IBANE Gaels are back – and manager Danny Murphy is delighted.

The Barryroe and Argideen Rangers amalgamation was initially told last November, following a recommendation from the Independent Teams Monitoring Committee, that it could not join forces at U21 level for 2026.

A successful appeal in January, however, gave Ibane the green light to line out again this season.

The defending champions begin their Clóna Milk Carbery U21A football title defence with a quarter-final against Carbery Rangers on Monday (7.30pm) in Dunmanway.

‘It provided great playing experience for our lads last year and will do the same this year,’ Murphy told The Southern Star.

‘Obviously, when there was a review at county board level last year about independent teams, there was an element of doubt about our participation this year but we’re delighted to be involved again.

‘U21 is a fantastic grade. It’s a very enjoyable grade to play. With it being knockout, the enjoyment comes from winning.

‘It’s a great in-between grade for lads finishing minor and making their way onto the adult grades. It’s about competing and fielding a team whatever grade you are playing at. If we didn’t have this, certain cohorts of lads wouldn’t be playing a whole pile. The U21 grade fills a gap between minor and adult.’

In terms of Ibane’s panel, it’s a strong one. While 2025 captain Tomás Ó Buachalla and goalkeeper Luke McCarthy are overage, players like Charlie Twomey, Daniel Moloney and Kevin Hennessy are still there. As are all their scorers from last year’s West Cork final victory over Bantry Blues – Olan O’Donovan, Luke Murphy and James Crowley.

Ibane Gaels' Dara Walsh is tackled by Bantry Blues' Conor Cronin during the 2025 Carbery U21A football final. (Photo: Paddy Feen)

‘It’s Olan’s last year. He’s 21. We have another few at that age as well,’ Murphy added.

Conrad Murphy and Riley O’Donovan impressed for the Cork minors this year and, despite being only 17, will be involved following their All-Ireland final against Tyrone.

Ibane will be without three players because of long-term cruciate injuries, with 2025 Cork minor Donagh Flynn, Brian Murphy and Joe Crowley all sidelined.

‘With U21, you’re picking across three or four different age spans. We are after losing around a quarter of last year’s panel,’ Murphy said.

‘Unfortunately, a few that were eligible to play this year have suffered injuries.

‘Some of those injuries happened at the tail end of last year and more happened early on this year. Those are season-enders.’

Ibane’s quarter-final against Carbery Rangers is a tough opener for the defending champions. Given this is knockout football, there is no room for error.

Rangers have the likes of Timmy Cullinane and Dylan O’Neill eligible, not to mention players from the successful Mount St Michael school’s team, so Murphy is expecting a battle.

‘Carbery Rangers have their sprinkling of Cork players. Most importantly, they are a serious football club,’ the Ibane boss noted.

‘As a team with great tradition, they’ll have designs on progressing in this competition. The same as ourselves. I’d expect it to be 50/50.

‘It was a great competition last year. It’s great to have eight teams playing in the A grade. Any one of the teams last year could have won it.’

Defending a title may be a challenge for some. Murphy doesn’t see it that way.

‘I wouldn’t say so. The eight teams in this competition will all have ambitions of progressing. It's very even,’ he said.

‘We were lucky to get a great benefit from the competition by going deep in the last few years and getting games for our lads. We had a great run to a county final last year. It was disappointing not to win it but that’s behind us.

‘At underage, you’re losing a good cohort of the panel anyway. There is a turnover there.

‘We are looking to defend our title and we won’t be lying down easily, but last year is gone. It’s in the past and I don’t think it bears much relation to this year. It never does really when you have a turnover of players.’