ANTHONY Seymour acknowledges that three-in-a-row chasing Castlehaven will have a target on their back in this season’s county championship, but feels the reigning champions will be able to handle the pressure.
The seven-time senior winners have never won three-in-a-row, but off the back of their triumphs in 2023 and ’24, the current group of Castlehaven footballers have the chance to make history. They know this, but also that it won’t be easy.
No club has won three county senior football titles in a row since Nemo Rangers (2005 to 2008), and there is a reason this doesn’t happen too often: it’s exceptionally hard to stay at the summit for three seasons in a row.
‘The lads know that they’re chasing something special this year, the first Haven side to win three-in-a-row. They know too that we have a target on our backs, the side to beat and that will add more pressure. We were in the same position last season and we learned from it, dealt okay with it,’ Castlehaven selector Anthony Seymour said.
‘It was a step up from league to championship last season and we know it will be the same this season. I suppose we’d still be looked on as one of the big four but you only have to look at what Mallow did last season, knocking out the Barr’s, to realise that any of the 12 teams could have a good year and cause trouble.’
Mark Collins raises the Andy Scannell Cup after their 2024 triumph.
Castlehaven will face Mallow in their opening group game on Saturday, July 26th in Ovens. Games against Valley Rovers and Newcestown will follow, but there is only one focus on the minds of Castlehaven players right now.
‘We have Mallow in the first round and we’re not thinking beyond that one,’ admitted Seymour.
‘It will be Valleys four weeks later and then Newcestown. Mallow were semi-finalists last season, so that will be a tough one first day out. Win the first game and it’s a lot of pressure off.
‘The league has shown that all the teams are very balanced. No side can be taken for granted and we know from past experience that Newcestown will be as tough as they come in the third round. But for now, it’s full steam ahead for the Mallow game and we’d hope, barring injuries, that we’ll have all our players back by then.’
Finishing seventh in Division 1 of the county football league won’t set off any alarm bells in Castlehaven either. Look at their final league game with Clonakilty – Haven fielded without Brian Hurley, Michael Hurley, Mark Collins, Damien Cahalane, Conor Cahalane, Jack Cahalane and Rory Maguire, yet they still drew in Ballinacarriga. It’s a reality that Castlehaven have adjusted to.
‘We never had our full 15 in any league game but we know that at the start of each season and we plan accordingly. The target is always to maintain our position in Division 1 and we managed to do that,’ Seymour explained.
Because of their extended runs in the championship for the past few seasons, landing back-to-back titles and going into the Munster championship, the Haven have to rest their players early in the year when other teams are well into pre-season training.
‘We didn’t start too early this season,’ Seymour added.
‘We’ve had a hard two seasons, going very late into the year and we know it could be the same this season if we go well – that’s why we didn’t bring the lads back too soon. That showed early in the league when we lost a few games and that put us under pressure later on. But there was no panic, we knew what we had to do to stay up and we got it done.
‘We used every game as a stepping stone towards the championship. It was a great opportunity to try out the young lads and every one of them rose to it. We’ve improved in every game in the league, from where we were at the start to what we produced against Clonakilty.
‘Training-wise we still haven’t got all our players together. We had the same problem last season when Cork hurlers reached the All-Ireland final, and we have the same problem now. It’s a nice problem to have lads playing at the top level with Cork but that creates its own headaches for us as a club.
‘It’s a good headache to have and we know how to deal with it. We have been able to build up a good squad and we still have a few fellas who weren’t on the match panel for the last game due to come in soon.’
