West Cork U13 squad is heading north for Foyle Cup

THE West Cork Academy U13 Schoolboys squad will compete in the 2023 O’Neill’s Foyle Cup in Derry this week.

The young squad is ready to make a name for themselves hot on the heels of West Cork’s historic third-place SFAI Kennedy Cup finish last month.

This year’s U13 Academy schoolboys panel – also the 2024 West Cork U14 Kennedy Cup representatives – will be one of 400 teams taking part in the massive annual tournament in Derry.

The O’Neill’s Foyle Cup will see over 1,500 matches completed during a six-day span, beginning on Monday, July 17th, and concluding on Saturday, July 22nd. Devised in a similar format to the Kennedy Cup, the Foyle Cup sees teams competing in an opening group phase before moving on to the knockout stages. Age-grades involved in this year’s tournament range from U8 to U19 in the schoolboys, U9, U11, U13 and U15 in the schoolgirls and a four-team ladies (adult) grade.

Eamon Bradfield’s West Cork Academy U13 schoolboys team has been drawn in Group A against Castlefin Celtic (Monday, in Templemore Swilly at 3pm), Rosario Colts FC (Tuesday, in Templemore Swilly at 3pm) and Top of the Hill Celtic (Wednesday, in Lisnagelvin at 3pm). Depending on results from their opening three games, West Cork’s final group placing will dictate who they play over the final two days of knockout competition in Derry.

Castlefin Celtic play in the Donegal Schoolboys league while Belfast’s Rosario FC Colts, regarded as one of the best underage clubs in Northern Ireland, have played West Cork in numerous friendlies during recent times. Top of the Hill Celtic are from Derry and won the Derry District U13 Cup having finished runners-up in a competitive domestic league. Hopes are high of a positive week for the West Cork Academy during their week in Derry.

This is a West Cork team that has claimed SFAI Provincial and National inter-league silverware over the past two years. Taking part in the Foyle Cup will be another important step in next year’s Kennedy Cup squad’s development.

Clonakilty AFC will provide the bulk of the squad travelling north with Castlelack, Kilgoban Celtic, Riverside Athletic and Dunmanway Town also represented.

2023 West Cork Academy Foyle Cup squad: Darragh Bradfield (Riverside Athletic), Harry Chambers (Castlelack), Fionn Coppinger (Clonakilty AFC), Charlie Curtin (Castlelack), Noah Franklin (Clonakilty AFC), Fionn Harrigan (Clonakilty AFC), Paddy Haughney, (Clonakilty AFC), Conor Hourihan (Kilgoban Celtic), Daniel Kiely (Castlelack), Donal McSweeney (Castlelack), Charlie Moore (Clonakilty AFC), Conor Murphy (Riverside Athletic), Eoin Murphy (Castlelack), Ethan O’Donovan (Clonakilty AFC), Luke O’Neill (Clonakilty AFC), Gearoid O’Keeffe (Castlelack), Paddy O’Brien (Dunmanway Town), Ronan Twomey (Clonakilty AFC).