Carbery JAFC is a competition that means a lot to us here in West Cork
ANOTHER lull in the football action in Cork as all bar the hurlers of Imokilly and Muskerry got a well-deserved rest weekend. The deciding games in the hurling group stages will take centre stage this weekend before the football equivalents the weekend after.
As we noted last week, every team still has something riding on the final games, be it a place in the semi-final or quarter-finals or avoiding relegation play-offs. Couple that with the fixture certainty, it is little wonder that more than 90 percent of players in Cork supported the split season and the current format when surveyed last year.
A competition I haven’t spoken about as much as I would like in previous columns, for reasons of space and because I am directly involved, is the Carbery Junior A championship.
It is a championship that holds a special place in my memories as my first adult games with Carbery Rangers were in the West Cork Junior A championship and in my second full year, we claimed the Little Nora trophy before annexing the county title in a day that still many of the older Rosscarbery guard, at least, would regard as being at least the equal of winning the senior county in 2016. The latter would never have happened without the former, of course.
Back in 2003, though, the competition was an absolute behemoth, with the county title notorious for being possibly the most difficult to claim in Cork given the number of clubs involved. It was also the third rung on the ladder in Cork at the time, meaning success would bring you within touching distance of the big guns up at senior. This was proven true when both ourselves and Ilen Rovers before us flew through the intermediate ranks after years of struggling to get out of Junior A.
With the long overdue restructuring a few years back, the Junior A grade now represents the sixth tier in Cork football, so the carrot of senior football is a long way away for those looking to claim county glory. That doesn’t dilute the importance of the competition for those involved and both the Carbery championship and the county section remain hugely prestigious titles.
I do wonder sometimes if there is a need for two Intermediate and a Premier Junior competition, and if one Intermediate grade and a reconsolidated Junior championship would be preferable to bring added importance to the county Junior A title once again. I floated merging and realignment of divisional boundaries recently, and while again this may not have popular support, I think there could be an overall benefit to Cork football in doing so.
For now, though, the junior clubs in West Cork will keep their sights firmly on the Mick McCarthy cup and the opportunity to compete for county honours and promotion.
Kilmacabea have been the premier force in West Cork for a few seasons now and will certainly feel they should have secured that elusive county title in the recent past. They remain the team to beat in Carbery this year, having won another West Cork trophy last year with a comfortable win over hurling kingpins and double chasers, Diarmuid Ó Mathúnas.
Leap are safely through in Group 2 already with two wins and a healthy score difference, with their conquerors in the Division 7 league final, Argideen Rangers, favourites to join them. The sides meet in the final game to decide top spot, although Kilmeen can come into the equation at the expense of the Timoleague club with a win over already eliminated Randal Óg. Kilmeen will also need Argideen to lose and a minimum 15-point swing in scoring difference. Not impossible, but certainly improbable. Randals will be hoping for a result to avoid the prospect of demotion to Junior B football.
We won’t delve too deep into the permutations in Group 1, other than to say all four teams are still in contention to qualify for the quarter-finals or each could face elimination also, with Caheragh leading on three points, Mathúnas and St. Oliver Plunkett’s locked on two points and
Ballinascarthy trailing with a solitary point. Caheragh look best placed to progress here but could be knocked out with a defeat to Plunkett’s and a win for Mathúnas over Bal, or even a win for Bal and another substantial scoring difference swing. Expect two exciting games and for supporters to have their phones nearby checking on results elsewhere.
Barryroe have also made it through already in Group 3 with Kilbrittain and St James also in the hunt. Castlehaven’s second team, who went to a semi-final last year, are already eliminated. They will face Kilbrittain in the final game hoping to secure top spot while Kilbrittain know that defeat will open the door for St James to overtake them with a win over the Haven.
Finally, in Group 4, it is another three-horse race. My own charges will face St Mary’s in Rossmore, only a year after the teams met in the same venue in the group stage and the Ballineen/Enniskeane combination will feel it is a game that they left behind them entirely. St Mary’s will claim top spot with a win or a draw on Saturday week, while we need a win to be sure of progression. Goleen know a win over St Colum’s will likely be enough to qualify for the knockout rounds even if a draw in Rossmore would see all three teams finish on four points and scoring difference would be needed.
Facing into the final games, 13 of the 16 teams can still take one of the eight places on offer in the knockout rounds, and plenty will fancy their chances of making an impact late into the championship. Kilmacabea, though, remain the team to beat and anyone who wants to take their crown will likely have to lower their colours. A brilliant weekend of Junior A football in West Cork awaits.
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There was plenty of action in other counties last weekend and the Clifford brothers continued their exhibition of champagne football with David setting up Paudie for a sumptuous goal against Beaufort. For those who bemoan the lack of promotion of the game without major county games in Croke Park, think of the value of kids and adults alike getting within touching distance of the Cliffords, or Conor Glass in Derry, or Con O’Callaghan in Dublin or Damien Comer in Galway. Thousands of games involving thousands of players are taking place now across the country in August and September, and that is to be celebrated, and retained.
While I have advocated for the All-Ireland finals to return to August, and I still think they should, in reality the only club championships that should be directly affected would be those counties in the All-Ireland finals.
Giving those counties a bye in the preliminary provincial club competitions would buy some time for the delay in those counties also. Delaying the start of the inter-county season another couple of weeks into February would give the breathing space also to finish the All-Ireland club championships. I’ve banged this drum plenty, but some day someone with a bigger platform than mine is going to pick up on this idea and make it happen.
It’s a simple idea and looks broadly like this:
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Inter-county season mid-February to mid-August.
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Provincial pre-season competitions could be played too (I would suggest most people bar a select few could not care less) but college players and those in All-Ireland club action would not be eligible. Give those competitions the respect and space they deserve.
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Internal county club season end of July/start of August to end of October/start of November.
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Provincial club season mid-November to end of January/start of February with Christmas and the first weekend of January excluded. Every GAA player in the country should get that break at the least.
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Two weeks minimum built in for weather delays. Playing games in cold hard winter weather on quality pitches is no issue, playing in gale force winds or torrential rain should be avoided.
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Underage inter-county and club season to run concurrently again. Once inter-county and one club game mandated for every county for the months of March to September, excluding exam times.
Something to think about…
