JOE O’Donnell is confident the new Carbery U15 hurling team will help raise standards across the division.

This season, the new divisional side will compete in the Rebel Óg Premier 1 U15 hurling league and may also line out in the championship later in the year.

Bantry Blues clubman O’Donnell can’t wait to get started.

‘We are going to be working with really good hurlers,’ he said.

‘We’re only there to give them a bit of structure and let them play. There won’t be too many coaches involved.

‘The players were involved in development squads and they have good coaches at their clubs. They will be at a level where it will be good and enjoyable for them.’

While the full Carbery U15 hurling management team is yet to be confirmed, Newcestown’s Pat Kenneally has also come on board as a coach.

‘We are going to promote a lot of people and get them used to the higher level. This is for everyone – every club, every young coach, every selector that wants to get involved. It’s not a closed shop,’ O’Donnell explained.

‘We are going to have guest appearances at training as well. Luke Meade is going to do a session with us. It’s going to be a little bit open at the start to build the appetite for it.

‘You also have the Cork Games Development Officer Niall McIntyre. He’s going to be involved, but not on the sideline. That’s where we are at the moment, but there will be a few more added to it.’

While the Carbery boss has been hands-on with his home club, Bantry Blues, at all age grades in both codes, his roots trace back to Doon in Limerick, his home club. Moving to West Cork as a Garda, O’Donnell has been based in Bantry since 1998. His passion for hurling shines through, and he points out there are plenty of talented hurlers in the region.

‘Some clubs are slow to promote hurling in a lot of ways, and that’s obviously very hard to change, but you have really strong hurling clubs here. Look at Kilbrittain and what they did this year. They are an inspiration to all West Cork teams,’ he said.

‘You have Newcestown and Bandon as well. Bantry have been playing against these teams over the last number of years at underage.

‘If younger fellas see their peers playing at a high level, they want to replicate that and try to achieve something. It’s a slow process, but this new U15 team is a big step in the right direction.’

With Ibane Gaels also competing at U15 Premier 1 level, Argideen Rangers or Barryroe players are not available for Carbery selection, but O’Donnell and his management team will still have a wide spread of clubs to work with.

‘There was a question mark over one or two clubs, but it is predominantly something all the clubs are promoting. It’s just about looking for pitches now to be able to train on and keeping it as neutral as possible so that fellas won’t be travelling,’ O’Donnell said.

‘It’s about development – giving every player a chance to play at the highest level and take something from it. Hopefully it works out. I have no reason to think it won’t.’

With the positivity created by performances from West Cork clubs in recent times – Kilbrittain spring to mind – there is a good vibe around Carbery hurling right now. Setting up a divisional U15 team adds to that feel-good factor.

‘It’s going to be brilliant for the lads involved. It will test them and give them an idea of the level they have to reach, or match, to be competitive,’ O’Donnell said.

‘Fellas are going to go on and play underage for Cork. Hopefully we’ll have a few in our group. It will be a test. Every guy here is going to be able to hurl. They are going to be stretched and put under pressure with the speed of the game.

‘Even the little things like the touch – there is going to be so much to learn. If they can hurl under that pressure and at that speed, that’s what you’d be looking to see. Have fellas got that in their locker? It’s going to be exciting for them and everyone involved, but it’s a learning curve. It’s going to be a win–win for everyone.’