Castlehaven sharpshooter Michael Hurley is reminding us all he hasn’t gone away

BY KIERAN McCARTHY

‘WE always knew this was in him,’ Castlehaven boss James McCarthy says of Michael Hurley’s impressive club form, ‘it was just to get that run of games.’

The youngest of the four Hurley brothers is certainly hitting the right notes in Castlehaven’s current adventure that saw them crowned county champions for the first time in ten years and now on the brink of Munster club glory, too.

In three of Castlehaven’s last four championship games, between Cork and Munster, Hurley has been central to their success, starring on the big stage.

• He was man-of-the-match in the county final win against Nemo, scoring five points from play out of Haven’s 0-11 total.

• Hurley kicked 0-7, including six from play, when Castlehaven beat the Barrs in the county semi-final shoot-out.

• In the Munster club semi-final win against Rathgormack the Haven sharpshooter chipped in with 0-5 from play, again.

‘He is sharp and injury free, and looking after the body well,’ James McCarthy offered as some of the reasons why the 27-year-old, now in his prime, is having such a telling impact for Castlehaven this season. The stats back this up.

Hurley made his senior debut for Castlehaven in 2013, the last season the club won the county senior title before this current campaign; he was a Cork minor that season and he was one to watch. Since then he has been almost an ever-present for the Haven – Hurley has missed just two county championship games since he made his debut 11 seasons ago. That’s remarkable consistency, and he has been a consistent name on the score-sheet, too.

He finished this season’s Cork Premier SFC with 0-18 (17 from play, joint second in the county), and 12 of those scores came in the semi-final and final combined; Hurley stood up when the pressure was on, and his brother, Brian, made reference to this after the county final win.

‘They are always looking at me, Mark (Collins), Damien (Cahalane), Rory (Maguire), etc. Michael and the likes of Johnny O’Regan are the real stars today, if I am being honest,’ Brian explained, as his youngest brother delivered the goods. Michael’s impressive form of late has also eased some of the scoring pressure on Brian, as well as present another headache for the opposition.

This is now Michael’s joint-best scoring return in a club championship campaign; he has scored 0-23 across Cork and Munster, and this matches his return of 2-17 (23) in seven county championship games in 2018. There is a consistency to his scoring returns in recent county championship campaigns, too – 3-7 in 2022, 2-8 in ’21 and 1-11 in ’20, which mark him out as one of the more dangerous forwards in the county.

His decision before the 2022 season to step back from the Cork senior panel has also paid off – his second county senior football medal is one he will cherish. One of the reasons he decided to pull back from Cork was so he could concentrate on his club football. Hurley was used as an impact sub mostly with the Rebels, his speed and quick feet seen as ideal weapons to unleash on tiring defenders, but he decided himself he needed a break. Gone, but not forgotten, as his form for Haven this season has seen suggestions that Cork boss John Cleary might pick up the phone to his fellow clubman.

It would be hard to ignore the form of a player who kicked more scores from play in the county premier senior football championship this season than anyone else, but for now Hurley’s focus is all on Castlehaven and the chance to add a Munster medal to his collection.

‘Michael is playing with a smile on his face and that is half the battle,’ James McCarthy added, and if the youngest Hurley can continue his form of late, it could be a memorable day for Castlehaven on Sunday.