cronin Cup.
Carrigaline started strongly, with Drake scoring the game’s first goal after 15 minutes to give them a 1-3 to 0-2 lead. Ballyphehane kept pace through the accurate boot of Craig Murphy (0-6 total), trailing 1-5 to 0-5 at halftime.
Ballyphehane ignited the second half with a 35th-minute goal finished by Jamie Geasley. They briefly took the lead, 1-11 to 1-10, midway through the half following quick two-pointers from Murphy and Adam O’Donoghue (0-4 total).
However, Carrigaline’s experience shone through. They outscored their opponents five points to one in the final ten minutes plus stoppage time, ensuring a hard-fought victory for joint captains Séamus McHugh and Cormac Nolan.