Cork football star Liam O’Donovan returns for Clonakilty

CORK footballer Liam O’Donovan played his first competitive game in 11 months on Sunday as he made his latest comeback from injury.

The Clonakilty man (pictured above) came on at half time in his club’s emphatic RCM Tarmacadam Junior A Hurling Championship quarter-final win against St Mary’s at Ahiohill.

He even fired over a point in the second period, as Clon powered to a 2-19 to 1-6 victory, and a place in the last four of the Carbery championship.

This was O’Donovan’s first game since he suffered a serious hamstring injury on November 14th, 2021, in action for Clon’s footballers in their Cork Premier SFC semi-final win against Douglas at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

He underwent surgery on his right hamstring in London, but missed Clonakilty’s first county senior football final in 12 years, Cork’s entire 2022 league and championship campaign, and Clon’s 2022 Premier SFC season.

The good news is that the highly-rated Cork wing back, who burst on the scene with the Rebels in 2019, is back in action.

The hope is that Lady Luck will smile kindly on the Clon man who has been plagued by injuries in recent years. In July 2020 O’Donovan ruptured his ACL in action for Clonakilty in a challenge game, and then in May ’21, on the brink of his comeback, he suffered a tear in his right hamstring, followed by torn ankle ligaments. 

He eventually got back on the field in September 2021, with Clon’s hurlers in the Carbery JAHC, before inspiring Clonakilty’s senior footballers in their memorable Cork Premier SFC run to the county final. He missed the decider against St Finbarr’s after suffering his hamstring injury in the semi-final, but now, 11 months on, O’Donovan’s back in action. 

He will hope to get more minutes under his belt when Clonakilty’s hurlers take on Newcestown in the Carbery Junior A HC semi-final this Saturday afternoon in Ahiohill at 2pm.