FOLLOWING a heartbreaking one-point county intermediate A final defeat to Aghabullogue last year, Bandon boss Joe Burke set his sights on returning to Páirc Uí Chaoimh for another decider in 2026.

It’s box ticked after Bandon beat Midleton in the semi-final. Now, they want to right last year’s wrongs and come out on top against Aghada on Saturday, October 31st (5pm).

‘Obviously, there was a massive disappointment in losing by a point last year but these things happen in sport. Once the dust settled, we got our feet on the ground again. That was part of our goal, to bounce back straight away and get to a final again,’ Burke told The Southern Star.

Thankfully, we’re there but there’s nothing won yet. We’re just happy to get there. We have four weeks now. We’ll come up with a training plan, give the lads a night off this week and just go after it again, same as every other week during the year. The aim was to get to the final. Now we want to get over the line.’

The Lilywhites know Aghada well, having beaten the Imokilly club in a first-round group stage match in August, winning 2-24 to 1-24.

There was only one score between the teams that day until Denis O’Mahony’s goal gave Bandon some breathing space.

Since then, Aghada drew with Russell Rovers but are on a three-game winning streak, seeing off Kilbrittain, Mallow, and Sarsfields’ second string last weekend by 3-18 to 1-14.

The east Cork club brought eventual champions Aghabullogue to extra time in their semi-final last year too and Burke expects another close encounter.

‘Aghada are a really strong team. They had a massive win over Sars and over Kilbrittain as well in the group stages. In the knockouts, they’re a serious outfit and we’re under no illusions of the size of the challenge that’s ahead for us.

‘Look, we’re just thrilled to be there and we’ll have a look at them. Yes, we beat them in the first round but that’s in the history books now. We’re moving on to the final and we’re going to have to beat them again,’ the Bandon manager explained.

The Lilywhites’ run to the final has been defined by key moments in each game – O’Mahony’s goal against Aghada, Mark Sugrue’s late equaliser against Kilbrittain and Cathal Lynch’s winner to beat Russell Rovers. Those moments have left Bandon just one step away from glory.

Bandon manager Joe Burke.

‘Kilbrittain was always going to be a slightly different game in that it was a local derby. We got a draw that day and people probably thought we were lucky enough to get it but they fought it out. That was a good shot in the arm for us going into the Russell Rovers game,’ Burke explained.

‘Russell Rovers was a really tough game. It was nip and tuck all through. Cathal came up with a massive score at the end and we held out.

‘In every game, there wasn’t a puck of a ball between the teams. The whole grade is so balanced. We had to treat it like two separate competitions. There was a group stage, and then the knockout stage.

‘We were thrilled to get out of the group. Finishing on top and getting into a semi-final was an added bonus, especially being a dual club. We have 13 or 14 out of our starting team that would be dual players. That extra couple of weeks was nice.’

Naturally, a county final brings its own buzz and hype. This time last year, the town came out in support of its hurlers. The same will happen again this year.

‘It’s great to see. The last day, and in every game this year, the number of kids going to the games shows there is a massive interest in it. The support numbers are big and it will be fiercely exciting for the children around and for everyone concerned in the town,’ Burke noted.

‘The kids love these occasions. They really enjoyed it last year despite coming out second best in the final. The run-up to it was really good. It’s something to look forward to again for the next few weeks. Ultimately, we just have to look after what’s going on in the training field and everything else will look after itself.’