WHEN Barryroe last won the Carbery junior A football title in 2023, Olan O’Donovan was 18 years of age, playing in his first adult campaign.

Now he is not only guiding the next generation of talent coming through the club but the whole team too. Still eligible to play U21 this year, the forward was keen to lead his club to West Cork glory.

‘He’s some man. He came to me last year and he said, “Norman, I want to captain this team.” For a 21-year-old to be turning around and saying that, it’s a great sign of the lad,’ manager Norman Fleming said, praising O’Donovan.

‘He’s proved it all year. He stepped up. He’s one of our main scorers. Got injured badly in the Carbery U21 hurling final and was determined to get back on the pitch. He did everything that he could to get back playing and I’m delighted for him. He led the team, getting 1-2. Super performance.’

Mike Collins was another big player to step up on the big day.

He has played at a high level in the Corn Uí Mhuirí for Clonakilty Community College but this was his first Carbery final and he earned the man-of-the-match award after winning four kick-outs and forcing countless turnovers.

Barryroe captain Olan O'Donovan raises the Mick McCarthy Cup. (Photo: Paddy Feen)

‘Mike is an outstanding talent. We know what he has,’ Fleming said.

‘The defence was great. I have to give a really big shout-out to Declan O’Dwyer, our coach. He’s done phenomenal work with the lads all year. He’s really got a great defensive shape and belief in the lads. We really want to thank him. It was a super showing from the defenders.’

For other underage talents such as Collins, Daniel Moloney, Dermot Dineen and Luke Murphy, this is their first Carbery triumph.

‘The older lads were all messing with the young lads throughout the week, saying that we hadn’t won one. So, it’s nice to say that we’ve won one now, since we weren’t involved in 2023,’ Moloney said.

Dineen shares the same sentiments.

‘It’s great especially for the young fellas like me, Luke, Mike and Daniel. It’s our first one. The other lads have been trying to joke about us not winning one, but now we have one too. You can see what it means to everyone here, for the whole parish. The flags everywhere are blue. It’s an amazing feeling.’

The youngsters have players to guide them too, both on and off the pitch. Daniel Moloney and Dermot Dineen both have older brothers on the starting team.

James Moloney and Conn Dineen are both 24. Olan O’Donovan’s cousin Ryan O’Donovan is the same age. All three won their second Carbery title, having started both the 2023 and 2026 finals.

Their experience was undoubtedly key in getting Barryroe the win. They don’t want to be called stalwarts of the club just yet, though!

‘I’m not that old, am I,’ James Moloney laughs.

‘We actually do have a fairly young team. I’m 24 and I’m probably one of the older fellas now at this stage. I don’t know about a stalwart now, but I’m probably pushing on a small bit. We’re delighted to win it.

‘We’ve put in an awful lot of hard work there from the start of the year. After 2023, and we never really pushed on afterwards. The last few years have been disappointing. At the start of the year, we got a good crew together and we did an awful lot of work with Liam O’Reilly, our fitness coach. We then built up a bit of steam and a bit of momentum. Thankfully, we got over the line in the end.’