OVER the past few years one of the most prestigious GAA cups available to win in West Cork is the Herlihy Cup for first year football in local second-level schools.
Presented in honour of the late Dr Michael Herlihy, the great GAA man from Dunmanway, that cup will now have an equivalent in hurling following the presentation of a fine new cup to the Carbery Board to be played for by the first year students in West Cork.
The cup is The Raymond Lyons Cup, presented by the Lyons family of Dunmanway in honour of the late Raymond Lyons, known to all as Raymie.
Raymie Lyons was born, bred and lived all his life in his native Dunmanway and was a pillar of the Doheny club, first as a player, and then as an administrator, occupying almost every officer position in the club for almost 40 years.
As a coach and trainer, he was responsible for producing numerous successful underage Sam Maguire teams, especially in hurling. He was also a top-class referee and produced the Doheny history book in 1986.
Raymie spent all his working life as a teacher in Hamilton High School in Bandon and transferred his coaching skills to the young lads in the school for many years. He was a mentor on many successful Hamilton teams in both football and hurling and was still teaching in the school at the time of his sudden death at a Doheny club meeting in 2009, aged 62.
The fine new cup was presented on behalf of the family to the Carbery Board by Tom Lyons, younger brother of Raymie, who has given great service to the Clonakilty club and the Carbery GAA Board.
The inaugural hurling competition for first years will involve Hamilton High School, St Brogan’s, MICC, Skibbereen, Bantry and Mount St Michael’s and will be run off in Clonakilty GAA grounds this Thursday, September 18th, organised by GDA Niall McIntyre of Newcestown.
