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West's best shine on county stage

January 10th, 2018 9:00 AM

By Southern Star Team

West's best shine on county stage Image
Sam Maguires representatives, Neil Collins, Declan Collins, Keith White, Jerry Farrell, Rhys Coakley, Denis McCarthy and Tony White, winners of the 2017 county minor A football championship, received their medals from John Purcell, Rebel Óg Chairman, at a function in the Clayton Silver Springs Hotel

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2017 was another very successful year for Rebel Óg as it continues to endeavour to develop the skills and enjoyment of younger players. 

2017 was another very successful year for Rebel Óg as it continues to endeavour to develop the skills and enjoyment of younger players. 

The commitment of players, club mentors and parents ensured that approximately 6,000 games from U11-U18 were played countywide under the auspices of all the Rebel Óg regions, in addition to the various blitzes and fun-days from U10 downwards. 

The work of the development squads continues to show promise and success in hurling, in particular, has been evident during the year. Cork minor hurlers won the Munster championship for the first time in nearly a decade and did themselves proud in the All-Ireland final before losing to a fine Galway side.

The inaugural U17 national competitions were held this year and Cork hurlers captured the All-Ireland title at this grade with some impressive displays during the year.

At club level, there were 84 county competitions to be decided and the honours were divided between 45 clubs spread right across the county.

Éire Óg won the Premier 1 MFC for the very first time and added the league title to their laurels later in the year. In addition, they captured the U14 Premier 2 football league. Glen Rovers regained the Premier 1 minor hurling championship as well as doing the league and championship hurling double at U15.

Inniscarra won the minor hurling double at Premier 2 level while Kinsale took a county hurling title at the minor B2 grade. Ballincollig were hurling champions at U16 Premier 2 while Blarney took two titles at U14 Premier 2A hurling and U16 B1 football.

Ballinora had a hugely successful year, winning the U14A hurling championship and the county A Féile in football. They also contested the U16 B1 hurling final, which they lost to Tracton. 

Their south-east neighbours, Valley Rovers, won the Premier 2A MFC and the U16 Premier 2 football decider. Ballinhassig are the U14 B1 football county champions.

Douglas were highly successful at U14 Premier 1 level taking all the football honours on offer as well as the hurling championship. For good measure, they also added the U15 championship and U16 league in Premier 1 football.

West Cork teams had a great year. Carbery Rangers won the Premier 2 MFC, while Gabriel Rangers captured the minor B1 football title as well as the U15 Premier 2 football league. Bandon took the championship titles in both codes at U15A level, a feat which was also achieved by Owen Gaels at the U15 B1 grade.

Ibane Gaels had an outstanding season. They became the first club from the West Region to win a hurling championship at Premier level when they took both the hurling and football titles at U15 Premier 2. They then went on to achieve the football league and championship double at U16 Premier 2A.

Sam Maguires were another team to do a notable double when they captured the minor A football league and championship. Adrigole and Kilmichael also had their day in the sun when they captured the U14 B2 football championship and the U16 B2 football league respectively.

Mid-Cork side Aghinagh took the minor B2 football league and championship while their neighbours, Aghabullogue, are U16A county football champions.

This year, for the first time, the U13 hurling leagues were run on a county-wide basis with honours going to Kinsale, Ballinora, Kilavullen, St Colum’s and Whitechurch.

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