CHALLENGERS, READY
We need a team to emerge from the chasing pack to shake up the dominance of The Big Three in the premier senior football championship. Castlehaven, Nemo Rangers and reigning champions St Finbarr’s have shared the last nine county titles. Every now and again, a team emerges to threaten their dominance, only to come up short. Think back to Clonakilty reaching the 2021 final. Perhaps Clon can make a breakthrough this season, but they need to find a consistency and performance level they haven’t shown in recent championships. Newcestown were a breath of fresh air last season, reaching the semi-finals before just going down to Nemo – can Jim O’Sullivan’s men build on that promise? Could Knocknagree, albeit in a group with Castlehaven and Clon, carry their momentum from 2025 up to the highest level?
SENIOR A BEARPIT
It’s no secret that the senior A grade is incredibly competitive, and always the toughest of the championships to predict. It’s the same again this season. We’ll watch with interest how Carbery Rangers, relegated from premier senior, find their feet here. The Rosscarbery team had struggled at the top tier for a number of seasons, so maybe this is a chance to reset and start winning championship games again. Their group opener against Cill na Martra is a show-stopping start to the senior A grade. The Mid Cork team lost last year’s senior A final to Knocknagree, so they’ll be in the mix again. Add in Éire Óg, Dohenys, Kanturk, and you start to get a sense of just how tight this grade is.
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INTERMEDIATE A
This grade will certainly tickle the interest of West Cork football fans, as we have 2025 finalists Ilen Rovers, an Adrigole team that has come so close to reaching a final, a Gabriel Rangers team that is also knocking on the door, as well as Bandon, just down from the premier intermediate. Even better, there is a Bandon v Adrigole opener in Skibbereen this Saturday to kick this championship off with a bang.
A WHOLE NEW WORLD
Instead of preparing for a Carbery JAFC opener this weekend, Kilmacabea are planning to take on Na Piarsaigh in their first game in the county premier junior championship. This is the stage that the Kilmacs have wanted to perform on, and now they’re here. As well as making strides in the county league, with back-to-back promotions, Donie O’Donovan’s men will be keen to show they’re not just here to make up the numbers. They also face Canovee and St Nick’s in their group games.
