HAVING reached the intermediate A hurling championship final last season, Bandon are desperate to get back there again and have another tilt at the title.

Their county final defeat to Aghabullogue last year stung, but the Lilywhites returned to form this year by topping their group, beating Aghada and Russell Rovers as well as drawing with Kilbrittain.

That was enough to progress straight through to the last four where they will face Midleton’s second team on Saturday (4pm) in Church Road.

‘We’re happy enough,’ Bandon boss Joe Burke said, reflecting on his side’s group-stage performances.

‘They were really tight games, so you can’t be overly critical of players, but as a management group, we have to pick holes in things and go after and try to seek improvements.

‘In fairness, the lads are brilliant. They’re a brilliant group to train. The numbers are always consistently high. We’re just going after the small things to try and make the small improvements. Just to get that extra couple of percent and try to get over the line.

‘Last year was a great experience for us. We obviously were disappointed at the end of it. This weekend is the real championship now. It’s knockout, and this is why everyone gets involved in the game.’

Bandon's Cathal Lynch has scored 0-3 in this campaign.

In a game where percentages make a difference, Bandon are constantly looking to improve and get to where they want to be. Step forward, Niall O’Halloran, on board as a coach.

The Ballinhassig man has been involved in coaching roles with Éire Óg, Fr O’Neill’s, Lisgoold and MTU Cork, as well as Cork minor and senior hurlers. O’Halloran has a lot of experience and is a welcome addition to the Bandon set-up.

‘Niall is involved, he’s part of the coaching group and he’s a selector as well. He’s a very good coach. We’re delighted to have him on board,’ Burke added.

‘He’s living locally in Bandon and it’s been going well so far.’

In terms of overcoming the group stage in the championship, it was a big box ticked.

Top scorer Michael Cahalane.

Kilbrittain were coming in off the back of an All-Ireland winning campaign. Aghada reached the county semi-finals last year. Russell Rovers were All-Ireland junior finalists in 2025 too. So, to go unbeaten in those three games was impressive.

‘We knew at the start of the year, when we saw the draw, it was a really difficult group and it was going to be an achievement to get out of it. We were delighted to get out of it. The semi-final position was an extra bonus, but the goal at the start of the year was just to get out of that group,’ the Bandon boss added.

‘If you sit down and look at it, there wasn’t a puck of a ball between any of the teams. We scraped over the line against Aghada, we beat Russell Rovers by a point and we drew with Kilbrittain. Any of those games could have gone any way. It was really nip and tuck. We were absolutely thrilled to bits to come out of it.

‘From a dual club’s point of view, it definitely helps when there’s hurling just continuous.’

Aghada are in the other semi-final against Sarsfields. In fact, Bandon are the only non-east Cork team in the last four in this grade.

To beat Aghada earlier in the season shows Bandon are a team on a roll, but Burke knows the challenge Midleton’s seconds will offer.

Bandon's Ciarán Twomey defending against Kilbrittain's Mark Hickey during their Co-op Superstores IAHC clash in Ballinspittle.

‘We all know Midleton has an extremely rich conveyor belt of talented players. This intermediate team has a wealth of experience so we’re under no illusions as to the depth of the challenge that lies ahead for us. We know exactly what’s coming down the tracks. They were really convincing winners over Youghal and we know exactly what lies ahead.

‘We all know east Cork is a really strong hurling area but, as I said before, there are plenty of good teams and hurlers in West Cork.

‘When you see Kilbrittain last season winning the All-Ireland, for example, you’ve two premier junior teams in Barryroe and Timoleague in the semi-finals. Hurling is going well down in West Cork, but we know the east Cork teams, they’re always strong.

‘We just have to go after Midleton the next day and we'll see what comes at the end of it.’

The Lilywhites will need top scorer Michael Cahalane to find his range. Mark Sugrue, Charlie Long and Jack Cullinane are more strings to Bandon’s bow.

Down the other end, they’ll need to keep an eye on Luke O’Farrell and Kian Farmer.

Bandon are steeped in hurling tradition and reaching a second final on the bounce in intermediate A would show signs of a return to the higher grades.

‘If we can get there, it’d be fantastic for the area and for the kids around but we just have to get over the line Saturday first, and we’ll worry about all those things then after that,’ Burke said, as Bandon look for an instant final return.