West Cork's deadly dozen played a major role in Cork's All-Ireland minor football success

12 players from West Cork involved in Cork 2019 minor panel

BY KIERAN McCARTHY

LAST Sunday was a great day for Cork football – and it was also a memorable occasion for West Cork football, too.

Twelve talented young footballers from nine West Cork clubs have been involved with this minor team on their 2019 adventure, while there is also a strong local influence on the management team.

First, to the players, Clonakilty’s Daniel Peet and Urhan’s Joseph O’Shea started in the defence as has been the case all campaign, while Argideen Rangers’ Jack Lawton and Carbery Rangers’ Kelan Scannell were important figures around the middle third, with Castlehaven’s Jack Cahalane getting through the amount of work in attack and finishing with 1-1. A quick word on Cahalane’s crucial goal in the second half that brought Cork to within one – he could have snatched at the chance but, instead, showed composure to turn and place it low.

So, five West Cork players started, and there were three more on the bench in the match-day panel of 26 – Barryroe’s Ryan O’Donovan, Gabriel Rangers’ Keith O’Driscoll and Glengarriff’s Denis Collins. It was O’Donovan who came on very late in normal time and then scored 1-2 in extra-time, highlighting how dangerous he is close to the goal.

Four more West Cork footballers have been on the training panel all year – Carbery Rangers’ Barry Kerr, Sean Bohane from Castlehaven, James O’Regan of Gabriel Rangers and Newcestown’s Seamus O’Sullivan, all playing a huge role in ending Cork’s 19-year wait since the county’s last All-Ireland MFC title.

Now, to the management team. Cork manager Bobbie O’Dywer now lives in Macroom but he is of Urhan and Beara stock, his father none other than the great Riobard O’Dwyer. Garnish club man Ollie Rue O’Sullivan is a selector, as is former county-winning Castlehaven senior football manager James McCarthy.

In the backroom team, two more Castlehaven men are involved, with Brendan Deasy over the statistics and video analysis with Liam O’Driscoll also involved in video analysis and breaking down the games. Brian McCarthy of Urhan is, in effect, the team manager and took care of logistics. Former county-winning Bantry man Stephen Moloney is the team’s maor uisce.

It’s worth noting too the role of St Mary’s Daniel Cronin in this Cork triumph. Cronin was over this group in the development squad set-up in 2018 and he handed them over to Bobbie O’Dwyer and Co in great shape. They were primed to achieve something big – and they have, with West Cork playing its role.