IT was a feast of underage hurling in Ahamilla when the cream of U14 hurling in West Cork fought it out for the honour of winning the inaugural Lyons Cup competition. 

The cup commemorates the late Raymond ‘Raymie’ Lyons of Dohenys, who was a teacher in Hamilton High School for almost 40 years, training many successful Hammies’ teams. 

The competition is for the first years in the secondary schools in West Cork and will run, side by side, with the equivalent Herlihy Cup in football. 

The weather was perfect for the new hurling competition and the pitches in good trim as over 100 young hurlers fought it out for the privilege of becoming the first winners of the new cup, presented by the Lyons family of Dunmanway. 

Five schools were present on the day, with Hamilton High School, Clonakilty Community College and St Brogan’s fielding two teams, 13 a-side. Skibbereen Community School and Dunmanway MICC had one team each. Two groups of four teams meant every team got three games, with the top team in each group meeting in the final proper for the Lyons Cup. 

In Group 1 were Hamilton High ‘Blues’, St Brogan’s ‘Blacks’, Clonakilty ‘Reds’ and Skibbereen. In Group 2 were Hamilton High ‘Yellows’, St Brogan’s ‘Whites’, Clonakilty ‘Greens’ and Dunmanway. Some tremendous games were witnessed, with outstanding hurling being played, plus the local rivalry between Hamilton High and St Brogan’s adding real spice to the proceedings. 

Group 1 results – Hamilton Blues 1-2 Clonakilty Reds 1-3; St Brogan’s Black 2-4 Skibbereen 1-2; Hamilton Blues 3-5 Skibbereen 1-4; Clonakilty Reds 4-6 Skibbereen 2-1; Hamilton Blues 1-4 St Brogan’s Blacks 1-0; Clonakilty Reds 1-4 St Brogan’s Blacks 2-2. This meant three teams finished the group on four points, with Clonakilty Reds taking top spot on scoring difference. 

Group 2 results – Clonakilty Greens 0-3 Hamilton Yellows 0-2; Dunmanway 2-2 St Brogan’s Whites 2-3; Hamilton Yellows 1-4 Dunmanway 0-4; Clonakilty Greens 3-2 St Brogan’s Whites 2-1; Hamilton Yellows beat St Brogan’s Whites; Clonakilty Greens 5-2 Dunmanway 2-2. This meant Clonakilty Greens won all their games and topped the group. 

The final should have been contested between Clonakilty Reds and Clonakilty Greens, but Clon mentors decided they would prefer not to have the two Clon teams playing each other in an important final. They conceded their top spot in Group 1 to Hamilton Blues, who had finished second. 

This left the final between Clonakilty Greens and Hamilton Blues. It was also agreed that Dunmanway and Skibbereen would meet in a special plate final

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Hamilton High Blues 2-8   

Clonakilty Greens 0-3

In the Lyons Cup final, Hamilton Blues kept the best wine to the last with a superb display of hurling. Archie Kirwin hit two opening goals. Points from Darragh Aherne, Sam Bambury, Paschal McCarthy and Josh Murray had them 2-8 to nil in front by half time. Liam Aherne, Tom Connolly, Ted O’Sullivan and Jack O’Donoghue were others to stand out. 

Clonakilty found their form in the second half and we were treated to a fine contest. With goalkeeper James Doyle, George Baker, Finbarr O’Mahony, Donncha Deasy, Cormac Whelton, Andrew Sexton and Darragh Hayes impressing, Clon had scores from Cormac Whelton and Finbarr O’Mahony as the backs tightened up considerably to limit Hamilton to two points from Rua Murphy and Darragh Aherne. The referee was Billy Murphy. 

After the game the Raymond Lyons Cup was presented to Hamilton High School by Tom Lyons, who thanked the Carbery GAA Board, GDA Niall McIntyre, the Clonakilty club, the referees and the schools, teachers and players who were involved. 

The Plate final resulted in a single-point win for Skibbereen over Dunmanway. 

Hamilton High Blues: Oliver Kiely, Liam Verling, Liam Aherne, Ted O’Sullivan, Paschal McCarthy, Josh Murray, Tom Connolly, Darragh Aherne, Ben Duggan, Sam Bambury, Rua Murphy, Jack O’Donoghue, Matt Feeny, Archie Kirwin, Keenan Crean, Darragh Sleator.  

Clonakilty CC Greens: James Doyle, Finbarr O’Mahony, Paddy O’Regan, George Baker, Andy Twomey, Donnacha Deasy, Donna Harte, Cormac Whelton, Darragh Hayes, Paddy O’Regan, Charlie Hennessy, Darra O’Gorman, Harry Reilly, James Bonner, Donnacha Crowley, Danny Sutton, Andrew Sexton, Alex Coughlan.  

