WEST Cork Academy’s U14 schoolboys squad goes in search of SFAI Kennedy Cup glory at the University of Limerick this week.
Building on their recent Kennedy Cup performances, West Cork will once again hope to upset the form book at the prestigious week-long inter-league tournament.
The Kennedy Cup may have lost some of its lustre following the creation of a League of Ireland U14 Academy age-grade, yet spending a week as part of a regional squad at the University of Limerick still represents a significant milestone in a young footballer’s career.
Last summer, West Cork qualified for the Kennedy Cup’s knockout stages off the back of three group wins. Following a gut-wrenching quarter-final loss to Wexford, a 2-0 victory over Waterford secured a Kennedy Plate final appearance. Alas, the Cork Schoolboys League edged West Cork 2-0 following a tight encounter but cemented a superb sixth overall placing out of 31 competing leagues.
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This time around, head coach David Hall, his backroom team and players will be eager to improve on the academy’s 2024 showing.
Ahead of this summer’s tournament, West Cork’s recent Kennedy Cup successes saw the rural academy ranked fifth in the country and as one of the eight group ‘Tier 1’ top seeds. Yet, the draw for this year’s opening phase has not been kind.
As there are 30 teams taking part, the first stage will comprise six groups of four and two groups of three. West Cork’s name was the last pulled out of the hat and is in a three-team group. As a result, West Cork face Kilkenny (ranked 11th) and the North Eastern Regional League (NERL, ranked 19th).
Final group placings will decide which knockout competition each entrant progresses to: the Kennedy Cup, Shield, Bowl or Plate.
Two, instead of the usual three group fixtures, means West Cork will have little margin for error.
‘A huge amount of effort has gone into making the West Cork Academy a Tier 1 (top graded) league in the Kennedy Cup draw,’ Hall told The Southern Star.
‘We have been drawn against Kilkenny and the North Eastern Regional League. You could argue, based on their recent results, that they should be ranked as Tier 1 leagues as well. We have as tough a draw as we could have asked for.
‘The other thing that’s compounded our draw is that there is no fourth (lowest) ranked team in it. Having one less group match puts us at a bit of a disadvantage.’
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West Cork will begin their Kennedy Cup odyssey with a Group 8 opener against the NERL at 6pm this Monday evening.
DJ Curtin, Ken Kingston, Rory Curtin and Abbie Sheehan will be part of David Hall’s backroom team. Those mentors will look after a squad made up of Dunmanway Town (4), Bay Rovers (3), Castlelack (3), Clonakilty AFC (2), Drinagh Rangers (2), Lyre Rovers (2), Kilmichael Rovers, Skibbereen and Sullane (1 each) players.
‘To be honest, it doesn’t really matter who you play at the Kennedy Cup because there’s just no easy games now,’ David Hall explained.
‘We are straight in against two tough opponents and the business end of it starts on Monday. The only positive is we won’t have two games on Tuesday. That means the (whole) squad will not be utilised as much, so we’re trying to put alternative arrangements in place.
‘I’d point out that the calibre of West Cork players going to the Kennedy Cup has always been exceptionally high.
‘The only thing that we have done from an academy perspective is that we have refined our approach. We attend some of the bigger tournaments like Super, Smart and Milk Cups and also make trips to Belfast.
‘That has given the West Cork Academy far more tournament experience. It used to be the case that the Kennedy Cup was the only tournament that these boys went to. Now it is one of six that they will play in.
‘The preparation is very well rehearsed, the build-up is rehearsed, the coaching methodology is rehearsed. The boys do, on average, three and a half to four hours a week in the academy. That simply translates into better performance, better preparation, better everything.’
The West Cork Academy squad for the 2025 Kennedy Cup includes Jack Allan (captain, Castlelack), Max Bramoulle (Dunmanway Town), Donnacha Collins (Drinagh Rangers), Michael Collins (Clonakilty AFC), Vittor Coutinho (Dunmanway Town), Calum Craig (Castlelack), Rory Ecklof (Kilmichael Rovers), Eoghan Foley (Dunmanway Town), Fiachra Garrett (Skibbereen), Aaron Harrington (Castlelack), Hugh Mc Carthy (Dunmanway Town), Blake Hegarty (Bay Rovers), Eoghan Hickey (Bay Rovers), Cillian Kingston (Drinagh Rangers), Sam Mullany (Bay Rovers), Cole O’Tuama (Sullane), Dara Ryan (Lyre Rovers), Michael Ryan (Lyre Rovers) and Aidan Whooley (Clonakilty AFC).
