WHEN Bandon last won an adult county title in 2016, Michael Cahalane scored three points in their premier intermediate final victory over Fermoy.

One year later, he made his championship debut with the Cork senior hurlers against Tipperary, scored a crucial goal in that match and went on to win two provincial titles with the Rebels.

Fast-forward to 2026, and Cahalane, now 31, is still going strong.

He is the Lilywhites’ top scorer in their run to the Co-Op Superstores Intermediate A Hurling Championship final this Saturday, racking up 1-34.

Cahalane, Mark Sugrue and Darren Crowley are three survivors of the 2016 team hoping to taste glory again this weekend.

‘There’s a huge pride in playing for Bandon. My dad (Paddy Cahalane) would have played for the club for many years, so it’s something you take from that,’ Michael told The Southern Star.

‘There’s immense pride in putting on the jersey. To play in a county final, like last year, is special. I’ve been playing on the adult team for a good ten or 12 years now. It’s hard to get to finals, we’ve had a couple of very difficult years with a couple of relegations. It will be special to play in a county final again, that’s for sure.’

Michael Cahalane has scored 1-34 in this championship campaign.

Cahalane’s passion for hurling burns brightly as he faces into a county final against Aghada this Saturday (5pm) at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

‘We’re looking forward to Saturday. There's always a great buzz around the town for it so we’re definitely looking forward to it. It’s going to be a big test, but we’re ready for the challenge.’

Cahalane is now part of the experienced brigade, but Bandon’s younger generation have made a name for themselves too.

‘I think three U21s started the last day against Midleton. Jack (Cullinane) was brilliant, scoring 1-5. Denis O’Mahony has been fantastic for us all this year. Ciarán Twomey in the backline has had a super year,’ Cahalane explained.

‘Then you have Kevin Hannon, who has had a massive impact off the bench, scoring 0-2 against Russell Rovers. He came on in the semi-final and got a goal which got us going.

‘It’s been brilliant to have those young fellas come through. They’ve been in minor finals in the last couple of years themselves and have picked up good experience. They’ve brought that kind of confidence and freshness to the group. They’re very good players and the future is bright for them.’

Bandon were playing in the Cork senior A hurling championship as recently as 2021, having reached the quarter-finals in 2020. The other five teams to reach the knockout stages that year are now playing in the premier senior grade, including neighbours Newcestown.

But Bandon suffered relegations in 2021 and 2023 and are now in their third year at the fourth tier.

Manager Joe Burke took over for the 2025 season and has now led Bandon to his second county final. Cahalane couldn’t speak highly enough of him.

Bringing in Niall O’Halloran as coach was a big move for the club too.

James O'Donovan and Mark Sugrue, who is still going strong, celebrate Bandon's 2016 county final win against Fermoy.

‘Joe is a staunch Bandon man. The effort he's put in behind the scenes, even organising management teams and liaising with the football when we're involved in that, has been brilliant. He’s super at all that.

‘He was a very good player when he was playing himself so he has years and years of service. You couldn't ask for a better manager than Joe,’ Cahalane noted.

‘Niall has brought huge experience. His coaching record speaks for itself. He’s probably one of the most successful coaches in Cork. He has won counties with many different teams, obviously with ourselves back in 2016 as well.

‘His sessions are absolutely brilliant, and we’ve been very lucky to have him. For the younger guys coming through on the panel, having a coach like him to guide them is fantastic. I’m learning from him myself.’

Having faced Aghada earlier in the campaign, Cahalane and Bandon know what to expect. Their group-stage meeting was tight, with Bandon edging a 2-24 to 1-24 victory.

‘The last game was very close and it was probably a good game to watch too. It was very high-scoring. We got a late goal to win it. They had a goal chance at the end, our goalkeeper made a very good save. That win gives you a bit of confidence, but there's also the old saying that it’s hard to beat a team twice in the same season. We’re definitely under no illusions. It’ll be a difficult task,’ Cahalane said.

The defeat to Aghabullogue in the 2025 final was hard to take for Bandon.

Cahalane scored 0-11 that day, 0-4 from play, but he is hoping to be on the right side of the result this year.

‘It was very disappointing. To lose any final by a point, it’s tough to take, but we took a small bit of solace in that we thought we actually played quite well on the day.

‘It’s just about building on it this year. We were under no illusions with the tough group that we had in Aghada, Kilbrittain and Russell Rovers. Trying to get back to a final is so tough. You have to start at the bottom again. But now, we can definitely draw on that experience that we had in the final last year,’ added Cahalane, who hopes to spearhead Bandon’s attack on the big day, just as he did in 2016.