Clonakilty CC Reds: Olan Walsh, Liam Byerley, Tadhg O’Dowd, Danny Forristal, Paddy Dineen, Dylan O’Brien, Conor Cashman, Ciarán McCarthy, Ryan Whelton, Ryan Deasy, Ciarán McCarthy, Liam Ahern, Rian Keohane, Liam Campbell, Dylan Walsh, Matthew O’Regan. 

Hamilton High Yellows: Gerry McCarthy, Paddy Coakley, John Smithers, Luke McCarthy, Josh Ferris, Tom O’Mahony, Niall Guinane, Jack O’Driscoll, Billy Flynn, Jack Finn, Callum Crean, Peter O’Flynn, Ciarán Kiely, Conan O’Regan, Robbie Walsh, Jack Cantillon. 

St Brogan’s Blacks: Daniel O’Connell, Jack Horgan, Jacob Lawlor, Andrew O’Callaghan, Darragh McKeown, Adam O’Donovan, Rua O’Sullivan, Alex Lynch, Liam Murphy, Kyle Buckley, Cormac O’Leary, Noah O’Regan, Fionn Deane, Tony O’Mahony, 

St Brogan’s Whites: Joshua Dineen, Donnacha O’Mahony, Eolann Deegan, Cormac Collins, Chulainn Ross, Senan O’Donovan, Luke Daly, Donnacha Esser, Killian O’Donoghue, Darragh Donlan, Noah McCarthy, Michael O’Driscoll, Timothy O’Donovan, Ryan Hickey.

Skibbereen CS: Conor Deane, Evan O’Donovan, Jack Salter, Elliot Sellors, Christopher Crowley, Oisín Deasy, Bill O’Driscoll, Fionn Moore, Jamie Perez, Kingsley Crosby, Senan Whooley, Odhran Keohane, Tadhg Ronan, Seán Hurley, Sé O’Brien, David Long, Liam Foley, Caolan O’Connell, James Browne, Ryan Atalay, Ruairí Ward, Paul Kingston, Michael Young, Ryan Mahd, Ivan Virgen, Liam O’Driscoll, Luke Carstairs, Shane Óg Hourihane, James McCarthy, Ryan Jennings.  

Dunmanway MICC: John Fintan Canty, Michael Kelly, Daniel Brady, Keith O’Donovan, Rory Hurley, James Duggan, John O’Donovan, Emmet Farr, Ryan Crowley Healy, Oisín O’Sullivan, Jai Hurley, Fionn McCarthy, Matthew Hickey, Johnny Collins, Miguel Leite Coutinho, Diarmuid O’Sullivan, Adam O’Driscoll, Caden Walsh, Danny Carroll, John Crowley, Ryan O’Driscoll. 

Hamilton High School captain Jack O'Donoghue raises the Raymond Lyons Perpetual Memorial Cup. (Photo: Paddy Feen)

Clonakilty Community College's Finbarr O'Mahony and Hamilton High School's Jack O'Donoghue in a battle for possession. (Photo: Paddy Feen)

Tom Lyons, brother of the late Raymond Lyons, presents The Raymond Lyons Perpetual Memorial Cup to Jack O'Donoghue, captain of the Hamilton High School Blues team.(Photo: Paddy Feen)

The Hamilton High School Blues team that won the inaugural Raymond Lyons Perpetual Memorial Cup. (Photo: Paddy Feen)

The Clonakilty Community College Greens team that qualified for the final of the Lyons Cup. (Photo: Paddy Feen)

The Clonakilty Community College Red team that took part. (Photo: Paddy Feen)

The Hamilton High School Yellow team that competed in the Lyons Cup. (Photo: Paddy Feen)

Skibbereen Community School players who competed in the Raymond Lyons Perpetual Memorial Cup. (Photo: Paddy Feen)

The St Brogan's College Whites team that competed in the competition. (Photo: Paddy Feen)

The St Brogan's College Blacks team that played in the Raymond Lyons Perpetual Memorial Cup. (Photo: Paddy Feen)

The MICC Dunmanway team that competed in the Raymond Lyons Perpetual Memorial Cup. (Photo: Paddy Feen)

Skibbereen Community School won the Plate final. (Photo: Paddy Feen)

Hamilton High School Blues' Tom Connolly and Clonakilty Community College Reds Dylan O'Brien in action. (Photo: Paddy Feen)